Following the success of their last single “Portable Door,” legendary British Hard Rockers Deep Purple have released “Pictures Of You,” the second song from their upcoming album “=1.”
“Pictures Of You” is now available for streaming and as instant gratification track with all digital download pre-orders for “=1.” Additionally, the single is offered as part of a four-track bundle which features two previously unreleased live recordings from 2022 in Milan, Italy: “When A Blind Man Cries” and “Uncommon Man”.
For collectors, the excitement continues as the physical pre-sale of “Pictures Of You.” The single will be released on CD and 12-inch vinyl on June 28, 2024, with each format being strictly limited to 5,000 pieces worldwide, and each copy being numbered by hand.
Watch the official video through the YouTube player below:
The first music video for “Portable Door,” featuring the band performing live on stage, quickly surpassed one million views. In this new video, fans will once again see Deep Purple in their element, performing together.
“=1” is due on July 19 via earMUSIC. The LP marks Deep Purple‘s first material with new guitarist Simon McBride, who stepped in two years ago following Steve Morse‘s departure.
McBride said: “The new album will reflect what the five of us create in the rehearsal room. Many of the songs, like ‘Portable Door’, were written in the first sessions and literally came together in 5 or 10 minutes. It all was so easy and natural.“
Frontman Ian Gillan added: “Throughout Deep Purple‘s history, our best songs have always been those that were written in no time at all. We’ve played what felt good and developed songs as we have always done.“
Deep Purple continues its charge of recent years, releasing hit albums and filling arenas around the world, adding yet more layers to its 100-million-album-selling legacy. The band is credited as one of the key originators of Heavy Rock and has constantly progressed its boundaries of music. They are fronted by Gillan, whose vocals have defined generations, accompanied by the masterful bassist Roger Glover, the powerhouse drummer Ian Paice, and the maestro on keyboards Don Airey.
“=1” is the band’s first album with McBride, who seamlessly slotted in when longtime member Morse left due to personal circumstances. Since 2022, Simon has already played to Deep Purple audiences totaling more than half a million people.
But Deep Purple is more than just their members and “=1” embodies the essence and attitude of their 1970s incarnation possibly more than any other album in recent memory. With the legendary Bob Ezrin once again producing, the record evokes the pioneering band’s classic sound, without relying on nostalgia.
The enigmatic title “=1” symbolizes the idea that in a world growing ever more complex, everything eventually simplifies down to a single, unified essence. Everything equals one. Its full meaning will be revealed in the coming weeks, with the artwork also playing its part. Fans have already been speculating after mysterious equations and depictions of multiverses appeared in London, Paris and Berlin in recent days.
With three consecutive No. 1 albums in their back pocket and a resurgent new energy powering them forward, this is Deep Purple at their pinnacle. “Now WHAT?!” (2013),”inFinite” (2017) and “Whoosh!” (2020) have sold over one million copies worldwide, making Deep Purple one of the most successful Rock bands currently active. The latest studio album, “Whoosh!,” reached No. 1 on the album charts in seven countries and charted in the top 10 in another 12.
“=1” will be released as a limited CD+DVD (digipak),CD (jewel case),2LP gatefold (black, 180g),limited purple 2LP gatefold (180g),limited crystal clear 2LP (180g) and limited box set (CD+DVD digipak, 2lp black gatefold, 3x exclusive 10″ vinyl editions feat. live recordings from Deep Purple‘s 2022 tour, exclusive collector’s T-shirt, 2x exclusive guitar picks, 1x exclusive art print, 1x exclusive lanyard, and the chance to win a Golden Ticket giving access to all shows on the Deep Purple “=1 More Time” tour). All LPs include a rich 12-page vinyl sized booklet. The bonus DVD features the approximately 60-minute documentary “Access All Areas” joining Deep Purple backstage on tour and providing an exclusive look behind the scenes.
Pre-Order the album here: https://deeppurple.tmstor.es/
Tracklist:
01. Show Me
02. A Bit On The Side
03. Sharp Shooter
04. Portable Door
05. Old-Fangled Thing
06. If I Were You
07. Pictures Of You
08. I’m Saying Nothin’
09. Lazy Sod
10. Now You’re Talkin’
11. No Money To Burn
12. I’ll Catch You
13. Bleeding Obvious
There simply aren’t enough superlatives to properly acknowledge the contribution Deep Purple has made to rock music. Having sold more than 100 million albums and filled global arenas for decades, there’s little wonder that the respected British radio station Planet Rock named the group the “Fifth Most Influential Band Ever.” The band were also presented the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016. Deep Purple truly are “Rock royalty.”
