Shades of Deep Purple

Shades of Deep Purple is the debut from Deep Purple, released in 1968 on Parlophone. The band began life as Roundabout, an idea of former Searchers drummer Chris Curtis, who brought in Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore before stepping away. Rod Evans on vocals, bassist Nick Simper and drummer Ian Paice completed the first line-up in March 1968.

After around two months of rehearsal, the record was made in just three days in May. It mixes four originals with four covers, reworked with classical interludes and a psychedelic tilt, sitting between psychedelic and progressive rock. The UK barely noticed it, but it reached number 24 in the US, helped by "Hush", a Joe South song that climbed to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is well worth hearing as the starting point of the band's story.