The 1971 Deep Purple album Ritchie Blackmore never liked: “We slipped there”
The Deep Purple that has gone down in rock history is very different from the one that began all those years ago.
While it’s hard to think of the band without their mammoth riffs and bellowing vocals from Ian Gillan, the original incarnation was looking to become a jam band, often putting tremendous arrangements over fairly straightforward pop songs. By the time they got out of the 1960s, though, change was definitely in the air.
That sense of transition wasn’t just about musical direction, but identity. Deep Purple were still figuring out what kind of band they wanted to be, caught between the experimental tendencies of their early work and the heavier instincts that were beginning to surface. It created a tension that, while sometimes unfocused, ultimately pushed them towards something far more distinctive.
Crucially, this period of uncertainty allowed each member to explore their strengths in a more defined way. As ideas clashed and evolved, the band gradually moved away from imitation and towards innovation, setting the groundwork for the heavier, riff-driven sound that would soon become synonymous with their name.
After the flower power scene, drummer Ian Paice knew they wouldn’t last trying to stay in the jam band circuit, telling Metal Evolution, “What we tried to be on the first album was to be an English version of Vanilla Fudge. Take normal songs and put big arrangements around them. We started to realise that it was more important to be ourselves instead of ‘No. 2 Vanilla Fudge’.”
After trying their hand at performing at the Royal Albert Hall with a symphony orchestra, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore thought that a change in direction was in order, telling organist Jon Lord via Classic Albums, “I said, ‘Hey, why don’t we give this heavy, riffy rock a chance and see how it goes? And if it doesn’t work, then I’ll play with orchestras for the rest of my life.”
A new sound meant a new lineup, with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover replacing original members Nick Simper and Rod Evans. Although the band were on the right track when making their hard rock smash In Rock, Blackmore had some reservations about their next album.
Going into the making of Fireball, the band decided to work out in the country, having various songwriting sessions before they went into the studio. While the group brought in some fresh ideas on songs like ‘No No No’, Glover remembers the sessions being fairly heated.
In light of Blackmore getting into the occult, Glover was given a rude awakening halfway through rehearsals, telling Behind the Music, “I remember Ritchie coming into my room and saying ‘Can we borrow your crucifix?’ and I said, ‘Well, why’. After they left, there was this almighty crash, and an axe came through my door.”
While fans gave the album a lukewarm reception, Gillan thought it was more adventurous than people gave it credit for, saying, “It’s definitely one of the best things that we’ve done behind the scenes, but it wasn’t received well.” Blackmore wasn’t as kind, saying, “I know that Ian Gillan thinks that it’s one of our better [albums]. For me, we slipped there. I don’t think the ideas were there.”
Even though the album fell on a few deaf ears, its failure became the boost they needed to make their seminal album, Machine Head. Looking to top what they had done on In Rock, Purple’s next venture sent them into the stratosphere, writing songs that would become staples of rock and roll history like ‘Smoke on the Water’ and ‘Highway Star’. Since the band were on the cusp of something big, Fireball feels like a calm before the storm, capturing the band right as they were about to explode.
