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It’s Been A Year

23.December 2019 · 32 comments

It’s been a year since I last posted. Somehow, life slips by without warning. I do read all the posts you send, grateful that you take the trouble to share your thoughts and questions. I shall answer some in due course. The lovely words for my birthday leave a warm feeling my heart, thank you.

I eschew social media––not one to share the trivia of my everyday life with the world-–so this site is one of the few ways I communicate stuff. If only I did! I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions, but if I did I would promise to post more on this site. As my primary school teacher once noted, “Needs improvement”. Should do better,

A stack of random moments from the year…

Playing Pictures of Home with the great Don Airey Band in the Z7 club in Switzerland. Taken by Ueli Frey.

Flying around the US, floating over the vast countryside, descending over cities whose residential blocks snake out like frozen centipedes in neat lines, some with little patches of blue in their back yards. In each house or apartment there are every kind of people, and many stories to tell.

As for my story; enjoyable gigs, vans, dressing rooms, hotels, and the inevitable corridors…I still take photographs of every single one for the fabled project I’ve been planning over the last decade or so. One day… To be on stage with the band is a never-ending teenager’s dream.

In the UK in May, the band received an Ivor Award for song-writing, an amazing moment for me. I recall my first, naïve attempts at writing as I tried to unravel the secrets of my heroes in the charts.

When visiting drummer Harvey Shield in Los Angeles, he showed me a contact sheet of Episode Six photographs taken a year or so before Ian Gillan joined. I discovered these shots, taken in and outside Regent Sound, in 1964, a tatty studio in Denmark Street made famous mainly by The Rolling Stones who recorded their first hits there. We were there to record some of my early songs. Note the home-made bass cabinet; 2 x 12″ Goodman speakers, no less! Very proud.

Always a happy treat to be playing with Pete York’s Rock & Blues Circus; a veritable history book, live on stage. Hoping for more next year.

As ever, I’ve had the good fortune to see many old and new friends this year and I appreciate all who came to share in what we all love…live music.

Good cheers for the season and I hope your 2020 will be a peaceful and healthy one. As Matt Johnson said, “You can’t stop what’s coming”. I hope it’s full of good surprises.

Good luck,

Roger Glover

December 2019

32 thoughts on “It’s Been A Year”

  1. Vera from Slovakia Banská Bystrica wrote on 2023-07-19:

    ♥️♥️♥️

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  2. Hans-Jürgen Küsel wrote on 2020-01-10:

    Roger, you’re older than me. That’s difficult to imagine, because you look young forever. The reason for this is your permanent working in arts, not only in Music. For the new year, I wish you: Please stay healthy and be so engaged in all the Artist disciplines you love, as you did the last 60 years.
    Hans-Jürgen Küsel

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  3. Philip wrote on 2020-01-04:

    Best Wishes Roger – Hope you make it to Australia with the guys soon!

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  4. Peter Lotz wrote on 2020-01-03:

    happy New Year – lazy bone 😉

    we want to hear a little bid more from you and the heavy “starship” DEEP PURPLE .

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  5. Roberto Oldani wrote on 2020-01-02:

    Hi Rog, thanks a lot for all these years and giga and meetings and pica and autographs and chat and patience and kindness you always demonstrate every time I meet you in Italy. Good 2020, and are us One more time in Milan in october.

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  6. Sirpa (Helsinki) wrote on 2019-12-30:

    Dear Roger
    thank you for the short review of the year 2019. Allways nice to read your thoughts. However the main thing is that you do music, wonderful music. So no wonder if you don’t have time, nor energy for frequent updates.
    Have a wonderful year 2020. Good health and happiness to you and your family.
    Looking forward to the new album.

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  7. Steve wrote on 2019-12-29:

    Lovely to read and feel the hope for the year ahead – here’s hoping too, that it proves to be a good one 🙂

    As a, like everyone here I suspect, lifelong Deep Purple fan, I only appreciate the work then and now all the more with every year that comes and goes.

    Such a tapestry of aural and visual delight!

    Have a good 2020 and thank you for the music.

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  8. Conrad Passas wrote on 2019-12-29:

    Roger I’m 56 years old and knowing I had shared the stage with these 8 guys (think about it!) that used to dominate the walls of my bedrooom no less than 6 times fills my advanced middle age heart with unfathomable pride and happiness. It is this and the 3 strapping young lads I helped bring into the world that l will take to my grave a very very very content man.
    God bless you and all the 11 others (think about it!!!)

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  9. Russ Wagus wrote on 2019-12-29:

    Roger, do you have any plans on remastering any of the other Purple albums? There also must be some other undiscovered gems in the “vaults”. I for one would love to finally get to hear “Smelly Botty” or “It’s Only Make Believe”.

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  10. Joe wrote on 2019-12-28:

    All the best for you and your family Mr.Glover. Hope to see you on stage in 2020. Rock on…

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  11. Romina wrote on 2019-12-28:

    It’s always a pleasure to read you. Hope to see you again in Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile or who knows… I love travelling just to attend your concerts. You’re a big part of my life and your music is my happiness. Thank you very much for everything. Lots of love.

