Deep Purple • Hard Road 5CD set July 2014

The upcoming Mk 1 box set is now scheduled for the third week of July (and can be pre-ordered at DTB Online shop). Content details have been released and show it to be something of a mixed bag as far as older collectors are concerned, as a lot of it replicates the three single album reissues from 2000 which EMI put out. Those CDs are now deleted (as indeed is EMI!) so at least this does get the stuff back on catalogue. But an initial trawl through the content suggests so much more could have been done here.

Basically it’s a 5CD set, each album in card replica cover, plus the booklet in a card CD size box. It is also well priced (particularly if you rack it up against the 5 disc MIJ set which was more than THREE TIMES as expensive).

However having 5 discs doesn’t mean quite the mass of goodies that you might at first expect, as they break down into the three studio albums in stereo plus Shades and Taliesyn in mono. These are the original mono mixes prepared in 1968. Shades did come out on mono vinyl (now very rare) but by the time Taliesyn was issued on Harvest, mono was very old hat so the mix was shelved. This is the first time those tapes have been issued on compact disc (Shades Mono was issued on vinyl for Record Store Day 2014 – check our new collectors shop if you haven’t got it). I’ve jotted down the bonus track details below.

And what of that lovely Mk 1 live Canadian show from 1969? Not a sniff.

The sales info is minimal to say the least, probably assuming that the intended target audience will have more of a clue than the press department! Mostly they like to credit Mk 1 as “laying the musical foundations for” Rainbow, Whitesnake and Gillan, which seems to be stretching it a tad, at least two of those bands never featured anybody from this line-up at the start.

And the sleeve? It looks like one of those tacky budget compilations you find at supermarkets. I trust everyone who moaned at the 2000 Mk 1 remix covers (a trick I notice Zeppelin have adopted for their recent remasters) are happy…

CD 1 – Shades Of Deep Purple (Mono Mix)
Bonus Tracks – Shadows (Album outtake), Love Help Me (Instrumental version), Help (Alternate take)
All these were on the 2000 CD

CD 2 – Shades Of Deep Purple (Stereo Mix)
Bonus Tracks – Alternative mixes
9. And The Address (2003 Remix), Hush (1968 Monitor Mix), I’m So Glad (2003 Remix), Hey Joe (2003 Remix).
These may be from that Early Years CD set EMI did [thanks Tonny]. The monitor mix is a corker if it’s the one I think it is, but again it’s off the Early Years set.

CD 3 – Book Of Taliesyn (Mono Mix)
No bonus tracks.

CD 4 – Book Of Taliesyn (Stereo Mix)
Bonus Tracks – Single Edits, Outtakes & Alternative mixes
Playground (Instrumental outtake), Kentucky Woman (2003 remix), Oh No No No (Studio outtake), Playground (Remixed instrumental outtake), River Deep, Mountain High (US Single Edit).
The single edit speaks for itself, Playground first appeared way back on the Blackmore Rock Profile, and is also featured here in the 2000 remix version. Oh No No No was again on the 2000 CD.

CD 5 – Deep Purple
Bonus Tracks – Singles & Alternative mixes
Emmaretta (2012 Stereo remix – previously unreleased), The Bird Has Flown (Early version, 2012 stereo remix – previously unreleased), Why Didn’t Rosemary? (Early instrumental take – Previously unreleased), Blind (2003 Remix), Lalena (Instrumental), April (Part 1) (Single B-side), Emmaretta* (Original single A-side), The Bird Has Flown* (Original US single B-side).
The three singles tracks again are what they are (* = mono). Another of the 2003 remixes, plus a couple of remixes from 2012. Theinstros of Rosemary and Lalena are again probably those off early Years.

In all 58 tracks of which none seem to be new outside the mono versions

Is it a major sonic upgrade from the last round? It would have to be a huge upgrade for me to spend the $'s; I like this pre-Gillan stuff, but not all that much.

I got this box yesterday from the UK. This is my 3rd go round with these titles so this should be the last word. The first CD releases of these sounded like they were mastered from cassettes. The last round I got were the EMI/Spitfire releases which were mastered by Peter Mew at Abbey Road. These sounded exponentially better plus they have outtakes and BBC bonus tracks. This box contains new remasters by Andy Pearce plus outtakes but no BBC tracks. All of the BBC tracks have been released on the "BBC Sessions 1968-1970" disc. So far I have only had time to compare the "Shades" discs. The Peter Mew version sounds bottom heavy and has no noticable tape hiss. I surmise that is because of some noise reduction process. The new Andy Pearce remaster has some tape hiss audible paticularly in the opening of "And The Address" but it also has better definition and a less boomy bottom end. I prefer these new masterings but will keep the last batch for the BBC tracks. The Mono "Shades" is a bonus. The mini LP jackets are not Japanese quality but are very nicely done. I have been a fan of the Mk. I line up ever since I hijacked my Uncles copy of the vinyl 2LP "Purple Passages" on Warners many, many moons ago, so this is a welcome addition to my DP collection.

I concur--got this last Friday, just 6 days transit time from Amazon UK! Out of curiousity, Mr. Fuse, why would you keep the last round of reissues (2000/EMI-Spitfire) for the BBC tracks since as you correctly noted, all those tracks are available on the BBC Sesions 1968-1970? Is there something I'm not aware of about the BBC tracks on those 2000 remasters that makes said remasters worth keeping? Thanks!

The "Shades" disc has 1 Track "Hush (live US TV) that is not available on the BBC comp. I have not yet had time to listen to all the other discs for any other differences but I like the booklets from the Spitfire/EMI releases. It is also a unique mastering that I may prefer on some tracks as compared to others. Not to mention I will likely get chump change on the used market. It's a sickness.....and I'm not alone here!

The "Shades" disc has 1 Track "Hush (live US TV) that is not available on the BBC comp. I have not yet had time to listen to all the other discs for any other differences but I like the booklets from the Spitfire/EMI releases. It is also a unique mastering that I may prefer on some tracks as compared to others. Not to mention I will likely get chump change on the used market. It's a sickness.....and I'm not alone here!

Ah, yes. The sound from that track leaves a lot to be desired...but certainly historic as it's from Purple's appearance on Playboy After Dark, hosted by a pre-Viagra Hugh Hefner. The full clip (see below) filmed during Purple's debut October 1968 U.S. tour, has pre-song staged chat in which an affable (!) Ritchie Blackmore gives Hef a mini-guitar lesson. After some more chit chat, Hef says it would "groove the kids" if the group would play "Hush," which had hit #4 in the U.S. earlier that year. Dig Rod Evans in those day glo orange pants!