Interview with Nick Simper

Conducted by Gabriel Gonzalez, Deep Purple Fan Club of Argentina, via post, Summer 2006

Translation and crude paraphrasing from Spanish to English by the web master, February 2007.

Seven years ago I had the opportunity to conduct an interview with Nick Simper with the idea of discussing his latest work (at the time) with Quatermass 2 and any other subjects that might be of interest to Deep Purple followers. Unfortunately on that occasion it didn’t turn out the way I wanted. But without any arm-twisting, during the second half of 2006, I tried again. This time Nick promptly replied with enthusiasm to everything I asked for. I was delighted to open my mail one day and found Nick’s written notes and his kind comments for our readers. It is a rare thing to have contact with an original member of Deep Purple, a fantastic musician and a complete person in all sense. For this reason it is a great privilege for this fanzine and all the staff who run it to be able to present for the first time to Spanish speakers, our long-awaited interview with Nick Simper. We know that they will enjoy it.

Gabriel: Tell us something about how you first played with Ritchie Blackmore before Deep Purple

Nick: I got to know Ritchie through my friendship with Carlo Little. In 1966, while we toured Germany with Billie Davis, Carlo and I were in the Star Club in Hamburg. The tour wasn’t great, and together we talked about forming a new band whose base would be in Germany. It was decided originally that I would be the singer, but a tonsillitis attack made that out of the question. Just a short time after this Carlo and I joined the Flowerpot Men. We still had the ambition to gig with Ritchie, then Deep Purple formed and everything changed.

Gabriel: How you would describe the band when Chris Curtis was involved?

Nick: The Curtis band had finished when I joined them. I know that a lot has been written about the original line-up, but in reality that band never had a chance to get off the ground. Nevertheless we must be thankful to Chris for the initial impetus to start up Deep Purple.

Gabriel: What finally happened to the musicians that Curtis put together?

Nick: When I joined the band they were Jon, Ritchie and Bobby Woodman Clarke. Previously other two bassists had been tried but neither of them worked out. Chris Curtis turned up at our first recording session, trying to get the producer’s gig, but he left when it was made clear to him that he was not wanted there.

Gabriel: There must have been some attempts at rehearsing with Curtis, Clarke, Blackmore and Lord. What material arose from those sessions?

Nick: We four tried for a while (without Curtis) until it became obvious that Bobby was not in sync with our musical direction. We tried out a few embryonic ideas, such as demo versions of And The Address and Love Help Me, but this group did not record anything.

Gabriel: History says that you were one of the founder members of Deep Purple, as you joined before Ian and Rod. Why do you think you were such an important part of the band?

Nick: Ritchie, Bobby and Jon were recruited right before me. Rod joined a few weeks later and just a short time after that Ian followed, due to Bobby’s departure. And if you think so, then I am sincerely proud to have been an important part of all that and believe that my contribution has stood the test of time!

Gabriel: MK I was something really great. Perhaps some people have only heard of the more famous versions of Purple, but what happened in the first years was wonderful. How did the MK I group compose, and how did they choose their final repertoire?

Nick: I am pleased that you like MK I so much. Naturally I believe that it was the best line-up and I’m glad that many other people think the same, in spite of the limited budget that we had to record with. Composing songs used to be difficult mainly because we had very such a short time free to be able to work in the studio, and also because of the reluctance of some members to share their ideas and, in the long run, gains. Our original repertoire consisted of the songs from the first album plus a few covers. The live set was growing while we wrote and recorded new material. Songs like Hush, Help and Wring That Neck were a big success.

Gabriel: Apart from the ’68 Inglewood and the rest of the known material, are there any other live recordings in existence?

Nick: I don’t think there’s anything left to discover now. I have a tape of Lalena recorded for the radio, which has not been included on any release, and it’s possible perhaps that there’s other stuff in the vaults of the BBC – but it’s very improbable.

Gabriel: In 69, were the MK I band’s compositions progressing towards the style of In Rock?

Nick: Well, from the beginning Ritchie and I were always trying to make rock music, but Jon with his classic intentions and love of softer music tended to hold us in check during recording sessions. On stage it was another story, and we proved time and time again that we were true hard rock pioneers that could hold up against any opposition. That was why they chucked us off the tour with Cream. I believe the seed of hard rock had already begun to bloom on our third album. I understand that In Rock was written mainly by Gillan and Glover, as they were obviously the catalysts that pushed the band towards the style that had we had been striving for.

Gabriel: I have always thought that you shouldn’t have been replaced in ’69. What happened?

Nick: Thanks for your support, and please take it from me that many people agree with you. Lamentably success and money can bring out the worst in people and it is not rare to see success and bitterness
going together. Many factors were behind my leaving the band, but the biggest factor was the reluctance of Gillan to join the band without his main collaborator, added to Blackmore’s desire to gain total control of the group. I was sacrificed in name of greed and excessive ambition. So what price loyalty and friendship!

