Deep Purple’s Glenn to play classic tracks

FORMER Deep Purple bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes is returning to his homeland to perform the band’s classic tracks.

Glenn was poached from the funk-rock band Trapeze in 1973, when just 20 years old, and spent the next three years touring the world with Deep Purple and recording three legendary albums – Burn, Stormbringer and Come Taste The Band.

Deep Purple split (for the first time) in

1976 and Glenn released his first solo album,

Play Me Out. He went on to join

Black Sabbath for the Seventh

Star album and fronted the blues-rock supergroup

Black Country

Communion with Derek Sherinian, Jason Bonham and Joe Bonnamassa.

“I didn’t know that Ian Gillan was leaving Purple,” Glenn says from his American home while listening to his beloved Wolves on the radio. “Ian [Paice], Jon [Lord] and Ritchie [Blackmore] kept coming to see my previous band Trapeze over a nine-month period in 1972. I just thought they were fans of the band.”

Staffordshire-born Glenn speaks fondly of his time in the band. “It was fun. Everything was on a grand scale and the shows were fantastic.”

Some people found it hard to get on with guitarist Ritchie, but not Glenn.

“I got along with him fine. It was strange, though, as Ritchie always had his own dressing room while the rest of us shared. I never paid it too much attention really, but he was very isolated.”

Glenn says there were many reasons the band split in 1976.

“I just think everything took its toll – the women, booze and drugs especially. We were all growing up and changing musical direction. Also we didn’t realise how sick Tommy Bolin was.” Tommy replaced Ritchie for the Come Taste The Band album, and died in December 1976, aged 25.

Deep Purple reformed in 1984 although Glenn wasn’t asked to be a part. “But then again I wouldn’t have joined,’’ he says. ‘‘I was happy with my solo career.”

Glenn explains how his Classic

Deep Purple Live show came about.

“Just after Deep Purple (and me) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I was approached by many people to do a ‘legacy’ show. We started planning it two and a half years ago. I seem to be the only person to be doing the Mk3 and Mk4 songs.

‘‘I will be doing some songs that I didn’t originally feature on, like

Smoke On The Water.”

Glenn will play The O2 Institute, Birmingham, on Friday, November 29.

Glenn Hughes