Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: phone line Slovenia (Ljubljana)-Portugal
Interview date: 30.05.2014
Ian Gillan, the famous English rock musician, is best known as the singer and lyricist of the legendary Deep Purple. He first joined them in 1969 and recorded six albums with them up to 1973, which still rank among their most beloved achievements today. Thanks to constant clashes with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, he said goodbye to Deep Purple in 1973. After failed attempts in the business world and a short break from the music industry, he decided to carry on making music, first with his solo outfit Ian Gillan Band and then with the band Gillan. That was followed by a one-year, unsuccessful stint with Black Sabbath, after which he helped bring the classic Deep Purple lineup back together in 1984. Even though Deep Purple had successfully ‘risen from the dead’ by then, Gillan’s squabbles with Blackmore were nowhere near over. In 1989 he had to ‘hit the road’ again. This time his absence didn’t last long, and in 1992 he rejoined Deep Purple as they celebrated their 25th anniversary. After Blackmore’s departure and the arrival of his replacement Steve Morse in 1994, Gillan played a key role in turning the band into a proper touring machine, where he’s had a big say ever since.
Mr. Gillan, who was in Portugal at the time of the interview, and I had an interesting phone chat about all sorts of topics from his rich musical career. A few closing words were also devoted to the July Deep Purple show in Ljubljana.
RockLine: Hello. How are you feeling? Did you enjoy the recent tour with Deep Purple?
Ian: I’m fine. Everything’s going the way it should. We’re not on tour right now, we’re in the middle of creating new music. There’s a new Deep Purple album in the works, so I’ve really got my hands full.
RockLine: »What Now?!«, your latest studio album, got a lot of positive reviews from fans and music critics alike. Did you expect such a positive response when »What Now?!« first hit the shelves?
Ian: Not in the slightest. To be honest, I never expected such a positive response, not by a long shot. The whole band was actually surprised by the warm reception, so that’s another reason we hit the road for the »What Now?!« tour with even more fire.
RockLine: Do you happen to have any good memories from your short stint with Black Sabbath? Maybe just one good memory?
Ian: Uh, there really aren’t many, but there’s still the odd positive scrap of memory from that time, and above all I’m glad I’ve stayed friends with Tony Iommi ever since.
RockLine: Do you plan to work with Tony Iommi again someday?
Ian: I’d say it’s unlikely, though you should never say never. Right now we’re both completely tied up, each with our own band, and a lot also depends on his health.
RockLine: Have you ever thought about experimenting with different musical genres again, like you did back in the second half of the seventies, when you played jazz rock fusion with Ian Gillan Band?
Ian: Ah no, that’s all in the past now. It was a short period that I do remember fondly, but let it stay in the past. I’m completely happy with the musical direction I’m creating within Deep Purple, so I really don’t feel any particular need to take on such ventures again.
RockLine: I assume you don’t have any plans at the moment for a solo career or various side projects.
Ian: Not for new music, no, but I’m planning a solo tour of Europe next year.
RockLine: Is there any musician, maybe from the modern rock scene, you’d like to work with someday?
Ian: Not really. I don’t follow the contemporary music scene much, and even among the ‘old guard’ I don’t see anyone I’d want to team up with for a project right now.
RockLine: And what do you think of the modern heavy rock scene, which Deep Purple, among others, had a major influence on? Is there any modern heavy rock act that interests you?
Ian: I’d rather not give a specific answer to that one, because I don’t want to hurt the memory of my late father. He never knew that kind of music at all, he preferred listening to Frank Sinatra and artists like that.
RockLine: Do you have any advice for ambitious young rock singers?
Ian: I do. Above all, they have to approach it with heart, and not just out of a desire to become famous at any cost. The most important thing is to play with as many different musicians as possible to pick up valuable experience. That way they’ll eventually develop a professional attitude and a real sense of timing.
RockLine: How important are lyrics to you?
