Feature: What GILLAN mean to me
Gillan (the band) made an impression on a young Joe Geesin but he maintained his interest interviewing band members and writing their sleevenotes. Here he recounts an enduring hard rock and collecting passion.
Gillan in 1978 (left to right) Liam Genockey, John McCoy, Steve Byrd, Ian Gillan, Colin Towns
Head back to the early 80s, and just before I hit my teens, I’m listening to standard stuff of the day (Madness, Bad Manners), and I still remember now an episode of Top Of The Pops from 1981. Amongst all the usual pap and (even worse) New Romantic, were two acts; Graham Bonnet (Night Games, featuring Cozy Powell) and Gillan (Trouble). I was instantly hooked by their sound and their look.
You had a long haired singer with a glint in his eye, and boy could he scream, a guitarist who looked like an electric gypsy and eye patch, played like Hendrix gone punk, and a big bald bearded bassist who was madder than a box of frogs. And tunes to match.
Over the next couple of years, as I was making the journey of discovery into hard rock (via Rainbow, Steppenwolf, Eric Burdon), I remember thinking “What happened to Gillan?”. It wasn’t until I first picked up the 1980 LP Glory Road, started reading Kerrang! and (via Gillan and Rainbow, NOT the other way round) that the jigsaw of the enormous and incestuous Deep Purple family tree started to come together.
Yes I’m fan, an advocate, have been since my early daze, and Gillan have been integral part of my life as a writer ever since.
To sum up, to those who aren’t enlightened, former Javelins and Episode Six vocalist joined Deep Purple in 1969, on the recommendation of Episode Six drummer Mick Underwood (and now a close friend) to former Outlaws bandmate Ritchie Blackmore. Mick and I have also joked over a pint or three that Blackmore left Purple to record a Quatermass (featuring Underwood) track – so Mick has a lot to answer for.
And upon leaving Purple 4 years later in 1973, Ian undertook various projects in and out of the music industry before forming the Ian Gillan Band, featuring bassist John Gustafson (ex Quatermass), guitarist Ray Fenwick (who I have interviewed several times for some Ian Gillan Band sleevenotes), drummer Mark Nauseef and pianist Mike Moran then Mickey Lee Soule. Their jazz fusion was excellent if off the beaten track.
I’ve had a lot of fun collecting the Ian Gillan Band, finding a promo only 12″ and a 1-sided album sampler at a market for 50p apiece. It wasn’t until new pianist Colin Towns wrote ‘Fighting Man’ that the rock angle would take over.
After the (originally) Japanese only Budokan live album, the band split, and Ian formed the new eponymous hard rock band. Retaining Colin Towns, the band were joined by bassist John McCoy, guitarist Steve Byrd and drummer Liam Genockey.
The new electric high energy sound hit you in the face like a thunderstorm, but sadly no labels in the UK were interested. One album (now known as The Japanese Album) was issued in Japan and Australia.
In 1978 things started to take off, especially live (now with drummer Pete Barnacle). 1979′s Mr Universe, featuring new drummer Mick Underwood and guitarist Bernie Torme, re-recorded a few tracks from the debut and well enough to chart well before the label went bust.
Gillan then signed to Virgin, and my intro the band, 1980′s Glory Road. WOW what an album. As John McCoy once told me, it was chemistry, the right singer and the right band to kick his arse.
Several album and non album singles saw the band regularly on British TV, and Colin’s and McCoy’s songwriting and Bernie’s bluesy yet fiery Hendrix infused playing made the band special. And checkout the 2LP edition, For Gillan Fans Only. I won’t explain, just do it.
Gillan in 1982 (left to right) Colin Towns, Janick Gers, Ian Gillan, John McCoy, Mick Underwood
Then 1981′s Future Shock LP is one of the best packaged albums you’ll ever get your mitts on, with a gatefold booklet and a lot of humour. Sadly tensions within the band led to Bernie walking out (maybe he had a nose for trouble), and was replaced by White Spirit guitarist Janick Gers.
