|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ian Gillan
Keeping an eye on the prize |
|||
|
By Kevin White |
|||
His first solo effort in ten years, One Eye To Morocco, is a breezy mix of r & b, Motown-esque soul and traditional rock. Fans expecting a Purple record with different players are sure to be shocked by the diversity of sounds, and the effortless manner in which Gillan glides through new genres. Though its differences to Purple are evident and unabashed, the record still oozes with the style and vocal prowess only Gillan can deliver. The songs have been in the works for some time now, but Purple’s relentless touring schedule had not allowed the singer to pursue them, until unfortunate recent events. “We had a bereavement in the band last year, when Roger Glover’s mum died,” Gillan explains. “We had to cancel a couple of tours, and I found myself in Buffalo talking about a solo record. I had 38 songs already written in various stages of completion, so we got right to it.” The creative process differs greatly for a Gillan solo project as opposed to his work with Purple. This afforded him the opportunity to approach songwriting in a different way. “[The record] was based around the title track, which didn’t have lyrics at that time,” he recalls, “but that was the criterion by which we judged all the other material. Then we decided we didn’t want to have a rock band in the studio, so we wanted to have all the guitar parts written [ahead of time] and get rid of the rock rhythm section,” he notes. “That placed all the session musicians in the hands of the producer (Nick Blagona). The difference between a band and using session players is the band never listens to the producer,” he laughs. Though the songs ended up with a predominantly soulful, bluesy feel, most started with a harder edge. “What happened was when I demoed these songs in the early days, they sounded more ‘rocking.’ My songwriting partner, Steve Morris, is a rock and roll freak,” he chuckles, “so he loadedthem up with lots of guitars and drums. But it’s quite amazing that when you strip it down, it’s more like the kind of stuff that influenced me in my formative years — blues, soul and reggae. “With Purple,” Gillan continues, “everything is created on the spot. We just go into the studio and start jamming and after a few days, ideas start emerging. It’s a different kind of thing. I think the cohesion [on this record comes from the approach to the recording,” he explains, “with each track having some kind of affinity to the title track.” The style of that track, a brooding, decidedly Eastern sound with exotic percussion and Arabian melodies, ultimately led to it being titled One Eye To Morocco. “Even in the early stages in instrumental form, it was very exotic,” he recalls. “It takes me away to places I’ve been. But it didn’t occur to me to call it that until later.” He was reminded of its mystical melody when a friend proffered a unique quip. “I was sitting at Schindler’s Café in the Jewish Quarter of Cracow (Poland), listening to a friend who was talking about Oscar Schindler,” he recalls. “As he was explaining this, this absolutely beautiful woman walked by behind him, and I lost him completely. My eyes followed her across the room until she disappeared, and I said, ‘I’m sorry, what were you saying?’” he laughs. “He said, ‘Ah, Ian, you’ve got one eye to Morocco!’ which is from a Polish saying — one eye to Morocco and the other to the caucuses — that basically means you’ve lost your focus on your work.” While Gillan may have temporarily been swayed by an exotic beauty that evening, he has never lost focus on his true passion. He forges on with a career that has delighted and inspired millions of fans over the last 40 years and shows no signs of slowing down. Though a solo tour is doubtful, he will return to the road with Deep Purple soon and promises a visit to the Lone Star state. “I always look forward to coming back to Texas!” he says with a smile. |
|||
|
|||
Website by
© Harder Beat Magazine All Rights Reserved