IAN PAICE Looks Back On DEEP PURPLE's Career: 'It's Been Good, And I Want It To Be Good For A Little While Longer'

In a new interview with Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz, Ian Paice addressed the fact that DEEP PURPLE is largely considered to be an underrated rock band in America, unlike in Europe where they have always been able to headline bigger venues. The drummer, who turned 76 last month, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, well, there's no logical reason to it. There's times when you are the flavor of the month and times where you're not the flavor of the year. You just have to accept that. And that can change with a border crossing. You can go from Germany to France and in one country you're bigger than the other one. And next year it's the other way around. It's down to the public's taste. It's also down to what they are subjected to, what they hear, what they see. As yourself, you know, media has a great control in our lives these days. And if half a dozen really big radio stations want to start playing a track, you're in with a chance. If they all ignore it, hey, not much you can do about it. Relying on social media will get you so far. But you need to be driving down the freeway and hear something come on the radio and crank it up and go, 'I like that.' If you're not given the chance, well, there you go. And there's not much the artists can do about that."

He continued: "I don't think we've actually seriously worried about any one particular market, although everybody understands the U.S. is incredibly important. It is the biggest market. And if you can get it on your side, it makes life a lot easier. But we're lucky that we do have the rest of the world. And so long as we believe in what we're doing, and the audience believe that we believe what we're doing, we're okay. 'Cause that's the real secret of it. If the audience don't believe the artist, then the artist's got no chance. You've got to let them know that you are doing it for the right reasons. And for us, it's not even a financial consideration now, though nobody refuses a check. We have a great deal of fun, and we keep saying it could be one, two years and that fun won't be there anymore. And so every day we can get on stage and be part of this circus, this glorious rock and roll circus, is a good day. We've been blessed with a life which has been superb to us and given us so much enjoyment, looked after our families. You can't say anything negative about it. It's been good, and I want it to be good for a little while longer."

DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "=1", came out on July 19 via earMUSIC. The LP marks DEEP PURPLE's first material with new guitarist Simon McBride, who stepped in two years ago following Steve Morse's departure.

DEEP PURPLE continues its charge of recent years, releasing hit albums and filling arenas around the world, adding yet more layers to its 100-million-album-selling legacy. The band is credited as one of the key originators of heavy rock and has constantly progressed its boundaries of music. They are fronted by Ian Gillan, whose vocals have defined generations, accompanied by the masterful bassist Roger Glover, the powerhouse drummer Ian Paice, and the maestro on keyboards Don Airey.

With three consecutive No. 1 albums in their back pocket and a resurgent new energy powering them forward, this is DEEP PURPLE at their pinnacle. "Now WHAT?!" (2013),"inFinite" (2017) and "Whoosh!" (2020) have sold over one million copies worldwide, making DEEP PURPLE one of the most successful rock bands currently active. The previous studio album, "Whoosh!", reached No. 1 on the album charts in seven countries and charted in the top 10 in another 12.

There simply aren't enough superlatives to properly acknowledge the contribution DEEP PURPLE has made to rock music. Having sold more than 100 million albums and filled global arenas for decades, there's little wonder that the respected British radio station Planet Rock named the group the "Fifth Most Influential Band Ever". The band were also presented the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016. DEEP PURPLE truly are "rock royalty".

With a body of work spanning seven decades, DEEP PURPLE has helped pioneer and define the hard rock genre while progressively moving into new areas, both keeping their sound fresh and attracting new fans to the legions who have remained loyal since the band's inception. The celebrated MKII line up of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore were responsible for creating many of the defining rock albums of the early 1970s, including "Made In Japan", universally accepted as one of the most important and influential live albums of all time.

Photo credit: Jim Rakete