Edsel/Demon Music Group [Release date 27.03.26]

After leaving Deep Purple in 1973, vocalist Ian Gillan dipped into a number of business ventures outside of music, before contributing to Roger Glover’s Butterfly Ball live show at the Royal Albert Hall, which led to Ian starting writing and recording again.

The Shand Grenade project soon morphed into The Ian Gillan Band, and he was joined by guitarist Ray Fenwick, bassist John Gustafson, keyboard player Mike Moran and drummer (former Elf) Mark Nauseef. The band veered away from hard rock and took a much more jazz fusion direction.

This set brings together the Ian Gillan Band material, which lasted 3 original studio albums, a double live set and some retrospective releases.

Opening is the band’s 1976, Child In Time (obviously after the Deep Purple song of the same name), and a cover of that song is here too. Produced by former Purple bassist Roger Glover, and the first track, ‘Lay Me Down’, features a mix of rock, funk and jazz, a strong bass line and Ian shows off his range.

Then ‘You Make Me Feel So Good’ has a solid Purple nod within the fusion, and on more than one occasion the vocals are in Purple form. A far cry of the earlier rock that Gillan was best known for, as is shown most on the arrangement of the title track. A spaced out fusion verging on lounge jazz, but even then there’s a wonderful guitar solo from Fenwick. Different but no less enjoyable, a great sound (master) and nine bonus tracks, a mono edit, a backing track and seven studio demos. Can’t go wrong with that.

Pianist Mickey Lee Soule (Elf, Rainbow) came in for the tour, but was replaced by Colin Towns for the next album, Clear Air Turbulence. Originally released in April 1977 on Island, there’s more direction here, more identity.

The title track blends rock and jazz, and features the line Get Into Deluth, which saw the track given that title on a later live VHS. Hard rock it isn’t, but the deftness of the guitar, the overall talent of the band is second to none here.

‘Five Moons’, with its saxophone solo, is more atmospheric. Experimental? Perhaps. Different? Yes. Classic Ian? Of course. ‘Money Lender’ then blends rock, jazz and funk.

The versatility of all five band members is so obvious on this album.

Recorded and released later the same year, Scarabus was a little rockier, and if you recognise the vocal melody of the title track, part of it was reused for ‘Disturbing The Priest’ (Born Again, Black Sabbath). ‘Twin Exhausted’ is a wonderful and more uptempo track. The track ‘Poor Boy Hero’ was written inspired by Ian’s hero Elvis, he told me years later.

‘Mercury High’ has a lovely groove, a head nodder, ‘Mad Elaine’ stands out too. Still fusion with a funky rhythm, quite catchy too.

The Live At The Budokan album was originally released as two single LPs in Japan (Volume 1 and Volume 2), and a double LP in Australia, in 1978, and later in the UK on Virgin in the early 80s. A 1978 Island records issue was planned, a catalogue number assigned and two tracks issued on a promo sampler, but that’s as far as it got.

A great live album that mixed IGB material with a couple of Purple numbers ‘Smoke On The Water’ and ‘Woman From Tokyo’. A line-up that could cut it (and rock it) on stage as well as in the studio. Really worth checking out.

What makes up this set is an album of rarities (studio backing tracks and a live single edit), and two further live albums Live At The Rainbow (originally a VHS, a DVD also exists) and Live In Hiroshima 1977, the latter including some more rock’n’roll with a medley taking in Lucille and Jail House Rock. The two live and one rarities sets were previously issued piecemeal by Angel Air, long since out of print, so while they may not form part of the regular playlist, it’s nice to have them all together.

Another wonderful package, two fold out card cases with a 7” booklet that is well annotated. Bonus artwork includes both UK and Japanese editions of Budokan, and the USA alternate sleeve for Scarabus. Top marks there.

While there may not be a great deal new for the collector, it’s a great set in that the mastering is good and everything is brought together in one place. Decent packaging too (although the outer case is flimsier than some). Still, well worth the money. ****

Review by Joe Geesin

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Power Plays w/c 2 March 2026

DODGY – It’s Not The End (Flip Flop Records)
THE SKBs – Hour Glass (indie)
LAKE – Boy On A Mission (indie)
KING FALCON Holding Out (indie)
HOKKA Heart Said No (Nuclear Blast Records)
STARBENDERS The Beast Goes On (Sumerian Records)
EDDIE AND THE WOLVES See Me Fall (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 2 March 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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