Deep Purple
Latest about Deep Purple

Deep Purple’s Simon McBride on the Ritchie Blackmore lick he found most difficult to learn
By Janelle Borg published
McBride has also discussed where he thinks Blackmore's compositional strength lies

Listen to Roger Glover’s isolated bassline on Deep Purple’s Highway Star
By Brian Fox published
Highway Star presents the best route to the heart of Deep Purple’s riff-driven righteousness

Deep Purple play Smoke on the Water on the lake that inspired it – with actual fire in the sky
By Janelle Borg published
The band return to Montreux, the site of the 1971 casino fire depicted in the lyrics of their iconic track

Glenn Hughes recalls meeting Tommy Bolin at his tense Deep Purple audition
By Janelle Borg published
Glenn Hughes might not be on the best of terms with Deep Purple, but he fondly remembers his friendship with guitarist Tommy Bolin

Ritchie Blackmore swapped rock for Renaissance music – but says he’s still not above cranking a tube amp once in awhile
By Janelle Borg published
The former Deep Purple guitarist says he's still disenchanted with rock, but not with his Engl amp

Deep Purple share Portable Door – their first single with new guitarist Simon McBride
By Matt Owen published
Portable Door marks the first new material from the rock institution since the departure of Steve Morse in 2022

NAMM 2024: “A luxurious color that evokes the beginnings of heavy metal”: Orange Amps team up with Glenn Hughes for its first signature O Bass – and it's a dazzling purple
By Phil Weller published
The Deep Purple icon has been an Orange endorsee for over a decade, with the bass making for a striking pairing with his signature purple Crush combo amp

“I made a deal, paid him in cash, and he died two months later. His last text to his daughter was, ‘I buried the money in the desert’”: Joe Bonamassa tells the story of the strangest guitar deal he ever did
By Matt Parker published
The Bolin ’Burst is famed for its association with Deep Purple guitarist Tommy Bolin – but its route to Bonamassa was considerably less direct

Joe Bonamassa brings out his legendary Bolin ‘Burst to tear through Deep Purple classics with Glenn Hughes and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith
By Jonathan Horsley published
Fan-shot footage captures Bonamassa joining the Voice of Rock for an epic jam on Mistreated, with Smith’s rhythm powering them all through Burn and Highway Star

“I don't know whether we played it properly, but the audience loved it”: When Black Sabbath regularly covered Smoke on the Water – and unwittingly inspired Spinal Tap's Stonehenge
By Jackson Maxwell published
Sabbath's ill-fated Born Again tour featured comically oversized props “as big as the real Stonehenge”, onstage spills, and a crowd-pleasing hard-rock crossover
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!