Recently, Jon Lord spoke out about how all this attention affected him.

- I was genuinely moved and touched to receive so many lovely things said on my birthday. That was really nice of everybody. Although I hate birthdays – I don’t see much point in celebrating the passing of time, but I am still here, and I’m pretty healthy and enjoying myself – I thank you everyone for all the good wishes. Bless them.

- I think the input onto the site has been terrific, and I should also say thank you for all the great reviews that people have put up from the various shows. It’s good of everybody to take time to share their experiences with other people, and I’m extremely grateful that most have been very complimentary and positive. That’s a good feeling.

- Thank you everybody also for the positive comments and for the questions. Of course the famous one is ‘when are you coming to so and so?’ I tried to explain that before, but it’s worth saying again, that everywhere is being looked at, everywhere. It’s not that we’re avoiding going to places, but we have to be asked, someone has to set it up. I can’t just say ‘yeah sure’. It doesn’t quite work like that.

- So I just want to make it clear to everybody who reads that I’m grateful for the comments. If there are suggestions or thoughts, I do try to take them onboard unless they’re kind of weird and wonderful, like why aren’t you doing ‘Smoke on The Water’, Jon Lord laughs.

Come back soon for more news and interviews with Jon Lord.

The anniversary release will include a bonus DVD featuring a range of video clips presented by Jon Lord.

This is a provisional tracklist for the DVD:

1.    Hush (Playboy After Dark, 1968)
2.    Speed King (Vicky Leandros show, German TV, 1970)
3.    Child In Time (new clip)
4.    Black Night (1970 video clip)
5.    Fireball (German TV, Disco ZDF, 1971)
6.    Strange Kind Of Woman (Top Of The Pops, BBC, 1971)
7.    Demon’s Eye (Music Today, RBB Berlin)
8.    Highway Star (Beat Club, German TV, 1971)
9.    Never Before (1970s video clip)
10.    Smoke On The Water (Hofstra University, 1973)
11.    Woman From Tokyo (new clip)
12.    Made in Japan / Space Truckin’ (new clip from Made in Japan footage)
13.    Burn (London 1974)
14.    Stormbringer (new clip)
15.    You Keep On Movin’ (new clip)

Each clip will be presented by Jon Lord discussing the song’s development, in a similar vein to the outtakes presented below.

Items marked as a “new clip” are newly developed videos using archival documentary material from the period – some of it previously unseen.

As an example of the new clips, The Highway Star reports that Child in Time is based around the studio album soundtrack with bits of Doing Their Thing footage synchronized to it in appropriate places. The rest of the video shows period footage conveying the sense of uneasiness and apprehension of growing up in the shadow of Mutually Assured Destruction, which is the theme of the song’s lyrics.

Click on the small image to the right to see stills from the Child in Time video.

Several bits and pieces had to be left out for various reasons, but you can watch them here:

Hallelujah with Jon Lord describing what happened at the time that Ian Gillan & Roger Glover joined the band:

In Rock and the evolution of Deep Purple sound towards heavier music (featuring excerpt of Mandrake Root from the Southbank Summer show):

Made In Japan being put into historical prospective (featuring Highway Star footage, whilst the DVD will feature Space Truckin’ instead):
[yotube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz5lJ5j3JUQ]

Thanks to The Highway Star.

Also in stock are a selection of Jon Lord’s solo CDs and DVDs.

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Go straight to Jon Lord’s official webshop: JonLordShop.org

Jon Lord guested Robert Wells’ show for four nights, and this recording is from July 16.

Lazy

Watch also this brief interview with Jon Lord, filmed at Dalhalla:

Here I go again (excerpt)

See below for full reviews from Australia’s national paper, The Australian, and BBC’s Music Mag.

See also our focus page on To Notice Such Things.

Photos and thanks: Marcin Zalewski, Frank Dumont, Claude Piscitelli, and members of the French Deep Purple forum

Jon Lord will return to Poland this year for a concert in Warsaw on November 10.

November 10 – Sala Kongresowa, Warszawa, Poland – get tickets
Concerto for Group and Orchestra and more
Jon Lord with Kasia Laska and Steve Balsamo (vocals) and Orkiestra Symfoniczna.

Jon Lord will usually begin new rehearsals with only the band present and later add the orchestra. This is a glimpse into that process.

The clips are from Trondheim, May 22 and shows Martin Axenrot on drums, Martin Mendez on bass (both from Opeth) and Magnus Johansen on keys (from VbeforeU) rehearsing with Jon Lord.

Set in Luxembourg City’s historic Square Guillaume, the evening’s first half comprised a handful of rock classics arranged for strings, horns, band and sung by Kasia Laska and Doogie White.

Jon Lord joined for the second half and a storming selection of his solo material and Deep Purple songs – only interrupted by the nearby cathedral’s chiming bells.

The Maestro charmed and rocked the crowd with enthusiasm, and Doogie White and Kasia Laska mesmerized everyone with their vocal supremacy. Perfect Strangers and Pictured Within provided a double-up highlight of the evening.

At the end, Child in Time, held the square breathless for a thunderous climax to a captivating show.

Mission Impossible theme
Live and Let Die (Kasia Laska)
Pinball Wizard (Doogie White)
All By Myself (Kasia)
With a Little Help from My Friends (Doogie)
Who Wants to Live Forever (Kasia)
Bohemian Rhapsody (Doogie)

Second half with Jon Lord:

Pictures of Home (Doogie)
The Telemann Experiment
The Sun Will Shine Again (Kasia)
Hush (Doogie + Kasia)
Perfect Strangers (Doogie)
Pictured Within (Doogie)
Bourree
Soldier og Fortune (Doogie + Kasia)
Black Night (Doogie)
Child in Time (Doogie + Kasia)

Were you there? Please add your review in the comments below.

Backed by an orchestra comprising strings, horns and a rhythm section, the show promises a wide selection of highlights including The Teleman Experiment, Doogie White singing Perfect Strangers and Pictured Within, and Kasia Laska singing The Sun Will Shine Again.

Kasia Laska and Doogie White in Luxembourg

The whole thing kicks off at 9pm with a first half of rock classics, including Live And Let Die, Bohemian Rhapsody and With A Little Help From My Friends – with Jon Lord joining in the second half for a set of his own songs and Deep Purple tracks.

Entrance at Square Guillaume is free.

All photos and footage from Tuesday’s rehearsals: Kasia Laska.