Two more albums (the half studio half live double Double Trouble and Magic) followed, in a more melodic direction. The band split under a bit of cloud, with finances being one of the issues. Ian Gillan then made an album with Black Sabbath before reforming Deep Purple, and has ventured solo since.
Back to my personal journey, and while at University in Birmingham in the late 80s, I got to see Ian live again when he toured the UK as Garth Rocket & The Moonshiners, playing a mix of Gillan material and covers, before the solo album Naked Thunder. Great show at Brighton, lots of autographs, and my first meeting of several with guitarist Steve Morris, drummer Ted McKenna and bassist Chris Glen (the latter two both ex SAHB).
Then I got my big break.
As a record collector, and a reader of Record Collector magazine, I wrote to them in 1990 pointing out they’d covered Deep Purple and all the offshoots (Whitesnake, Rainbow, Black Sabbath) but not Gillan; I offered to do it, said I could do a discography. And they bit. So a few months later, I’m just 21, and my first interview is 2 hours with Ian Gillan in a pub in Soho. Nice. And free tickets to a gig at the Marquee on Charing Cross Road, on Ian’s Toolbox tour. And in the audience, Janick Gers and Mick Box. Both very talkative.
Late 90s I’m back at college in North Surrey/South London, and I get wind of a Quatermass II project, a few phonecalls and I make contact with Mick Underwood, our first meeting, a few pints in a pub in Wallington.
A couple of years later, I’m working in the office at Record Collector magazine, and a couple of reviews including what John McCoy was releasing through Angel Air, and the label give me a call, wanting some sleevenotes at the recommendation of McCo, who’d seen my reviews and reckoned I knew what I was on about.
Bernie Torme in 2017
A year or so later, and this is very sad, as I’m up in Norwich for the funeral of guitarist Paul Samson, whose band had had more than a few Gillan connections over the years. During the service I was sat next to Clive Burr, who’d not long been diagnosed with MS and was walking with a stick, but this would be my first proper meeting with John McCoy, Colin Towns and Bernie Torme.
John, Bernie and myself kept in touch and a few years later I get an email from Bernie saying “I’m working with John again, and I think you know the drummer”. Next day, a phone call from John “I’m working with Bernie again, and I think you know the drummer”. That skinsman would be old school friend Robin Guy, the band was GMT. And at Robin’s 40th birthday party, Bernie and I chatted at length.
My work with Gillan the band continued with subsequent releases by Demon, where I got to interview John, Bernie and Ian.
In the middle of a purple patch and amongst a number of fantastic and high profile solo albums, Bernie did tell me that he’d like to do a Gillan reformation, just a couple of gigs, “because we owe it to our fans”. Sadly, a couple of years later, Bernie left us for good.
All other bands and solo projects aside, Gillan are what does it for me, and had a more electrifying and consistent catalogue then any other of the Deep Purple family tree; only Rainbow’s Rising LP comes close. Gillan were, in both hard rock and record collecting terms, my first love, and they’re still with me.
Recommended albums
Mr Universe
Future Shock
Any of the Reading live sets
Cover versions
Trouble (Elvis Presley)
Lucille (Little Richard)
Living For The City (Stevie Wonder)
Smoke On The Water (8 minute studio jam, b-side) (Deep Purple)
Singles
Sleeping On The Job
Trouble
No Laughing In Heaven
Mutually Assured Destruction
Collectibles
Glory Road For Gillan Fans (2LP, innersleeves) £20
Mr Universe, Glory Road, Future Shock (Demon picture discs) each £20
4 Tracks From Mr Universe (promo only 12″) £15
Magic (original picture disc, die cut sleeve) £18
Higher & Higher / Spanish Guitar (black vinyl white label test pressing for 1-sided flexi disc) £35
Further investigation
John McCoy (solo)
Bernie Torme (solo)
Quatermass
GMT
http://www.joegeesin.com/Gillan.pdf
Photography
(i) Simon Dunkerley
© 2020 Joe Geesin/GRTR! All rights reserved.
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