Description

Rare 1998 re-issue with different cover artwork. Black vinyl. Limited 300 copies

In the age of social media and digital footprints, Rod Evans, original lead singer of Deep Purple, has achieved something almost unimaginable. He has disappeared. The original lead singer of Deep Purple, the co-founder of Captain Beyond, the frontman of the controversial New Deep Purple, and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Evans has not performed, recorded, or given an interview since 1980. A former collaborator was in contact with him as recently as 2017, but said that he’s very reclusive. He doesn’t speak to anybody, and I guard his phone number like it’s Fort Knox. Deep Purple first single Hush, with Evans on vocals, became a Top 10 hit in the US. While the band were on one of their many American tours, Evans met and fell in love with an American woman and at the same time Purples core membership – Blackmore, Paice, and Lord – deciding that the band’s sound should become more heavy so when they saw the possibility of Evans relocating to the United States they saw the opportunity to try out a new singer and bass player and leaving the dirty work to the management so fire Simper and Evans. The first thing that happened when Evans arrived in U.S. was that he released as solo single, Hard To Be Without You, in 1970. This poppy tune is miles away from what his former colleagues in Deep Purple was working on at the same time. Rod Evans was then contacted by the managers of Iron Butterfly, who wanted to put together a supergroup named Captain Beyond. Evans joined but left after just one album in 1972 and then leaving the music business completely. He would returned once again in 1980 when New Deep Purple was put together for a tour that ended in a total disaster when fans would realize that none of the musicians resembled or sounded like the Deep Purple they knew, and chaos would break out. Half of the tour was cancelled and the members of New Deep Purple was sued by Deep Purple Inc. for violating the real Deep Purple’s ownership of its name. And it is rumored that Evans lost all his future royalty rights for the early Deep Purple material as part of the settlement. This was the final draw and Rod Evans disappeared again.

Track list:
1. Hard To Be Without You
2. You Cant Love A Child Like A Woman