IAN GILLAN: I'm Very Honored That METALLICA Were Influenced By DEEP PURPLE

November 30, 2012

On November 7, Jason Saulnier of the MusicLegends.ca web site conducted an interview with DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Asked if he has heard METALLICA's version of the DEEP PURPLE track "When A Blind Man Cries", which appears on the the "Re-Machined - A Tribute To Deep Purple's Machine Head" album and what he thinks of it, Gillan said, "I know the guys in METALLICA. I'm very honored that they were influenced by DEEP PURPLE when they started and they've always been very kind to us. So I respect that, and I think it's great."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, who was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with his bandmates in 2009, told Artisan News that he was a bit turned off given that the Hall has overlooked so many other great rock bands, including DEEP PURPLE, who is among 15 finalists for induction into the Rock Hall's Class Of 2013.

"I've been lobbying for DEEP PURPLE for a long, long time," he said last month.

"Ritchie Blackmore and DEEP PURPLE have amazing songs."

He added, "If BLACK SABBATH can be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, DEEP PURPLE definitely belongs in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. 'Cause they had great songs, great musicianship, they had an impact, and they're a huge influence on the heavy metal community as a whole. So I definitely think that they belong in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

Interview (audio):

METALLICA's cover version of "When A Blind Man Cries":

Find more on
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).