While some artists, going solo from famous groups, shut the doors on their past, David Coverdale has always been fiercely proud of his tenure with DEEP PURPLE, including this ensemble’s numbers in the WHITESNAKE concert repertoire from their very first stage days. 45 years later the singer’s feelings remain the same, and though 2015’s “The Purple Album” didn’t seem to be too wise a move, what with DC basically competing with his younger self and setting his contemporary tight accompanists’ delivery against the loose playing of his legendary employers, the “Special Gold Edition” of that platter, prepared for issue on October 13th, looks to be special indeed.
Still, it’s not the record’s 2023 remix, taking over the entire 2LP version and the first CD of 2CD/Blu-ray variant, that’s so alluring – of, course, the reshuffling of the multitracks is interesting and instrumental in keeping the material fresh – and it’s not the live cuts and alternative mixes. It’s the part that makes this release a genuine 50th anniversary celebration of Coverdale’s debut with DP: his four-song demo which helped the vocalist land the coveted role – the artifacts partially available before only on bootlegs – and the demo ideas for “Stormrbinger” laid down by DC a year later. With a generous serving on videos, the “Special Gold Edition” is truly golden.
The Purple Album:
Special Gold Edition
CD 1 – 2023 Remix:
1. Burn
2. Lay Down, Stay Down
3. Love Child
4. Holy Man
5. The Gypsy
6. Lady Double Dealer
7. Might Just Take Your Life
8. Mistreated
9. Stormbringer
10. Sail Away (Interpolating Elegy for Jon)
11. You Keep On Moving – feat. the Hook City Strings
12. Lady Luck
13. Coming Home
14. You Fool No One (Interpolating Itchy Fingers)
15. Soldier Of Fortune
CD 2 –
The Purple Tour Five Live:
1. Burn
2. The Gypsy
3. Mistreated
4. You Fool No One
5. Soldier Of Fortune
Alternative Mixes:
6. Holy Man (Unzipped) *
7. Stormbringer (Punch In The Nuts mix) *
8. Love Child *
9. Soldier Of Fortune – feat. Joel Hoekstra & the Hook City Strings *
10. Soldier Of Fortune – feat. the Hook City Strings *
11. Soldier Of Fortune (Instrumental) – feat. The Hook City Strings *
The 1972 DC Purple Audition Tape:
12. Everybody’s Talkin’ *
13. Get Ready *
14. Lonely Town, Lonely Street *
15. Dancing In The Street *
16. 1974 DC demo ideas for the “Stormbringer” album *
Blu-ray –
Purple Music Videos:
1. Lady Double Dealer
2. Stormbringer
3. Sail Away
4. Soldier of Fortune
5. The Gypsy
6. Soldier Of Fortune – feat. the Hook City Strings *
7. Soldier Of Fortune (Instrumental) – feat. The Hook City Strings *
Purplesnake Videos:
8. Lay Down, Stay Down *
9. Holy Man *
10. You Keep On Moving *
11. You Fool No One *
Live Clips:
12. Burn (Live Atlantis)
13. Burn/Stormbringer (Live In The Still Of The Night)
14. Soldier Of Fortune (Starkers In Tokyo)
The Purple Tour Five Live:
15. Burn
16. The Gypsy
17. Mistreated
18. You Fool No One
19. Soldier of Fortune
20. The Purple Album: Behind the Scenes*
21. The Purple Album: Song-By-Song *
* previously unreleased
