I only found out about this book in September after this video popped up on my YouTube feed - an interview with Steve Mclean discussing this new book. Stealing Deep Purple dives deep into what is commonly known as 'Bogus Deep Purple', a short-lived 'new' version of the band that toured in 1980. This was something I knew of, but had read very little about - mostly because there isn't a whole lot of information out there about the subject matter. I've always thought this was odd because the whole scenario is kind of crazy and most definitely interesting for hardcore Deep Purple fans like myself. Mclean uses over 200 sources to gather and provide as much info on the matter as possible.
Basically, Deep Purple officially split in 1976. Live shows were sometimes sloppy due to then-bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes' and guitarist Tommy Bolin's growing drug habits (Bolin sadly passed away in December 1976 months after the band's breakup) and the 'Mark V' lineup of the band called it quits. Deep Purple would not officially return until 1984 when the classic 'Mark II' lineup of Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Roger Glover and Ian Paice reunited. But in 1980 someone came up with the idea of taking the band's original vocalist Rod Evans - who sang on the band's first 3 records in the late '60s - and teaming him up with a bunch of musicians (Tony Flynn, Geoff Emery, Tom De Rivera and Dick Jurgens - none of whom were ever a part of Deep Purple previously), and get them to tour continental America as either 'Deep Purple' or 'New Deep Purple'. They played a setlist that featured Mk. I, II and III songs.
The whole fake Deep Purple ordeal and the tour that took place fascinates me, but so does Rod Evans. He's also a big part of the reason I picked up this book. See, after several gigs, Rod was taken to court and effectively sued for his actions. Many fans attended the gigs expecting to see Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillan etc., but were only seeing a single previous member and a bunch of unknowns. Since 1980 and after the court cases, Evans has disappeared from the public eye and quit music entirely. Barely anyone knows his whereabouts other than the fact he's married, living in Northern California and either worked in - or still works in - respiratory therapy and is perfectly happy living that life. But even still, there's no concrete evidence to confirm this - just claims. When Deep Purple were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, he was invited, but never attended.
While I think it was pretty silly to take part in what he did, he was still a member of Deep Purple at one time - and an important one at that. The first 3 Deep Purple albums from the original lineup may not have achieved the same levels of success globally as what came later, but the US warmed to them and they had hits in the States ('Hush' anyone?). I'm a big fan of the 1969 self-titled album, and the music from this period was a strong blend of hard rock, pop hooks and psychedelia. And Rod Evans was perfectly-suited to these records, even if he wouldn't have been able to pull off the hard-edged direction of the Mk. II era with Ian Gillan replacing him. Like I said, someone came up with the idea of the New Deep Purple tour - the book explores the various potential catalysts, and having finished it myself, I don't get the impression Evans was the primary cause behind it.
Since there isn't much info out there online, what I had read about Bogus Deep Purple on places such as Wikipedia, it all seems very negative. Before I read the book, I automatically assumed they were a laughing stock; unprofessional stage performances that sometimes led to the crowds rioting. There's only really 1 recorded video of them performing 'Smoke on the Water' in Mexico, and I think it's average at best. But reading the comments, for every person calling them an epic fail is another praising the performance. The 1980 tour may not have lasted that long, but there's lots of information in the book about most of the gigs they did play, and the results honestly seem varied. There were cases of sloppy performances and even rioting, but there were also concerts where the crowds reacted positively to them.
Steve Mclean takes a pretty neutral stance towards the whole ordeal, and this is what makes the book so good. Fake Deep Purple have mostly been erased from Purple history, and it's easy to just laugh at the matter if all you've read about them is what's written on Wikipedia. If I'd have found this book without listening to the interview with Mclean first, then I'd probably just assume the whole book would be taking the piss out of the New Deep Purple. But it doesn't. It tries to look at all aspects of the story, the press, the crowd reactions and the performances. When they sucked, they sucked. When they were good, they were good.
Of course I won't try to defend Rod Evans' version of Deep Purple, and I completely understand why Jon Lord took them to court. But I still kind of feel bad for Rod after reading this book - I feel like someone likely convinced him to go ahead with the tour and take advantage of the fact pretty much every other member of Deep Purple was finding success elsewhere at the time. Even after his actions, original Purple bassist Nick Simper still called the man a lyrical genius and even Ritchie Blackmore of all people called him a really nice bloke!
Basically, Stealing Deep Purple was a fun read for a Deep Purple fanatic like me. I feel like I know enough about this odd piece of musical history now after reading it, because I sure as hell didn't before. It's not available for purchase on big sites like Amazon, as it is printed to order. I went to the official site and paid £12.99 for the paperback.
