As many Deep Purple fans will know, this month of March 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of the band! Quite where all those years went, I do not know, for it seems like only yesterday that we began one of the most exciting periods of our lives.

 

No-one could imagine back then that anyone would remember our band half a century on, or belive that our recordings would still be pressed and bought by fans all over the world.

 

I would like to thank all of the people who have supported Deep Purple, those that believed in us from the start, those that championed all the following various line-ups over the years, right up to the present day.

 

It makes me very proud to have witnessed our little group blossom and grow into such a giant force in the music business, becoming a whole industry in itself, spawning various off-shoots and creating employment across the years.

 

Naturally, I am particularly proud of the original Mark I line-up, for against all the odds, we managed to create a whole new style of music, inspiring other musicians along the way, just as we were inspired by those that went before us. The original Deep Purple has always attracted criticism with many inaccuracies being written by ill-informed people; however no-one can take away the fact that over short timespan, under incredible pressure, we reached almost impossible goals!

 

As I (very slowly) write the story of the band’s beginning, I will try to right past wrongs and tell the facts as they happened. It has been a great pleasure to meet so many people from around the world who appreciate Mark I for the pioneering outfit that it undoubtedly was, and I know that for these people we were just as valid as the line-ups that came after, for there is no doubt that without us, our hard work, and our success, nothing would have followed. Once again I would like to express my gratitude to you all!!

 

Many Thanks