Hello My Name Is Ian
Ian Gillan of Deep Purple
Ian Gillan admits that it’s a strange, surreal time to be releasing a new album. But the Deep
Purple vocalist was justifiably proud of his band’s latest “Whoosh!” comeback, overseen by
legendary, sound-effects-favoring producer Bob Ezrin, of Alice Cooper and Kiss “Destroyer”
renown. “And Bob is the same age as us,” notes Gillan, who will turn 75 on August 19. “And
he’s based in Toronto and in Nashville — he has a house in both places.” His name was suggested
by the band’s Hamburg-based A&R rep, who introduced them, and then watched the
sparks fly. “Bob said, ‘I’d love to do this project, but I don’t just ant to record songs by you
— my focus is to capture what you do onstage, as you did in the 1970’s and as you still do
now, because when you start improvising and jamming, that’s when it becomes electric in
the concert hall. And if you want to do that? I’m your man.’ So we accepted him, and he was
like a conductor — since he’s also a classically trained pianist — and we responded very well
80 minute long free music
compilations featuring intriguingly mixed
rock and rock-based music.
Satisfying musical appetites around the
globe since 2005
09•2020
to that.” Eerily enough, much of the material they conjured up together falls in dark thematic
line with the current pandemic that’s shaken the Earth to its core, from the funky mortality-minded
opener “Throw My Bones” through larger philosophical musings “Man Alive,”
“Nothing at All,” “We’re All the Same in the Dark,” and “The Power of the Moon”— something
more people are noticing these days as they have the time and inclination to look up to
the night sky in newfound awe. “And the power of the moon is the greatest force that we can
harness on this Earth, far greater than the Sun,” Gillan believes. “I mean, it lifts the oceans
twice a day, once by power and once by backwash. And its power is free.” He checked in
from his scenic Dorset digs on the West Coast of England, where he was preparing to restock
his wine cellar.
IE: How’s everything going over there?
IAN GILLAN: Well, it’s all gone quiet. There’s an element that’s still out and about, but most
people seem to get it, though — they’ve got to stay home and quarantine. But generally
speaking, I think people draw together in the face of adversity. So I turn on my TV in the
morning, and again in the evening just to catch up. But there’s this feeling of calm, I would
say. But look, I’m an optimist. I always try and look on the bright side, and I remember when
I was a kid, my mom said, “Well, the holidays might never happen, because if we can’t afford
it, we can’t go.” But I would say, “Yeah, but I’m going to have so much fun looking forward
to it, and that’s half the battle right there!” So I’m thinking that probably all the pubs will
open for 24 hours straight for several days, once this is all over.
IE: When did you first notice this sense of optimism you had as a kid?
IG: Ah, well — it’s the only way to go. I was born in ’45 at the end of the war, when we still
6
illinoisentertainer.com september 2020