DEEP PURPLE – CONCERTO FOR GROUP AND ORCHESTRA LP – EXC+ A1/B1 UK 1970 ORIG BLACKMORE

Deep Purple – Concerto For Group And Orchestra
(Harvest Records  1970  SHVL767)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1 – UK Pressing
“Gramophone Co” ringwording text on label – EMI logos on both labels

EJ Day Laminated Gatefold Sleeve in Nr MINT/Excellent+ condition
– some fading along spine edge on front

Vinyl in Excellent+ condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality apart from some light pops/crackles – more evident in some of the quieter sections)

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. The band is considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical approach changed over the years. Originally formed as a progressive rock band, the band shifted to a heavier sound in 1970. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the “unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies”. They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as “the globe’s loudest band” for a 1972 concert at London’s Rainbow Theatre, and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

The Concerto for Group and Orchestra is a concerto composed by Jon Lord, with lyrics written by Ian Gillan. It was first performed by Deep Purple and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold on 24 September 1969 and released on vinyl in December 1969. After the score was lost in 1970, it was performed again in 1999 with a recreated score. The 1969 performance was the first ever combination of rock music and a complete orchestra and has been cited as paving the way for other rock/orchestra performances such as Metallica’s S&M concert and Roger Waters’s The Wall – Live in Berlin performance.

Original 1969 Royal Albert Hall performance

Performance

The piece was first performed and recorded on 24 September 1969 in the Royal Albert Hall, London, by:

• Deep Purple
  • Jon Lord: keyboards
  • Ritchie Blackmore: guitar
  • Ian Gillan: vocals
  • Roger Glover: bass
  • Ian Paice: drums
• The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Malcolm Arnold

Tracklist