From Blabbermouth.net:


According to a posting on the Deep Purple Appreciation Society web site, exciting plans are apparently afoot for a 40th anniversary edition of "Shades of Deep Purple", the debut album by the English hard rock band DEEP PURPLE. This follows exploratory studio run-throughs of some of the old tape reels (prior to the "Hush" Jaguar commercial) which proved more than promising.

Commented the Deep Purple Appreciation Society's Simon Robinson: "I was pleased when we got the material for the remastered EMI CD in 2000, as that was a big leap forward from the existing analogue source tape. But, frankly, we were speechless after hearing these 'new' tapes, which really prove just what an incredible sound they had right at the start, and how heavy they were too. [Original album producer] Derek Lawrence deserves a medal for archiving the work in progress like this, especially given the pressure and deadlines he was under to record and mix an album in just a few days."

"Shades of Deep Purple" was released in 1968 on Parlophone in the UK and Tetragrammaton in the United States.

The LP reached position No. 24 on Billboard's Pop Album chart in the U.S.

Hush, Hush , I thought I heard them calling my name.