Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)- 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (3 CD,2021/FLAC)

 Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s 1970 concept album Jesus Christ Superstar is being reissued for its 50th anniversary.

The record was a effectively a stepping stone to the full musical theatre production since Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber (unknowns at the time), were initially unable to find a producer to back their idea. MCA Records were willing to put out the album which used a full orchestra and included the talents of Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan, Murray Head, and Yvonne Elliman. 

Lloyd Webber remembers the challenges well: “A musical about Jesus Christ! Back in 1969 the mere thought had theatre producers falling about with laughter. But somehow Tim Rice and I persuaded MCA to record a single. It came at a time when fusion was all the rage. The Rolling Stones had recorded with the London Bach Choir. Deep Purple’s Jon Lord composed a symphony for rock band and orchestra. So I was like a kid in a sweet shop when I was able to combine a rock band, a symphony orchestra and a gospel choir in what was the first track to be recorded, simply titled ‘Superstar’.“

The enormous success of the album at the time (it topped the American charts) led to Broadway and West End stage productions in 1971 and 1972 respectively.

The album is being reissued as a 3CD deluxe package in a 10-inch box. This offers the original album remastered (by Miles Showell and Nick Davis at Abbey Road) and a bonus CD of previously unreleased guide vocals and demos from the project, plus B-sides and rarities.

 

 

Episode Six - Cornflakes & Crazyfoam (2 CD, 2002/FLAC)

Episode Six were an English rock band formed in Harrow, London in 1965. The band did not have commercial success in the UK, releasing nine singles that all failed to chart, but they did find minor success in Beirut at the time. Group members Ian Gillan and Roger Glover left in 1969 to join Deep Purple, while drummer Mick Underwood founded Quatermass and later collaborated with Gillan.

 This double CD is a testament to the outer limits of 1960s rock archivism, presenting 51 songs -- unreleased during the 1960s themselves -- by a band who never had a hit record and never became especially popular even on an underground or cult level. Of course, they did have a couple of future members of Deep Purple in the band, which guarantees some sort of specialist audience. It's a pretty amazing package insofar as the sheer bulk of obscurities it unearths, spanning 1964-1969. There are home and studio demos, alternate versions, a couple 1967 German TV cuts, and mucho British radio broadcasts, those U.K. radio sessions providing the bulk of the source material.

Deep Purple - The Friends And Relatives (2 CD, 1999/FLAC)

Deep Purple, one of the greatest acts in rock history celebrated their 30th anniversary. So it's exactly the right time to release an album packed with titles of the numerous band  members of Deep Purple, their solo projects and other spinoff bands.

This album features classics of Deep Purple, Rainbow, David Coverdale, E.L.F., Glen Hughes, Tommy Bolin, Gillan and others.

There's still an active fanclub and this remarkable double-CD is a must for these loyal fans.

Ian Gillan - Unchain Your Brain: The Best Of Gillan (2 CD, 2007/FLAC)

 

Comprehensive 2007 two CD compilation of Gillan and Ian Gillan Band tracks that spans the six year period from 1976 to 1982 during which the world famous big haired rocker had his most successful solo period. The former member of both Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, famed for his very wide vocal range, had two Top Three albums during this period and the finest cuts from these and his others are showcased here perfectly. 31 stunning highlights including the hit songs 'Trouble' and 'New Orleans'.