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PUR 354 A, PUR 354 B, PUR 354 C - CD (limited edition
digipak)
Purple Records PUR 355 CD (regular edition)
A digipak has been produced to enable the original artwork to be
used. It is available in three different covers: original 1971 UK;
1971 USA; 1973 USA. Each design is limited to 1,000 copies worldwide.
DPAS Mailorder has all three different designs listed and will do
their best to supply collectors with whichever one they want, but
with such a small run we advise pre-ordering. The digipak will have a
12 page booklet like the regular edition. The regular edition has a
new cover design based on the original.
After 1969's classical / rock Concerto for Group & Orchestra, Jon
Lord was comissioned to write a follow-up. This was GEMINI SUITE,
five movements inspired by the members of Deep Purple.
 After just one live performance in 1970 (available on Purple Records)
it was recorded as a solo project because Ian Gillan and Ritchie
Blackmore didn't want to be involved further. The Gemini Suite album
was issued in October 1971 with the London Symphony Orchestra,
conducted by Malcolm Arnold. To replace Gillan and Blackmore, Jon
Lord asked other guests along. The list of tracks and soloists is as
follows:
1 - Guitar. Albert Lee (from Heads Hands & Feet).
2 - Piano. Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
3 - Drums. Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
4 - Vocals. Yvonne Elliman (fresh from her role on Jesus Christ
Superstar) and Tony Ashton (from Ashton, Gardner & Dyke).
5 - Bass guitar. Roger Glover (Deep Purple)
6 - Organ. Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
Even in the seventies, when experiments like this were seen as a
natural progression for many rock musicians (with Keith Emerson and
ELP, Rock Wakeman of Yes and Procul Harum all developing their own
pieces), Gemini Suite was still a long way from the music of Deep
Purple. Challenging as it was it nevertheless can be seen as an
important part of Jon Lord's classical career and brought further
offers of work. This included WINDOWS in 1974 and SARABANDE in 1976.
Today Lord is busier than ever in this area.
Stand-outs on the album are perhaps the vocal movement, arguably one
of Jon's finest pieces of writing, and the final movement where the
orchestra and musicians trade riffs with increasing rapidity which
keeps the listener enthralled for over ten minutes.
Gemini Suite was also the very first album on the original Purple
Records label. It has never been issued on CD in Britain, and only
fleetingly available in Germany twenty years ago.
The remastering work has been meticulous, with the original 1971
quarter inch production masters located and used. This has been
engineered by Nick Watson at his newly equipped mastering studio in
London (Nick previously worked on a lot of Deep Purple related
projects at SRT Studios in Cambridge).
An illustrated booklet with detailed notes accompanies the set. The
gatefold illustration has been digitally restored, and even the
original decorative typeface tracked down to use on the packaging.
PURPLE RECORDS is the home of The Gemini Suite Live (PUR 304),
Sarabande (PUR 305) and Windows (PUR 322). All these can be pre-
ordered from DPASMailorder.
DPAS online discography: Gemini Suite. |