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  12. Tracy(Zero the Hero)Heyder wrote on 2019-12-28:

    As usual, the consummate expressionist. I can’t state in any way my gratitude towards your humble ability to reflect on your past ventures and future. To keep this short, in seeing these shared reflections, I just happened to be looking through my DVD collection and cam across the one where Deep Purple did the Concerto and DIO sang “Sitting in a Dream” from your amazing Butterfly Ball production. His voice was like smooth butter over a ripe mango (don’t have a clue where that cam from). The orchestra was brilliant. You were there playing your bass with all the obvious grandeur of finally doing it again. The smile on your face (as always but even more noticeable). What a great moment in your legacy. You have been a huge integral part of so many lives. Past and present. Mine particularly. Thank you for the years of all of it. Life would not be the same without a Roger Glover. As we spoke about in Illinois during you last US tour, we are planning on a trip to somewhere in Europe to see a Deep Purple concert in 2020. Will be diligently watching the tour schedule. When we do, I hope to get the opportunity to do a toast with you in celebration of all you have meant to so many…. CheerZ Mr. Glover and thanks again for your kindness, humbleness and masterful musicianship that has been a huge influence on so many. As you always say…. Good Luck!

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  13. D. Lee wrote on 2019-12-27:

    Keep on truck’n Roger. Best to you and your family. We want to see you in the States again.

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  14. Wolfgang wrote on 2019-12-25:

    Merry christmas!
    Enjoy your time with your family!
    I will be so much happy to see you next year in Austria again!

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  15. Gerhard Schmid wrote on 2019-12-25:

    Thank you very much indeed for your continuous and brilliant perfomances n song writing throughout the years. Best wishes n cheers from Berne, Switzerland

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  16. Eric Campbell wrote on 2019-12-25:

    Best regards from a lifelong Deep Purple supporter.I
    I find that the excitement only increases with age.

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  17. Nathan Beaudry wrote on 2019-12-24:

    Merry Christmas, Roger. Thank you for the continuing Christmas gift of the wonderful music you’ve given us over the past 50+ years. Wishing you and your family the happiest and warmest Christmas wishes.

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    • Steve Moore. wrote on 2019-12-26:

      Heading into my 50th year as a fan since buying In Rock.The excitement and pure joy of listening to anything Deep Purple has never gone away since the first time seeing them live in 1971. I look forward to Birmingham when it will happen again for the umpteenth time.
      Merry xmas and happy New year to Roger,rest of the band and all DP followers around the world.

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  18. Mel Russell wrote on 2019-12-24:

    Merry Christmas. Hoping that 2020 finds you down under with DP. We have been waiting so long for the Long Goodbye to come to us

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  19. Danny N wrote on 2019-12-24:

    Here’s hoping 2020 brings you love, good health and much happiness. Looking forward to seeing you again sometime soon! All best to you and yours!

    Danny and Susan N, Montreal Canada

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    • Renato Martini wrote on 2019-12-25:

      It’s truely wonderful to have you here playing, creating, making music and spreading your magic for all these years, Rog. My second son is coming in March and I put my earphones on my girlfriends belly and say: “Hey, Guilherme, hear this doom-doom-doom? It’s Roger Glover!”, while A Simple Song or Painted Horse is playing. Merry Christmas and all the blessings for you and your family, Rog. Love you and chilling for the new album! Greets from Brazil!

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  20. Glen wrote on 2019-12-24:

    Roger, another year full of splendid concerts and wonderful story telling from you — among friends. When this bass gig winds down, I think a tribute act to Steven Wright is in your future. Well done! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! See you next year!

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  21. Heidi Wilhelm wrote on 2019-12-24:

    Roger, thank you for a great music year! A very special highlight for us was the recent concert in Sofia, Bulgaria, where the sold out audience was so enthusiastic as I have never seen before in a concert. I felt that you also sensed this special atmosphere from stage… and of course also the unique gigs with Pete’s Rock Circus, very different to the big Purple concerts in an almost familiar environment and small stages. We are really looking forward to the 2020 concerts! Wishing you always the best, and keep on rocking, Heidi

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  23. Mark Bryant wrote on 2019-12-24:

    It was a GREAT YEAR Roger. Looking forward to the new Deep Purple album and the renewal of our friendship one more time. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

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  24. Marcelo Soares wrote on 2019-12-24:

    Great holidays for you, Rog. Hope to see you again in 2020. Thanks for your music, thanks for your words, thanks for your life.

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  25. Denise T. Dardarian wrote on 2019-12-24:

    I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It was good to see you in L.A. and thank you for taking the time to speak to me while after the show. I greatly appreciate it. Forget me not, eh? Love Always, Denise T. Dardarian

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  26. Etienne wrote on 2019-12-24:

    Très bon Noël à toi Roger, ta famille et tous les amis . Faites nous un bon album pour 2020 et à bientôt en concert

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  27. Karin wrote on 2019-12-24:

    Merry Christmas, dear Roger! Hoping to see you again in the fall. Don’t forget to make time for your family and have a good coming year! (Karin the ex- cabbie)

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  28. Hristo wrote on 2019-12-24:

    Thank You for making us, the fans, so happy and inspired playing your music!
    Best wishes for the whole family with forthcoming year, let be healthy and peaceful!
    Waiting for your new (and not only 😉 ) music with anticipation! Enjoy the BG wine

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  29. George G Martin wrote on 2019-12-24:

    Thanks for touring through America again this year. With a new album do out in the spring, I hope there will be another tour through America in 2020. I can’t tell you how awesome the meet and greets are. They are truly one of the highlights of my year. It always amazes me how great the live sound of a Deep Purple concert is. God bless you guys with peace, happiness and health.

    George Martin

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  30. Klaus Söhnholz wrote on 2019-12-23:

    Nice words & nice pictures. Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to the whole Purple-Family from Germany!

    Have a nice Day!

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