Born in Hertford
Deep Purple was formed in Hertford, north of London, in 1968.
Facts
Everything you need to know – and a bit more – about the band that defined hard rock.
1968formed
25studio albums
122live albums
15members
9line-ups
58years of rock
Did you know…
The name
The name comes from the song “Deep Purple” – the favourite of Ritchie Blackmore's grandmother.
First hit
Hush (1968) was a cover of a Joe South song, and became the band's first big hit in the USA.
Rock + orchestra
Jon Lord's Concerto for Group and Orchestra was performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.
Made in Japan
The live album Made in Japan (1972) was recorded in Osaka and Tokyo – counted among the best ever.
Loudest band
In 1972 the band made the Guinness Book of Records as the world's loudest band, after a concert in London.
Ian Paice
Drummer Ian Paice is the only one who has been in every single line-up.
California Jam
In front of several hundred thousand people, Ritchie Blackmore smashed a TV camera with his guitar.
Fake Purple
A fake “Deep Purple” with Rod Evans as the only former member toured the USA – it ended up in court.
Family tree
Deep Purple gave rise to Rainbow, Whitesnake, Gillan, Paice Ashton Lord and Black Country Communion.
Norwegian roots
The oldest fan site, The Highway Star, began as a FAQ written by Norwegian Trond Strøm.
Guitar shop classic
The Smoke on the Water riff is probably the most played riff in guitar shops worldwide.
The story behind the riff
Smoke on the Water
How Smoke on the Water came to be – from a burning casino to the most famous guitar riff of all time.
- 4 Dec 1971Frank Zappa plays
Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention play the casino in Montreux. Deep Purple are in town to record Machine Head there the next day.
- The concertA flare gun
Someone in the audience fires a flare gun at the ceiling. It catches fire, and the whole casino complex burns down.
- The lakeThe title is born
From their hotel the band watches the smoke settle over Lake Geneva. Roger Glover gets the title Smoke on the Water – in a dream, he says.
- Funky ClaudeThe hero
Festival director Claude Nobs helps people out of the building – he becomes “Funky Claude” in the lyrics.
- Grand HotelThe record is made
With no casino, the band records the album in the corridors of an empty hotel, using the Rolling Stones' mobile studio.
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Timeline 1968–today
- 1968Mk I
The band is formed. The debut album and the hit Hush.
Deep Purple was put together in Hertford in spring 1968, with Rod Evans, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Nick Simper and Ian Paice.
Read about 1968 → - 1969Mk II
Gillan and Glover join – Mk II is born. Concerto for Group and Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.
The third album, Deep Purple, came out in June. That summer Rod Evans and Nick Simper were replaced by Ian Gillan and Roger Glover from the band…
Read about 1969 → - 1970Mk II
Deep Purple in Rock defines hard rock.
Deep Purple in Rock came out in June and set the direction: heavier, faster and louder.
Read about 1970 → - 1971Mk II
Fireball – and the casino fire in Montreux.
Fireball topped the UK album chart, and Strange Kind of Woman was a hit.
Read about 1971 → - 1972Mk II
Machine Head and Made in Japan.
Machine Head came out in March with Smoke on the Water, Highway Star, Lazy and Space Truckin'.
Read about 1972 → - 1973Mk III
Gillan and Glover leave. Coverdale and Hughes join.
Who Do We Think We Are came out early in the year, with Woman from Tokyo.
Read about 1973 → - 1974Mk III
Burn, Stormbringer and California Jam.
Burn came out in February and showed a new Deep Purple with more soul and funk, and two singers.
Read about 1974 → - 1975Mk IV
Blackmore leaves and forms Rainbow. Tommy Bolin joins.
Ritchie Blackmore was unhappy with the new direction and left the band to form Rainbow with Ronnie James Dio.
Read about 1975 → - 1976Hiatus
The band splits up. Bolin dies in December.
The tour after Come Taste the Band was hard going, and the band split up in summer 1976.
Read about 1976 → - 1984Mk II
Mk II reunites with Perfect Strangers.
After an eight-year break, the classic Mk II line-up reunited.
Read about 1984 → - 1987Mk II
The House of Blue Light.
The House of Blue Light came out in January 1987 – the second album after the reunion.
Read about 1987 → - 1990Mk V
Slaves and Masters with Joe Lynn Turner.
Ian Gillan was fired in 1989, and Joe Lynn Turner from Rainbow took over the microphone.
Read about 1990 → - 1993Mk VI
Blackmore leaves for good. Joe Satriani saves the tour.
Mk II came together one last time for The Battle Rages On…, released in July 1993.
Read about 1993 → - 1994Mk VII
Steve Morse becomes the permanent guitarist.
Steve Morse from Dixie Dregs became the permanent guitarist.
Read about 1994 →
- 1996Mk VII
Purpendicular – a new lease of life with Morse.
Purpendicular was the first studio album with Steve Morse.
Read about 1996 → - 1998Mk VII
Abandon.
Abandon was the second album with Steve Morse – heavier and rougher than its predecessor.
Read about 1998 → - 2002Mk VIII
Jon Lord retires, Don Airey takes over.
Jon Lord retired from the band to focus on his own music.
Read about 2002 →
- 2003Mk VIII
Bananas – the first album with Don Airey.
Bananas was the first album with Don Airey on keyboards.
Read about 2003 → - 2005Mk VIII
Rapture of the Deep.
Rapture of the Deep came out in autumn 2005.
Read about 2005 → - 2012Mk VIII
Jon Lord dies.
Jon Lord died on 16 July 2012 after an illness.
Read about 2012 → - 2013Mk VIII
Now What?! – dedicated to Jon Lord.
Now What?! was produced by Bob Ezrin and dedicated to Jon Lord.
Read about 2013 → - 2016Mk VIII
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Deep Purple was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2016.
Read about 2016 → - 2017Mk VIII
Infinite and “The Long Goodbye” tour.
Infinite came out in spring 2017, again produced by Bob Ezrin.
Read about 2017 → - 2020Mk VIII
Whoosh!
Whoosh! came out in August 2020, the third album in a row with Bob Ezrin.
Read about 2020 → - 2021Mk VIII
Turning to Crime – an entire album of covers.
Turning to Crime consisted only of covers – the band “purpleised” favourites from the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
Read about 2021 → - 2022Mk IX
Simon McBride replaces Steve Morse.
Steve Morse left the band to care for his sick wife.
Read about 2022 →
- 2024Mk IX
The album =1 is released.
The album =1 came out in summer 2024 – the first with Simon McBride.
Read about 2024 →
Deep Purple are a British rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. 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 have been referred to as being part of the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-'70s", alongside Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre, they have sold over 100 million records worldwide. Deep Purple have also generated several successful spinoff bands, including Rainbow, Whitesnake, and Gillan.