Jon Lord: five great performances from Deep Purple and Whitesnake Jon Lord, who has died aged 71, gave hard rock one of its defining sounds. Here he is at his best please log in to view this image Jon Lord bringing the rock on stage in Australia in 1975. Photograph: Fin Costello/Redferns The most thrilling sight at the first gig I ever went to wasn't the flashbombs and pyro during Cozy Powell's drum solo. It wasn't David Coverdale whirling his mic stand round like some berserk javelin thrower in leg warmers. And it certainly wasn't Colin Hodgkinson's bass solo. The highlight of Whitesnake at Hammersmith Odeon in January 1983 (only 12 songs, because of all the solos) was Jon Lord, rocking his Hammond C3 organ back and forth. I was 13. We had a piano at home. I didn't think you were allowed to to do that to keyboards. It would be fair to say that rock-crit world was always a bit sniffy about Lord, who has died aged 71. He wrote a Concerto for Group and Orchestra! Oh, how pretentious! Yes, he did. And it's not something I have a great deal of interest in. But it speaks of rather more ambition than most rock musicians ever display. And it overshadows the fact that Lord played on some of heavy rock's greatest recordings. Lord's keyboard playing didn't have a lot in common with the widdly-woo of his prog contemporaries Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman – his best moments came when you could hear the blues of the great heroes of the Hammond, such as Jimmy McGriff, in his work. It made Deep Purple and Whitesnake instantly recognisable (and Whitesnake were, I would argue, a far lesser band after his departure, even if he'd have ruined the pretty boy line-ups of their hair metal videos). I'm going to ask for your indulgence in my selection of five Lord classics, though: my knowledge of his later work with Deep Purple is hazy – forgive me for concentrating on Purple first time round, and on Whitesnake, and please post links to your favourite performances below. Santa Barbara Machine Head – Rubber Monkey (1967) Like so many of the 70s hard rock aristocracy, Lord had spent much of the 60s kicking around London's beat, blues and sessions scenes, with the result that his signature sound – aggressive, pyrotechnic – was fully formed before Deep Purple were. Santa Barbara Machine Head featured Ronnie Wood on guitar, and the two-and-a-half-minutes here are the heavy blues – often the sludgiest of genres – played with vim and attack, Lord soloing over the riff from start to finish. It's not perfect, but it's not hard to see why Ritchie Blackmore – who attacked his guitar the same way Lord attacked his organ – would see a musical partner in Lord. Deep Purple – Hush (1968) Joe South's Hush is a masterpiece of southern rock'n'soul, lithe and mean and swinging. Deep Purple's version of the song is not. Nick Simper – shortly to be replaced by Roger Glover – plods through his bassline. Ian Paice on drums was great at thrashing round his kit, not so hot on playing around the beat, finding the pocket where the funk's to be found. In fact, pretty much everything that's good about Purple's breakthrough hit comes from Lord, tapping at his keys to find the swing (you can see how on this clip of the band at the Playboy mansion) and taking the main solo, which must have given Blackmore palpitations. Deep Purple – Highway Star (1972) Let's pretend Smoke on the Water doesn't exist for a moment while we consider Deep Purple Mk II (it was Blackmore's song anyway). And let's leave aside Child in Time, with Lord's best known organ melody. And let's leave aside the guitar-organ duels. Because I want to hear Highway Star, again and again and again. Here's where you can hear Lord's distorted organ pushed through Marshall amps to offer the band something as heavy as another rhythm guitarist. Not only that, but a blistering, raging solo, too. And those sharp, hard stabs as we race to the chorus – they make your heart race. Here's where you can hear the Deep Purple who were among the forefathers of modern heavy metal. Deep Purple – Might Just Take Your Life (1974) Ian Gillan and Roger Glover had departed Deep Purple, to be replaced by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, and the band became more soulful and funkier. On Might Just Take Your Life – seen here at the enormous California Jam festival – Hughes's nimble playing underpins Lord's preposterously massive riff. And when he's not riffing, he's got the freedom to bring in the funkiness we'd heard in Hush. To get an idea of how important Lord was to Deep Purple, try to imagine this song without his organ. Whitesnake – Here I Go Again (1982) No, not the awful 1987 hair metal version, the one that became a worldwide hit (and which rock fans of a certain age disdain), but the original, bluesy version, in this case recorded live at 1983's Monsters of Rock festival. The Whitesnake years weren't easy for Lord, largely because of David Coverdale's highly developed case of Lead Singer Syndrome, in which other band members were disposable session men, no matter their own pedigree. It didn't help Lord, either, that with two lead guitarists his opportunities to take the spotlight were much reduced. He was, instead, Whitesnake's colourist – until he finally had enough of being a hired hand and returned to the reformed Deep Purple. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the thread suggests , five videos, but too big to publish on this thread, so please see link below. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2012/jul/16/jon-lord-deep-purple-whitesnake
Thanks for that bill, I grew up with the "hair metal" soft rock albums and the many that we're churned out. Never heard that version before but agree its a lot better than the latter version!
