Deep Purple - Hush

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre.

The band incorporated classical music, blues-rock, pop and progressive rock elements.

Deep Purple survived a seemingly endless series of lineup changes and a dramatic mid-career shift from grandiose progressive rock to ear-shattering heavy metal to emerge as a true institution of the British hard rock community; once credited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the globe's loudest band, their revolving-door roster launched the careers of performers including Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, and Ian Gillan.

The band has gone through many line-up changes and an eight-year hiatus (1976–84).
Their second and most commercially successful line-up featured Ian Gillan (vocals), Jon Lord (keyboards), Roger Glover (bass), Ian Paice (drums) and Ritchie Blackmore (guitar).

This line-up was active from 1969 to 1973 and was revived from 1984 to 1989 and again in 1993, before the rift between Blackmore and other members became unbridgeable.

Their debut LP was Shades of Deep Purple. The most pop-oriented release of their career, the album generated in October 1968 a Top Five American hit with its reading of Joe South's "Hush" but otherwise went unnoticed at home.
That period Deep Purple were also booked to support Cream on their Goodbye tour.

To be continued...