If you really want to be a singer, there are two important things: find your natural range. Don't try to sing with someone else's voice
IG: Hello?
W (NM): Hello, Mr. Gillan?
IG: Hi, it's me, hello!
W (NM): Hello Mr. Gillan. It's an honor to be speaking with you, thank you very much for your time.
IG: Thank you, good morning.
W (NM): Speaking about the beginning of your career, it's fair to say that your grandfather was the first to inspire you to become a singer, and who were your favorite singers at the time?
IG: No, not really. I mean, he inspired me with music, sure, but not to become a singer. I was too young to think about a career. My uncle was a jazz pianist, and there was a lot of music playing in the house. I think he gave me the knowledge, but he didn't inspire me to work with music at that time. That didn't happen until I heard young Elvis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, when I was a teenager. The world was changing. It was a combination. My grandfather and my uncle gave me the knowledge, and Elvis, Little Richard, and Buddy Holly gave me the inspiration.
W (NM): When you were recording “Machine Head”, did you imagine that after all the adversities you faced while recording the album, it would change Rock forever?
IG: Ah, I don't know. You never think about those things at the time, you just live your life. It's really incredible. You see a lot of things happening that are incredible, like the casino fire… No, we had no idea what was going on. Actually, “Smoke on the Water” wasn't a big track on the album, it was just a bonus track because we were short on time. So on the last day we wrote the song and it stayed. It wasn't until some time later that people started picking it up, and it started playing on the radio.
W (NM): You've done so many incredible things in your career, besides playing rock, ranging from Jesus Christ Superstar to narrating Chopin's life for TV in Poland. Which projects like these do you think will last forever?
IG: Ah, I don't know. You know, some of these things are commercially successful and some aren't so much. But I really enjoyed them all. There are so many things. I did a song called "Get Away" with a Greek singer called Michalis Rakintzis and I really enjoyed it, it was a great project. I also played Charles Darwin in a production for Bolland and Bolland in the Netherlands, "The Evolution," and it was a beautiful production. I think, outside of Purple, I enjoyed all my solo bands, and I think Jesus Christ Superstar was probably… And it only lasted three hours! But it was good fun.
W (NM): And you did that in just three hours? Any other memories from this project? We think it's really fantastic.
IG: No, it was strange, because I was working that night with Purple and they told me, “Come to the studio.” I had a three-hour session and I did everything in three hours. Except for the part about the speech on the cross, which I didn't understand. I ended up coming back another day to do that part. But we did all the songs in one day, yes. I didn't end up meeting anyone, because all the recordings were already done. I just listened to the tracks recorded by the band, and I was there with Tim Rice who helped me during the process and encouraged me. The melodies were so good that it was easy to enjoy and improvise. I thought it was a fantastic project.
W (NM): Yes, indeed. We have a classic question on our show, one that we ask everyone we interview: if you could choose one song that makes you lose your mind, no matter where you are, what song would that be, so we can play it on the show right now?
IG: It drives me crazy, what do you mean? A song by Purple or someone else?
W (NM): From another person.
IG: Oh, man. “Good Golly Miss Molly” by Little Richard.
W (NM): Okay, we'll listen to that on our show, thank you. What do you remember about the Deep Purple in 1984? How did it happen?
IG: It was really strange, you know. It was kind of like a school reunion. Everyone was very polite, and conversations like "what have you been up to?" went on. We didn't know if it would work because we'd all moved, of course, and had had other experiences. It was really good overall, everyone was polite, all of us locked up in a house in Vermont, in North America. In the winter we'd light the fireplace, go down to the basement and start playing. Within minutes you could see everyone smiling and thinking "yeah, yeah, it'll be alright". That's what I remember.
W (NM): Tell us a little about your experience with Black Sabbath and your relationship with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler.
IG: I'm closer to Tony, I know Tony very well, we're still good friends. And I love those guys, Geezer, and I remember Bill Ward, who was the drummer on the album, but wasn't on tour. It was the longest party I've ever been to. It was crazy. Insane.
We were reminiscing the other day and thinking how unfortunate it is that some people have left us. Ronnie had a great sense of humor. He was very funny
W (NM): Once again, could you choose a song from your career that you're proud to have written for us to hear?
IG: You know, strangely enough, I was just thinking about this a little while ago at breakfast. I was singing the lyrics to this song, and I'm glad you asked me that question. If you asked me tomorrow, it would be a different song, but today it's "Razzle Dazzle" from "Bananas." It's one of my favorite Deep Purple songs.
W (NM): You've been involved in some fantastic projects to raise funds and raise awareness for important causes, such as partnering with Tony Iommi to build a school in Armenia. Tell our listeners a little about these efforts.
