Who Do We Think We Are is the seventh studio album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, released in 1973. It was Deep Purple's last album with singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover until Perfect Strangers came out in 1984…
Recorded live 25/09/1999 & 26/09/1999 in London with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. Taken from the album 'Deep Purple In Concert - With The London Symphony Orchestra'.
When Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple in early 1975, many fans figured that the band was over. But with the arrival of worthy replacement Tommy Bolin, the band was suddenly back in business with the oft-overlooked Come Taste the Band release. What the prior members of Deep Purple didn't know, however, is that their new guitarist had a serious drug problem, which hampered his playing by the time the group landed in Japan for a series of shows in December of 1975. With Bolin allegedly having no feeling in one of his arms on the night of a Purple gig at the Budokan, the show was to be taped for a future release.
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.
Some may say that Deep Purple lost their heart and soul when Ritchie Blackmore bid the group sweet adieu in 1993, while others may argue that the arrival of Steve Morse signaled a much-needed transfusion of energy and fresh ideas. Regardless of the side of the Purple fence where you reside, there's no denying that the group still appears to be enjoying itself circa "the Morse era," as evidenced by the steady stream of road work displayed throughout the mammoth four-DVD set Around the World Live…
Amid the ever-growing tide of Deep Purple box sets (this was at least their eighth in nine years), Listen Learn Read On stands alone, not only as the ultimate round-up of the band's greatest moments, but also as the answer to more collectors' dreams than most collectors were even aware they'd had. You want Deep Purple's long-legendary, but forever unavailable BBC sessions? They're here. You want the killer live encores that other albums omitted? They're here. You want a solid introduction to the band members' pre-Purple passages? They're here. And, of course, you want the hits. So they're here as well…