Deep Purple to Release Four Double Live CDs

Almost singlehandedly keeping classic hard rock alive with a seemingly never-ending series of releases and re-releases, Eagle Rock Entertainment has announced the release of four out-of-print Deep Purple live sets from the early 1970s. The double-disc sets include Scandinavian Nights, In Concert 1970/1972, Live in London and The Final Concerts.

Scandinavian Nights captures the classic Mark II lineup of Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Roger Glover and Ian Paice mere months after Gillan and Glover joined the group and helped transform their sound from psychedelic soul to era-defining hard rock. Highlights of the set include “Speed King,” “Wring That Neck” and a blazing cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black.”

In Concert 1970/1972 offers four songs from the same 1970 tour that yielded Scandinavian Nights, plus a 1972 set featuring material from the then-just-released Machine Head album, including “Highway Star,” “Lazy” and “Smoke on the Water.”

Live in London features the Mark III lineup of Blackmore, Lord and Paice joined by singer David Coverdale and bassist/singer Glenn Hughes. The 1974 set is highlighted by Burn tracks, including “Mistreated,” “You Fool No One” and the title track, as well as a few favorites from the group’s earlier incarnations.

The Final Concerts marks the end of the band’s (first) Ritchie Blackmore era in 1975, as the snake-charming guitarist was set to launch a new band, Rainbow, with American singer Ronnie James Dio. Taken from Mark III’s last European tour, the set mixes Stormbringer tracks with classics like “Burn,” “Space Truckin’” and, of course, “Smoke on the Water.”

All four albums are set for release on August 16. For more information, visit Eagle-Rock.com.