Everyone was intimidated by Ritchie Blackmore

In 1973, one of the largest rock bands in the world took the risk of replacing his singer with a complete stranger. That band was the Deep Purple. The outgoing singer was Ian Gillanwhile the twenty -two year old inexperienced who took Gillan’s place was David Coverdale.

The young cover had a limited experience, having sung in a couple of local groups, when he was offered the possibility of an audition with Purple. In an interview with Outlaw magazine he recalled: “I think I was the only singer who made the hearing. First, they asked me to go to the Purple Office at the 25th of Newman Street in London to be full of managers, who obviously wanted to know if I had criminal records, an arrest for drugs or anything that could cause potential problems.”

As known, the guitarist Ritchie Blackmore It was rather enigmatic, while, on the contrary, the keyboardist Jon Lord He was much more accommodating and accepted cover with open arms. “Ritchie was unfriendly. But Jon was simply fantastic. During my audition, Jon calmed me down, and even a glass of whiskey did his part. Apparently that evening they decided that I would enter the group, but they didn’t tell me for a week. In Surrey, it was called Blockhütte. It was.

To the question if he found Ritchie Blackmore intimidating, David Coverdale He replied: “Those who did not find him! When I started entering more and more inside the band, including that they were all intimidated by him. Initially Ritchie took me under his protective wing and I was his willing disciple. I learned a lot from him and by Jon Lord, who was another extraordinary mentor for me, much more sociable than Ritchie.”

David Coverdale After three profitable years with i Deep Purpleduring which they made three studio albums: “Burn”, “Stormbringer” And “Like Taste The Band”. The latter was recorded with the American guitarist Tommy Bolin Instead of Blackmore, who left the band to found a new group, i Rainbow. After the dissolution of the Deep Purple In 1976, Coverdale became the leader of a new band, i Whitesnakein which he met with Jon Lord and the drummer of the Purple, Ian Paice.

In an interview with Outlaw,
David Coverdale
he listed his favorite songs of his years with the
Deep Purple
. “I love the songs I wrote at the beginning with Ritchie:” Mistreated “,” Sail Away “and, certainly,” Soldier of Fortune “. I still wonder what my inspiring muse was doing when he gave me such a mature text in” Soldier of Fortune “”.