The Young'uns Strangers

1984 saw the long-awaited reunion of the classic Deep Purple Mark II line-up of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice. It was the first time they had been together since 1973. They recorded a brand new studio album, 'Perfect Strangers' and headed out on tour. This show was filmed in Melbourne, Australia and is the only full length concert film of the band at this time. It s a stunning concert with the band in incendiary form.

Deep Purple's definitive Mark II lineup reunited for 1984's Perfect Strangers. It is one of the better examples of a reunion album, although the band's uneasy camaraderie only lasted a few more years. "Knocking at Your Back Door" opens the album with a roar. Ian Gillan's lyrics don't make much sense, but Ritchie Blackmore's guitar riffs and Ian Paice's thunderous drumming carry this song as well as the rest of the album. The robotic rhythm of the title cut relies on Jon Lord's organ work. The 1999 remastered reissue features the bonus track "Son of Alerik." This fascinating, mid-tempo, ten-minute instrumental was the B-side of the "Perfect Strangers" 12" single in the U.K.

Everybody knows "Strangers in the Night", one of the greatest hits of the 20th century. Yet, hardly anybody knows that the German composer Bert Kaempfert wrote the song. One can find his name credited next to a great number of world-famous titles. Kaempfert made music history and created a distinctive style with titles like "Spanish Eyes", "Danke Schoen", "A Swingin’ Safari" or the aforementioned "Strangers in the Night", that facilitated Frank Sinatra’s furious return to the top of the charts in 1966.
Subtitled "Celebrating Bert Kaempfert" vibes player Christopher Dell offers a contemporary sideways take on the work of the late composer, arranger and bandleader. Dell has imaginatively re-arranged Kaempfert’s tunes placing them in a thoroughly contemporary setting…