Rock Mechanic

This DVD features the Mk 5 version of the band, Ian Gillan, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Roger Glover and Steve Morse at a concert in Florida in 2002. It really captures the excitement of a latter day Purple performance. Even although these guys are pushing 60 years old (Lord is fact 61), Morse is the youngest at 48; they put on a superb show. All the instrumentalists are at the top of their game but Gillan in particular is in really fine form, both with his voice and in entertainment value. He really knows how to engage the audience…

earMUSIC and Deep Purple have worked on a Limited Edition Series, made of very rare live recordings from the band's archive. 20,000 numbered CDs and 2,000 numbered Red LPs will be available worldwide for each release, until sold out. The series will concentrate on the last three decades of concerts around the world, starting with an explosive show in Newcastle, Australia recorded in 2001. Some of the shows have been previously available as very rare fan club editions, others will be released for the very first time. All recordings are being remastered for the best audio quality possible. About the first chapter of the series Roger Glover commented: “After touring Australia in the early 70s, we returned in 1999 with Steve Morse on guitar. Australia had given us a great welcome back and for this night in 2001, we felt like doing something different, so we added singers and a horn section. A rare night and a special gig.”

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.

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, but their musical approach has changed over the years. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. 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.

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…

Deep Purple survived a seemingly endless series of line-up changes and a dramatic mid-career shift from grandiose progressive rock to ear-shattering heavy metal to emerge as a true institution of the British hard rock community. Once credited in The Guinness Book of World Records as the globe's loudest band, their revolving-door roster launched the careers of performers including Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, and Ian Gillan…