Ian: It’s mostly a technical thing. More than the meaning of the words, the sound of the words is what matters. Even if you don’t know the exact meaning of a particular word, the most important thing is that it sounds good. We all go through certain life experiences, and lyrics let us express our recent experiences and reactions to certain events. I always carry a little notebook with me where I write down the good and bad things that happened to me on a given day, no matter what mood I was in. Sometimes all it takes is the sound of a fast car or a melody playing nearby to give me the right ‘color’ for a new lyric. But on the other hand, most of the words I jot down and later develop into lyrics are enigmatic to me. Way back, we had big problems when there were five musicians in the band with different cultural views, political convictions and approaches to life. You always have to be extremely careful when you represent your band through lyrics. So it’s right that the lyrics are enigmatic in a way. You could also compare writing lyrics for individual songs to the expressionist technique in painting.
RockLine: Where does your special affection for Armenia and Armenian Deep Purple fans come from?
Ian: When you go to a country you’ve never been to before and find yourself in front of a house where they open the door with the words ‘hello, come on in’, you feel a strong connection. Terrible things happened in that house in the past, so you can instantly empathize with its residents. I think things like that belong to the realm of the spiritual. People who are genuinely kind to you give off a special energy. Souls that have touched each other stay intertwined forever. Besides Armenia, I also have a special affection for some other places around the world where I had similar, unforgettable experiences.
RockLine: I’m wondering whether you have a personal studio favorite, if we walk through the whole Deep Purple discography.
Ian: Uh, that’s a really tough question. Do you mean favorite for today or for tomorrow? If you asked me the same question tomorrow, I’d give you a completely different answer, because music isn’t static. It all depends on what mood I’m in. In my opinion, though, the most important album we ever made is »Fireball«. As for our best album, I really have no idea. That’s a question I honestly can’t find the right answer to, because individual songs from different periods are always close to my heart. Someone recently asked me about the background of the song »Razzle Dazzle« from the album »Bananas«. After listening to it again after a long time, I remembered that it’s a really great piece of work. When I was 16, I had a favorite car and a favorite color, but, as you know, things change over the years and get a lot more complex.
RockLine: Would you change anything about Deep Purple’s past, if you happened to get the chance?
Ian: No, the only thing we can change is our future. The past should stay the past, and there’d really be no point in changing it in any way. Even the stuff that wasn’t so pleasant and that I don’t have exactly fond memories of happened for a reason, so I really wouldn’t change a thing.
RockLine: What can we expect from Deep Purple in the near future?
Ian: Everything’s the same and, on the other hand, different. We’re making a new studio album, which is yet another new album in a long line, but this one is different again from the last. From a technical standpoint that may sound monotonous, but what you can expect from Deep Purple in the future is what we’ve been doing our whole lives: tours, live shows and, when needed, writing new songs. We’re in the middle of writing new songs right now, but I still have no idea when they’ll come out, or when the new album will be out. In July we’ll also play a few summer festivals in Europe, and then in August we’re heading off on a US tour with 20 shows. In the fall, if I’m not mistaken, there’s also a trip to South America. In October and November we’ll go back into the studio. In March next year I’ll do a solo tour of Europe called ‘Rock Meets Classics«, which will take in Germany, France and Switzerland. So I’ve already got a plan for the main events for a year ahead.
RockLine: What can we fans expect from your show in Ljubljana on July 16, 2014?
Ian: We’re a rock band and we always give 100 percent. There’ll be a lot of improvising and a longer jam too, but the songs are the main platform of the music. And what matters most when playing them is the fantastic relationship we have with your audience. So our show will be a combination of four different elements: playing the well-known songs, a few more obscure songs, new songs, of which there’ll probably be four or five from the album »Now What?!«, and improvisation. And the fifth element is of course the audience, who are just as important a part of the band, because without their energy it wouldn’t be a show, just a warm-up. Those are our essential ingredients, and they never change. People and locations always change, but the atmosphere and the audience’s enthusiasm are always there.
RockLine: Do you have a message for our readers?
Ian: We’re very grateful for your support. You’re a fantastic audience, we love you, and I still have some good friends in Slovenia, so we can’t wait for the moment when we get to play for you. Thanks once again.
RockLine: Thank you for the interview, Mr. Gillan. I can’t wait for your show in Ljubljana, and in the meantime I wish you lots of luck with all your future endeavors, both personally and with Deep Purple.
Ian: Thank you for all the support. I hope to see as many of you as possible in July.
In the photos: Ian Gillan with Deep Purple on stage, 24.07.2013, in Majano near Udine, Italy – RockLine photo archive 2006-2014, all rights reserved. You can read the full RockLine report on the Deep Purple concert in Majano HERE!
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