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Stormbringer

The second album by Mark III and the last with Blackmore until the 1984 reunion.
Deep Purple, 1974

Released
8 November 1974
Recorded
August and September 1974
Studio
Musicland Studios, Munich, and the Record Plant, Los Angeles
Label
Purple Records
Producer
Deep Purple and Martin Birch

Stormbringer was recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich in August 1974, with extra recording and mixing at the Record Plant in Los Angeles in September. Deep Purple and Martin Birch produced it. Coverdale and Hughes share the vocals except on Holy Man, sung by Hughes, and Soldier of Fortune, sung by Coverdale. The cover is based on a photograph by Lucille Handberg of a tornado near Jasper, Minnesota in 1927. The title matches Michael Moorcock's Elric novel, though Coverdale told the NME it came from mythology.

Blackmore left the band after the album and its tour, publicly citing his dislike of the funky direction. In a retrospective review AllMusic's Alex Henderson said it falls short of Machine Head and Who Do We Think We Are but names Lady Double Dealer, the title song, High Ball Shooter and Soldier of Fortune as classics. A 35th Anniversary Edition appeared on 23 February 2009 with remixes by Hughes and a quadraphonic mix.

Track listing

  1. Stormbringer4:03
  2. Love Don't Mean a Thing4:23
  3. Holy Man4:28
  4. Hold On5:05
  5. Lady Double Dealer3:19
  6. You Can't Do It Right (With the One You Love)3:24
  7. High Ball Shooter4:26
  8. The Gypsy4:13
  9. Soldier of Fortune3:14

Personnel

More from Deep Purple

Shades of Deep Purple (1968), The Book of Taliesyn (1968), Concerto for Group and Orchestra (1969), Deep Purple in Rock (1970), Fireball (1971), Machine Head (1972), Made in Japan (1972), Who Do We Think We Are (1973), Burn (1974), Come Taste the Band (1975), Perfect Strangers (1984)

Sources

  1. Stormbringer, Wikipedia
  2. Stormbringer, Discogs