On November 26, 2021 "Turning To Crime", "Deep Purple"'s first studio album made entirely of cover songs for other artists, was released.
Well, it's no secret that lead singer Ian Gillan has a weakness for rock 'n' roll and oldies songs. In 2018 he even revived his first band “The Javelins”, which released a cover album that included cover versions of the artists on which Gillan grew up including: Chuck Berry, The Drifters, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley and more. This album also featured keyboardist Don Airey who was apparently also swept away by the waves of nostalgia that spawned the current album.
It's also no secret that "Deep Purple" actually started as a cover band when their first four singles were by other artists: Joe South, Neil Diamond, Ike & Tina Turner and "the Beatles" and we didn't even mention Donovan's "Lalena".
Now add to that the boredom of the covid-19 lockdowns and here you have fertile ground on which this album has grown. The band members said that in order to pass the time during the lockdowns they decided to record cover versions of the songs they love. Each of the members chose a few songs and they started recording it in a "remote control" method.
The album features 12 tracks that you would not necessarily expect to hear from "Deep Purple". Choices like "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" by Huey "Piano" Smith, "Dixie Chicken" by "Little Feat" or "Let the Good Times Roll" by Louis Jordan are quite surprising. Also Bob Dylan's "Watching the River Flow" and Jimmy Driftwood's "The Battle of New Orleans" is not exactly the ones you would expect to hear from "The Purples".
But there are also some surprises and psychedelic variety of "Love's "7 and 7 Is", "Yardbirds" classic "Shapes of Things" or "Creem" "White Room" that go well with the band's repertoire. Other interesting tracks are "Lucifer" by "Bob Seger, the masterful blues "Oh Well" by "Fleetwood Mac" and the long closing track "Caught in the Act", which combines five classics from the 60's into an amazing medley: "Going Down" by "Jeff Beck Group", the instrumental "Green Onions" by "Booker T. & the MG's" the southern blues "Hot 'Lanta" by "Allman Brothers Band", the heavy blues "Dazed and Confused" by "Led Zeppelin" and the hit "Gimme Some Lovin'" of the "Spencer Davis Group".
The person behind the console is Bob Ezrin, who, among other things, also produced their latest excellent album "Whoosh!", Which was released last year.
Song list:
01. 7 And 7 Is (LOVE)
02. Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu (Huey "Piano" Smith)
03. Oh Well (FLEETWOOD MAC)
04. Jenny Take A Ride! (MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS)
05. Watching The River Flow (Bob Dylan)
06. Let The Good Times Roll (Ray Charles & Quincy Jones)
07. Dixie Chicken (LITTLE FEAT)
08. Shapes Of Things (THE YARDBIRDS)
09. The Battle Of New Orleans (Lonnie Donegan/Johnny Horton)
10. Lucifer (BOB SEGER SYSTEM)
11. White Room (CREAM)
12. Caught In The Act (Medley)
For listening: Spotify, Apple Music