IG: You know, today, with modern communications, we hear all about Katrina in New Orleans, about tsunamis, major disasters and hurricanes around the world. In '89, when a major earthquake struck Armenia, 25,000 people died and a quarter of a million were left homeless. Many people didn't know about it because the country was still part of the Soviet Union. I was playing there, solo, I saw the devastation and I spoke to the mayor, who told me there was no music in the city. This was a year after the disaster and there was no music in the church, on the radio or in the schools. Not even the birds seemed to sing. So I said, "So when you are ready for music, maybe we can do something." A generation later I was called to Armenia to meet the president and he said to me, "I remember your phrase 'When you are ready for music, maybe we can do something.' Can you do something?" And it was perfect, they had a school, but there were no funds, and I think music is a great symbol. It's very symbolic for people's culture. And not just contemporary music, but traditional as well. I think it's very important that children are able to express themselves, and music is a mode of expression like all forms of culture, like sports or things of that nature. But it was a good opportunity to get involved and bring music back into their lives. So Tony and I decided to form an ad-hoc band called Who Cares and try to raise funds. It's all going very well, I think they'll start construction in a month or two. It's a fantastic story. We have people from Canada sending musical instruments, a guy from England too. He shaved his head and sold it for 50 pounds to send to the fund. It was really fantastic.
W (NM): So, for the Who Cares project, you only recorded one album, or can fans expect more albums and tours?
IG: Well, we only have two songs at the moment. Tony is very busy with a secret project and I'm very busy with Purple. But the last time we met we talked about doing more, maybe next year or something. But we don't have any plans, we just got together to do the project for Armenia. But as always, when I'm with Tony we have a lot of fun. So, it's possible, we can do more.
W (NM): When can fans expect a Deep Purple album? We heard that you're thinking about, considering recording a new album. Is that true?
IG: Ah! I don't know. We went to Spain in March and had a great time, but we ended up not thinking about anything. I think we weren't really focused and we were on tour for so long that we ended up just drinking wine and sleeping most of the time. I think these things happen when they happen, naturally. Probably next year. But we don't have any plans.
W (NM): You made a very nice statement about the passing of heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio. Is there any memory of Dio that you would like to share with our listeners?
IG: Ah… Ronnie was a dear friend, and we were very close personally. We had some really good times at his house. I recorded an album called “Gillan’s Inn” about 5 or 6 years ago, and Ronnie and many friends played on the album. We were reminiscing the other day and thinking how sad it is that some people have left us. So many personal memories. Ronnie had a great sense of humor. He was very funny. When we were going through Munich airport, I had to buy some things—scarves, socks, and t-shirts—because I had lost my luggage. So we were in this little shop, and I was looking at the socks; they were selling them in pairs, and I was thinking, “I should buy two pairs of socks,” or something like that. Ronnie turned to me and said, “Socks, drugs, and Rock 'N Roll!”
W (NM): That was a good one, man.
IG: Yeah, he was a really funny guy.
W (NM): Thank you for sharing.
IG: The pleasure is mine.
"Actually, 'Smoke on the Water' wasn't a major track on the album; it was just a bonus track because we were short on time."
W (NM): You were one of the most influential singers of all time. What advice would you give to young people who are starting a career as singers?
IG: Well… That’s a good question, it depends on what you want. If you want to achieve commercial success quickly, you should go with what’s trending, anything that’s fashionable to become known quickly. The problem with that is that as soon as the trend passes, you adopted a style for the sake of fashion, by definition you’ll be out of fashion and it’s all over. But if you really want to be a singer, there are two important things: find your natural range. Don’t try to sing with someone else’s voice. And at the same time, copy your heroes, have fun while you’re young and let the influences show, all of them. Not just in one style. Have fun singing all day, in the shower, all the time. After a few years doing that with semi-professional bands and semi-professional performances and things like that, sooner or later you’ll be a singer and you’ll have your own voice, that’s important. Have a real identity, for your personality to shine through in your voice, so that when people hear you they say “Ah, I know who that is”. While if you copy someone else's style, the same style that's fashionable, you'll sound like everyone else and won't develop an identity. I think it's important, when you're young, to copy Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Little Richard. I copied Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Cliff Bennett, Brooke Benton, Solomon Burke, all those guys. I played all those songs and learned about music, how to interact with musicians, appreciate melody, timing, and phrasing. All those things are important, as is finding your range and your tone, because certain things change and you should always feel comfortable with your own voice. Sorry for the long explanation, but it was a good question.
W (NM): Our time is running out, could you leave a message for your fans in Brazil?
IG: Thank you so much. We're really enjoying ourselves, it's always great to be back here. There's excitement in the air, I can feel it. The energy is incredible. We're really excited for the shows. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
W (NM): Mr. Gillan, I would like to sincerely thank you, I am truly moved, as I have been a fan for over 30 years and I consider you one of the great legends, one of my great Rock and Roll heroes. Thank you for everything you have done. I'm almost crying here, I'm sorry about that.
IG: Oh, that's really cool, thank you so much. It was nice talking to you.
W (NM): I've been to all the Deep Purple shows here in Brazil and I'll be in São Paulo on Monday night. It will be a great honor.
IG: OK, come say hello.
W (NM): Thank you very much, Mr. Gillan, I appreciate it. It was very nice talking to you.
IG: Me too. Thanks, man.
W (NM): Thanks.