I saw Whitesnake at Newcastle City Hall in the early 80's - awesome gig but they all looked battered even then, I would never have put money on him making it to his 70's. Many of them didn't. I was a bit young for Deep Purple but grew up sharing a bedroom with 2 older brothers who played them incessently along with Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin and Wishbone Ash. It's no wonder I am a bit deaf now!!
Great piece of music: We all came out to Montereax, On the Lake Geneva shoreline. To make records with a mobile, We didn't have much time. But Frank Zappa and the Mothers, Were at the best place around, But some stupid with a flare gun, Burned the place to the ground. Smoke on the water and fire in the sky. Smoke on the water... They burned down the gambling house, It died with an awful sound. (Uh) Funky Claude was running in and out, Pulling kids out the ground. When it all was over, We had to find another place. But Swiss time was running out, It seemed that we would lose the race. Smoke on the water and fire in the sky. Smoke on the water... We ended up at the Grand Hotel. It was empty cold and bare. But with the Rolling truck Stones thing just outside, Making our music there. With a few red lights, a few old beds, We made a place to sweat. No matter what we get out of this, I know I know we'll never forget. Smoke on the water and fire in the sky. Smoke on the water...
Sure he may have been ok.......but, honetsly never heard of heard of him, although i do remember with deep purple badges..
Just caught up with this thread. Very sad news and another one of my heroes goes to the great gig in the sky. Not only was Jon Lord a brilliant musician and composer, he was one of rock's real gentlemen. It's a sign of advancing age I suppose that all my heroes are starting to go - Ronnie James Dio died of cancer just before my dad's funeral (Cancer as well) and now the sad passing of Jon Lord has brought it all back in a very painful way. I'll be digging out all my dozens of Purple, Whitesnake, PAL and Jon Lord albums in tribute. RIP Lordy - the whole world has just become a little darker..... Now where's my numerous Vinyl, and CD copies of Made in Japan - think it's time for a little Child in Time or Space Truckin' to get the tribute going. In a way it's fitting one of our own - a born and bred Mackem in Don Airey - replaced the great man in Purple.
Silksworth,,,,,Thought I was the only person in the world with a "Paice Ashton Lord album".......Malice in wonderland 1918 ish.
No Bill - I've got the original vinyl (or maybe a re-release) edition; way back in the late 70's / early 80's I was a young single man and could afford to buy 2 or more albums a week - i've got hundreds and am now buying many of them for the second, third or even fourth time (on CD of course) !! Purple, Whitesnake, Gillan, Rainbow and all the other offshoots - Blackmore was / is God for me; however JL was always a big fave - I have the Sarabande, First of the Big Bands and Gemini Suite albums as well as some of his later solo stuff. Lived for a while in Germany where the classical solo stuff was pretty easy to get hold of ! Happy days !