Gabriel: What do you think of the idea of making a tour with all the musicians
who have played in Deep Purple? It would be a dream come true for Chris Curtis, his original Roundabout.

Nick: If that would be good or bad it is impossible to say. But aside from that it would be very interesting to see all those egos on stage together. Personally I’d love to do it, to only show to them what they had been missing.

Gabriel: What do you know of Rod Evans nowadays?

Nick: Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Gabriel: Leaving aside MK I, what other line-ups of Deep Purple do you like the most?

Nick: The other versions of Deep Purple are of very little interest to me. Many of the songs that I’ve heard seem to me very lightweight for a rock band, with very smooth musical lines.

Gabriel: Warhorse was your band after Deep Purple. Their releases were very close to the feel of Purple after your stay. Excellent songs, fantastic musicians, but what do you think was lacking that prevented Warhorse from succeeding?

Nick: Thanks for your kind words. For me Warhorse was superior to Deep Purple, being heavier and having a greater originality in its songs. Lamentably like many other bands, we were plagued with conflicts with our manager, the publishers and the record companies, who in the end mined our mental energy as much as financially. Nevertheless, I believe that our music has a lasting quality in spite of the small recording budgets which we had to endure, and it’s very flattering that many new well-known groups have borrowed from our songs. Several years back, Warhorse reformed to do two sell-out shows and those same musicians proved once again that they are some of the finest rock players around, and Ashley Holt proved once again that can cut it with any vocalist on this earth.

Gabriel: I know that always you have been active in music, playing here and there. Tell us about the projects in which you were involved during the 70’s.

Nick: Immediately after Warhorse I had a good rest, after ten fruitful years in the business. During 1975 I had a brief meeting with a producer, where it was suggested that I put together a band which we called "Dynamite" with Peter Parks. We recorded a single and then that was it, after the collapse of the recording company. Pete and I remained together working in recording sessions, while we wrote new songs. Towards 1978 we had formed Fandango and we had cut two albums in spite of the explosion of punk rock. 1979 saw us to linking up with the legendary Carlo Little on drums and Frankie Reid on vocals to play live as the Flying Fox. The members came and went but the band is still active nowadays, although the current band is called The Good Old Boys.

Gabriel: What’s the story about Rick Wakeman playing with Warhorse? Are there any recordings of that?

Nick: Yes, Rick Wakeman originally was in the group; and in spite of being a great musician, he did not have the dedication that was needed to stay with the group on stage and on tour. Nothing was recorded with Rick.

Gabriel: Are there any unpublished Deep Purple numbers that you have used in your later bands? I refer to parts or pieces of songs, melodies, etc.

Nick: No, I followed my own path after Deep Purple and I never found it necessary to use their ideas.

Gabriel: Another one of your projects of greater significance, Fandango, was simply incredible. I remember that the first time I listened to them, I had that disc on my turntable for weeks. Terrific rock ` n’ roll. Do you play any of that material nowadays?

Nick: I enjoyed Fandango, but we have not played any of those songs live. I tend to put each project in the past when I believe that it’s finished and prefer to look towards new horizons. Something similar happened in Quatermass II. I have not played any of those songs since we separated but, of course, things can change.

Gabriel: Is there some possibility of reforming Warhorse with new material?

Nick: It could be possible although I won’t be the one to make it happen. I don’t know anything about any unpublished material.

Gabriel: With The Good Old Boys you have returned to your roots. I have read about all these years playing with different musicians and in small venues. I guess that you all really enjoy playing this way. Are you eventually going to publish some songs?

Nick: The idea of the Good Old Boys was to play the songs from the past that we all admired, and not to play our own songs, with the emphasis put on diversity rather than commerciality. Nevertheless, that could change and we are working with several well regarded musicians with the idea of incorporating them into our show. We have recorded before, but we think that we can do it far better. The band is composed of some of the best musicians that you can get and I am very proud of the reputation we get from live performances. For that reason I believe that it would be good idea to reinforce this with some quality recordings.

Gabriel: After over 30 years, you’ve never strayed from the roots of rock ‘n’ roll. You’re better than you’ve ever been and you’re a fundamental part of the history of British rock not only for The Flowerpot Men, Deep Purple, Warhorse, Fandango, but also for the future…

Nick: Thirty years – it seems a whole life -. In fact I have been playing for 46 years and have enjoyed every minute. Hopefully, many more will follow. Thank you very much by your kind words. I am grateful and proud to have been part of the rock music scene for all this time and it pleases me that people have enjoyed my humble efforts. This makes everything worth the trouble. As you say, I tried to do things the correct way and to be faithful to myself. Perhaps for that reason my stay in Deep Purple was short.

Gabriel: I want to thank you for your kindness for your letter and for responding to my questions. And I hope some day to see you in concert. A strong hug and my best wishes for all your projects.

Nick: Thank you very much for your efforts and your comments. My best wishes to you, your magazine and especially to your readers – all the best of luck for the future. Sincerely, Nick Simper.

Interview: Gabriel Gonzalez. Translation: Scruntlehawk