With a body of work spanning seven decades, Deep Purple has helped pioneer and define the hard rock genre while progressively moving into new areas, both keeping their sound fresh and attracting new fans to the legions who have remained loyal since the band’s inception. The celebrated MKII line up of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore were responsible for creating many of the defining rock albums of the early 1970s, including “Made In Japan,” universally accepted as one of the most important and influential live albums of all time.
Known as one of the hardest working bands ever, Deep Purple has continued to release No. 1 albums and tour globally since forming in 1968, with little rest. In 2007 (almost 40 years after being formed),the band performed 40 dates in France to an award-winning audience, and they continue to spend much of their year on the road selling out arenas across the globe.
Deep Purple has stayed true to its musical roots taking from an eclectic mix of styles to create a distinctive sound that defines the band today, but which in turn, has created a legacy that very few bands could ever hope to replicate. The band has written and produced so many “classic,” well-known songs, that its audience range widely in age and background — something the band has readily embraced.
Deep Purple‘s recent studio album “Whoosh!” (2020) followed their worldwide chart-topping albums “inFinite” (2017) and “Now WHAT?!” (2013). 2024 sees the release of their brand-new album “=1”. On all albums, Deep Purple joined forces with producer Bob Ezrin, who has worked with the likes of KISS, Pink Floyfd, Lou Reed and Alice Cooper.
Furthering their collaboration with Ezrin, in 2021 and during the pandemic the band recorded a collection of cover songs from their own homes (normal for most bands nowadays, revolutionary for a band that records everything together in the studio),creating an eclectic and celebratory history of their roots in music, in the shape of “Turning To Crime.”
In 2022 came the sad news of Steve Morse‘s departure due to personal circumstances, but Deep Purple, never a band to let a set back throw them off course, sought out the masterful skills of guitarist Simon McBride and played the year out in style, exciting crowds with a new energy and excitement.
Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride continue with renewed vitality, pushing the boundaries of hard rock to audiences around the globe, proving that Deep Purple are very much here to stay.
Deep Purple: One More Time tour 2024
Purchase tickets here: https://deeppurple.com/pages/tours
May 01: Singapore Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Jun 13: Madrid, Parque Tierno Galván, Spain
Jun 15: Bilbao Arena, Spain
Jun 17: Toulouse Metropole, France
Jun 20: Grenchen Airport, Switzerland
Jun 22: Nancy Open Air Amphitheatre, France
Jun 23: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium
Jun 25: Istanbul Kucukciftlikpark, Turkey
Jul 04: Cognac Blues Passions, France
Jul 10: Rome Cavea Auditorium, Italy
Jul 11: Marostica Piazza Castello, Italy
Jul 13: Belgrade Tašmajdan Stadium, Serbia
Jul 14: Chirpan Midalidare Estate, Bulgaria
Jul 16: Innsbruck Olympiahalle, Austria
Jul 18: Salem Schloss (Castle Grounds), Germany
Jul 19: Dresdenn Elbufer, Germany
Jul 21: Winterbach Zeltspektakel, Germany
Jul 28: Gignac En Quecy, France
Jul 30: Orange Positiv Festival, France
Aug 02: Notodden Blues Festival, Norway
Aug 03: Bergen Calling, Norway
Aug 05: Furuvik Amusement Park, Sweden
Aug 06: Stockholm Grona Lund Amusement Park, Sweden
Aug 14: Hollywood Hard Rock Live, FL
Aug 15: Tampa Seminole Hard Rock Event Center, FL
Aug 17: The Woodlands The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, TX
Aug 18: Durant Choctaw Casino Grand Theatre, OK
Aug 19: Forth Worth Dickies Arena, TX
Aug 21: Cincinnati PNC Pavilion At Riverbend Music Center, OH
Aug 22: Sterling Heights Amphitheatre At Freedom Hill, MI
Aug 23: Tinley Park Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, IL
Aug 25: Toronto Budweiser Stage, ON
Aug 27: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
Aug 28: Gilford Banknh Pavilion, NH
Aug 30: Camden Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, NJ
Aug 31: Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ
Sep 01: Wantagh Northwell Health At Jones Beach Theater, NY
Sep 03: Bridgeport Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater, CT
Sep 04: Saratoga Springs Broadview Stage At Spac, NY
Sep 06: Bethel Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, NY
Sep 07: Bristow Jiffy Lube Live, VA
Sep 08: Scranton The Pavilion At Montage Mountain, PA
Nov 04: Birmingham Resorts World Arena, UK
Nov 06: London The O2, UK
Nov 07: Leeds First Direct Arena, UK
Nov 09: Manchester AO Arena, UK
Nov 10: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK