Edsel/Demon Music Group [Release date 28.02.25]

Formed by Ian Gillan, former Deep Purple vocalist, in 1978, Gillan were a solid energetic and successful rock band, albeit for a short period. And despite successful tours, albums, hit singles, the band’s lack of success in the US has since seen them considered Rainbow’s and Whitesnake’s poor forgotten little brother. The music was just as good (in my view, better), and this set brings together the bulk of the band’s catalogue from an oh too short a life span.

What Gillan the band highlighted, if Deep Purple hadn’t already done so, was Ian’s range and power, feel, just check out ‘Fighting Man’ (the track pianist Colin Towns penned to move Ian from fusion to rock), the power, the feeling, it has everything. Then there’s ‘If You Believe Me’ and the Elvis cover ‘Trying To Get To You’, wonderful blues rock. ‘If I Sing Softly’ showcases the gentler edge. Not just Ian, the whole band manage it all perfectly.

Following the reissue campaign ten years or so ago, when I worked closely with Demon, the original albums are presented here in a wonderful and visually lovely box; the albums with some bonuses, some tracks extra, some missing, from the previous box.

And, for the record, Gillan were and still are my first love in music and collecting, so any criticisms are meant with love.

After Ian left Purple in 1973, and the recording of some demos that didn’t see the light until 20 years later, and some business ventures, Ian formed the fusion oriented Ian Gillan Band, with guitarist Ray Fenwick, bassist John Gustafson, drummer Mark Nauseef (ex Elf, Rainbow) and pianist Mike Moran then former Elf/Rainbow pianist, Mickey Lee Soule. After the band’s debut, in came Colin Towns.

Three studio albums and a Japanese (and Australia) only live album, and the band split. Although a 2 track promo shows just how close that live set was to being released in the UK.

1978, which is where we are now, and on the back of the Towns’ penned “Fighting Man”, Ian was to take a hard rock direction and formed the band Gillan, with the trio of bassist John McCoy, drummer Liam Genocky and guitarist Steve Byrd, all until recently of the fusion band Zzebra.

Interestingly McCoy had worked with guitarists Bernie Torme, and Paul Samson, the latter with whom McCoy and Towns would record in 1979, and McCoy would also produce the UK Subs Another Kind Of The Blues; Ian’s studio came in very convenient.

The band’s first album, Gillan, a find blend of hard rock; a moment or two of trying to find their feet but by and large an excellent slab of blistering rock. Fans may be familiar with a track or two later issued on For Gillan Fans Only and the UK edition of the following album.

The album was called Gillan, but is often referred to as The Japanese Album as the band couldn’t get a deal in the UK at the time, but the Japanese pressing was imported at high prices. A misnomer in that it was also is Australia.

Wonderful to have this addition over previous box sets as it has been unavailable on CD since the 1993 release on RPM. Sadly, it has the same track listing, so doesn’t quite match the original album. More on that in a minute.

Ian wanted Gillan to be a proper ‘band’, but Steve Byrd and drummer Pete Barnacle (Genocky’s replacement for live shows) wanted to remain session musicians, so in came guitarist (and former McCoy bandmate) Bernie Torme, and drummer Mick Underwood, an old bandmate of Ritchie Blackmore (The Outlaws) and Ian Gillan (Episode Six), who’d also played with Gustafson in Quatermass. The relevance here is that back in 1969 it was Underwood who recommended Gillan to Blackmore when Deep Purple needed a new vocalist.

By 1979 Gillan had a record deal in the UK with Acrobat, and they recorded the album Mr Universe. This is just a perfect album, with Torme’s guitar adding an extra edge. Fire. If Hendrix had played punk and blues combined, you’d be looking at Bernie Torme.

For the UK release (and many other territories) the album used ‘Fighting Man’ (from Gillan), and reworked several other tracks. So to avoid duplication, the Japanese pressing of this second album, had an alternate track listing, with some different tracks and versions, which were later added to the debut’s CD, not in the correct order.

So to many Mr Universe was their first experience of Gillan and excellent it was. From the opening number, never has frenetic keyboard and guitar solos blended so seamlessly.

Check out the title track, and the wonderful ‘Vengeance’ (a shame there’s no recording of the early working version called ‘Swifty’, with alternate lyrics). Check out the single B-side, a live in the studio recording of ‘Smoke On The Water’, running to over 8 minutes and Torme’s guitar going wild. And an extra bonus of ‘Parliament Square’, a track never on CD before.

The band’s timing and energy often saw them associated with the NWoBHM movement, although they were far from it.

More successful tours and moving up the pecking order at Reading, and 1980 saw Glory Road. By now the new boys in the band were gaining confidence McCoy and Torme had struck up a friendship, so the emphasis on the song writing moved a touch away from Gillan/Towns, and we got a rougher heavier album, with a couple of really solid heavy blues numbers. ‘If You Believe Me’ showcases both Torme and Gillan at their bluesy best. Then ‘Are You Sure’ and ‘Unchain Your Brain’ some great riffs.

Early copies of the UK edition came with a bonus LP “For Gillan Fans Only” a set of bonus material, including studio outtakes, a B-side or two, some interesting odds’n’sods. Sadly not included here but some of the tracks are as bonuses. Including the B-side ‘Higher & Higher’.

Now, perhaps unknown to many, and not told here, was the death of an accountant related to the set up, which led to the discovery of a black hole or two. As told to me by Bernie Torme at the 40th Birthday Bash for Robin Hardy (known to you as Robin Guy), circa 2010/11, and I can still remember the tree we were under when he told me.

A non-album single or two along the way, including a cracking cover of Elvis Presley’s ‘Trouble’ (Ian has told me several times that Elvis was his hero). Check out the live at Reading bonus tracks from the double single, shows how much more energy the band had live.

1981 kicked off with the album Future Shock, which included a cover of ‘New Orleans’, the proto rock/rap of ‘No Laughing In Heaven’, and the continued blend of polished punk/blues/metal. Spot on performances from everyone.

As John McCoy once told me; “We had the best singer, and we were the right band to push him in the right direction”.

The band’s sense of humour also came through in the booklet inside the gatefold of the original UK sleeve, seriously worth spending money on.

And of ‘The Maelstrom’, one of the single B-sides added to the album, Ian once told me: “I got a call from the label, the wanted to release a single, and needed a B-side, could we do it in 24 hours. So we met in the pub next door to the studio, decided a time and key, and I’ll sing whatever comes into my head, and as I was reading a book called The Maelstrom at the time, that’s how it came about”.

Upheaval later that year, as the band were on tour in Germany and got a call to appear on Top Of The Pops. Bernie kicked off saying it was a waste of their day off, but Ian said they’d doing it. So the band flew back to do it, only Bernie had a one way ticket, and the TV show (mimed) saw the band as a 4 piece.

Bernie’s immediate replacement was young Janick Gers, a Purple fan who’d supported Gillan with his band White Spirit. He was into the band musically, and took up the offer to join, the only reason he didn’t take the stage that day was that he was in the dressing room, learning the setlist.

As usual, there’s more to it that the stories we’re fed. As Mick Underwood told me years later; “Bernie saw the writing on the [financial] wall before the rest of us, and with decision to fly back on the day off, thought it as good a time to go at the time, although I think he regretted it later”.

Double Trouble followed as a double album shortly after; a fantastic slab of rock music on disc 1, tracks like ‘Nightmare’, ‘Restless’, ‘Born To Kill’, some great TV performances to match. The music was a bit more melodic, but then the band had just swapped The Electric Gypsy for White Spirit’s melodic Blackmore fan on guitar. The second disc is some live material, performed largely at Reading.

The studio and live spread across 2 CDs here, with previous 45s’ bonus live material added here, to get the life stuff in one place. No bad thing.

1982 and the band’s final album, Magic. The most melodic set so far, with a swing in songwriting and production towards Towns. Even so, ‘Bluesy Blue Sea’, ‘Demon Driver’, there’s some great material here, definitely some magic in the air.

The cover of ‘Living For The City’ got some flak at the time, but I love it. Note on that track, two B-sides, as a different one for the picture disc. But some picture discs were mis pressed with the regular B-side.

There were tensions around the band at the time, but the reason for the band’s split has always officially been Ian suffering vocal problems, nodules on his vocal chords, inflamed tonsils.

While the health issues are never disputed, the band could have gone on hold. No it runs deeper than that. The band were broke. Given what happened with the accountant. Ian’s failed businesses, the band had no money (you know it runs deeper when you consider, given the health issues, how quickly Ian rocked up in Black Sabbath). So while former band members know why the band split, it was the way it was done that caused the hurt. But enough of that.

Like I said before, Gillan the band are my first love and nothing changes that. This is a remarkable period of music, a collection of albums and extras. And the package itself is excellent, some artwork that takes me back.

Rich Davenport’s sleevenotes are well written and informative, just a gap or two if you’ve followed the band.

There’ll always be fans (myself included) who could advise, for example further Reading live material, BBC live material, the videos to the singles, all previously released (some by Demon). And that’s not including what Angel Air put out.

Even so, essential listening and an essential buy. A fine archive and package for those already a fan, and a (nearly) all in one as an intro. *****

Review by Joe Geesin

Feature: What Gillan Means to Me

News: Rest In Peace – MICK UNDERWOOD

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