Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan has said seeing the “undiluted culture” of Japan while on tour in the early 1970s made him see his own English culture in a “different way”.
Recordings from their concerts in Tokyo and Osaka went on to form Made In Japan, which is considered one of the greatest live albums of all time.
Ahead of the British hard rock pioneers taking to the road in the UK more than 50 years later, Gillan recalled how visiting the east Asian country impacted them before visiting other parts of the globe on tour.
The 79-year-old singer told the PA news agency: “It was a shock to the system, there were no mobile phones, and I used to send postcards in those days to my mum… I’ve got a small number of friends I send postcards to, and they love it.
“In Japan, I noticed the first thing was the cultural change. I was able to do two things, one to learn about the different cultures and the values, number two was from a distance, to be able to see my own culture in England in a different way, from a different perspective.
“And there was a real eye-opener, how other people see you and how you see yourself from a distance. I suddenly realised what an undiluted culture was in Japan.”
He noted that due to Japan historically having strict immigration policies, it slowed down the country being influenced by Western culture and meant their culture remains strong”.
“I’m not saying that’s great or wrong or anything like that, that’s just an observation where we’re completely different, we’re a mongrel nation in England, and I think it’s absolutely brilliant and fantastic, I love it”, Gillan added.
“We saw things profoundly, the impact was incredible on the beginning of the journey.
“We’ve taken the experiences through the Soviet Union, through the Far East, through the United States, through South America, everywhere it’s touched our hearts and our minds.”
The band are currently back on the road for their =1 More Time Tour, with the band playing a string of shows in the UK after a run of dates in mainland Europe.
Gillan said the tour was “going great” adding: “The energy levels are massive at the moment.”
The Highway Star singer said songs from the band’s latest record =1 were “working better than any other album that we’ve ever done” on the tour.
“We’ve never done so many songs from a newer album and kept them in the show”, he added.
“Normally, we bring in a couple of songs and it’s hard work to make them compatible with the traditional Deep Purple songs, but this seems to work very well…
“The fans are loving it, I would say that they’re showing their appreciation in a huge way, it’s great.”
Gillan joined Deep Purple in 1969 forming part of the band’s Mark II line-up alongside Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore, which saw a move away from the organ-led psychedelia of their first two records towards a proto-metal sound on albums In Rock, Machine Head and Fireball.
Prior to joining the band, Gillan began his career with 1960s psych outfit Episode Six, a group he says he looks back on 50 years later with “great affection”.
“It was my early days as a professional, I turned professional in 1965 when I joined Episode Six, and I was thrown in at the deep end, and it was fantastic”, he said,
“I remember the technical side, more than anything, the tape editing and the razor blades, and the balancing, and what went on in the studio.”
He recalled that at their first recording session at a studio in London, they were given three hours to set up, record two songs and mix them before having to be back out again.
Gillan also revealed the secrets to keeping his voice in the condition to still be touring today, saying: “I think staying fit and singing within your natural range is about it really.
“And also, there’s an old saying, use it or lose it, and I’ve been on the road since 1962, so it’s muscle memory and keeping fit I think.
“I don’t claim to be that fit, but staying in reasonable shape, and on top of it, I think another thing is just a love and enthusiasm for what you’re doing that makes it work.
“And of course, working in good company, that’s probably the most important thing.”
The UK leg of Deep Purple’s =1 tour will begin in Birmingham before moving on to London on November 6 with shows also in Leeds, Manchester and Glasgow.
