Deep Purple Singles A's & B's (1993){warner Wpcr 2115}

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. The band is considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical approach changed over the years. Originally formed as a progressive rock band, the band shifted to a heavier sound in 1970. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre, and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide…

While they started out in the late '60s as a psychedelic band, delved into progressive rock, and even recorded an album in collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Deep Purple achieved their greatest success as a strong, straightforward, hard rock band, anchored by the powerful guitar work of Ritchie Blackmore and the show-stopping vocals of Ian Gillan (and later David Coverdale)…

The band formed in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre. They were once listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the loudest pop group", and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Deep Purple were ranked #22 on VH1's Greatest Artists of Hard Rock programme.

By early 1975, the flame was quickly fading out for the Ritchie Blackmore era of Deep Purple. Discontent with the overtly funk-based direction the group had recently embraced on such releases as Burn and Stormbringer, Blackmore's focus had shifted to launching a solo career. But the "Mark III" lineup of Purple certainly went out with a bang, as evidenced by the release of their last ever show together, Live in Paris 1975…

If you were to declare "Deep Purple is my favorite band," then a fitting immediate question would be "What era/lineup?" Unlike some bands that stick to the same lineup from the beginning to end of their careers, Purple are one of the few rock bands to retain their following despite numerous lineup shuffles over the years…

Smoke on the Water. How many of you have heard that song over the years? How many of you have sung it, or played it on your guitar, real or air? Smoke on the Water has gone into the annals of Rock as one of its signature songs, historically intact for all time. The creators of that song, and many more memorable ones, were Deep Purple. In their long and varied career as a defining rock band, typifying the 70s as the hotbed of maturing Rock n Roll music, Deep Purple has produced some of Rock's most enduring moments.