Shades of Deep Purple

Shades of Deep Purple is the debut album by Deep Purple, released on 17 July 1968. 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, Nick Simper and Ian Paice completed this first line-up in March 1968. After roughly two months of rehearsal, they recorded the whole record in just three days.

It holds four originals and four covers, reworked with classical interludes and a more psychedelic feel, sitting between psychedelic and progressive rock. Their take on Joe South's "Hush" reached number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and the album climbed to number 24 on the Billboard 200. It went unnoticed in the UK, but that American success helped open doors for their early US tours. Later reviews are generally positive, and it's well worth hearing as the band's starting point.