Ian Gillan & the Javelins Ian Gillan

• 1Do You Love Me03:17
• 2Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)02:34
• 3Memphis, Tennessee02:23
• 4Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)03:27
• 5High School Confidential02:33
• 6It's so Easy!02:14
• 7Save the Last Dance for Me02:25
• 8Rock and Roll Music02:35
• 9Chains02:23
• 10Another Saturday Night02:30
• 11You're Gonna Ruin Me Baby04:21
• 12Smokestack Lightnin'02:55
• 13Hallelujah I Love Her So02:20
• 14Heartbeat02:09
• 15What I'd Say04:24
• 16Mona (I Need You Baby)01:48
• Total Runtime44:18

Info for Ian Gillan & the Javelins

In the early 1960's, you might have seen The Beatles doing Chubby Checker's 'Twist and Shout' at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, or The Rolling Stones doing Chuck Berry's 'Come On' at the Station Hotel in Richmond, and The Javelins doing Howlin' Wolf's 'Smokestack Lightning' at Wistowe House in Hayes." - Ian Gillan

Every Deep Purple true lover knows how much their magic and powerful style is the result of many different influences brought in by the single members, all merging into the powerful sound loved by millions of rock fans. Ian Gillan's love for American soul and Rhythm & Blues as well as skiffle and early rock and roll has been well documented in many articles and interviews.

Founded in the early 60s, The Javelins were influenced by Pop, Soul, Country, Jazz and Blues artists from America. They soaked up the music of their heroes, added their own stamp and went from town to town to perform their favourite songs in front of a small but ever growing audience - becoming local heroes themselves.

This was the time when Ian Gillan discovered himself, broke the chains and 'found his voice'.

The Javelins paved the way for the Ian Gillan who, only a few years later, wrote music history with Deep Purple, becoming one of the most iconic frontmen of all time and, together with very few others, shaped rock music the way we know it today.

Ian Gillan has defined this new studio album as "a collection of catchy rhythms and feel-good melodies". This understating definition shows Gillan's ability to still look at those songs and his whole career with the same eyes of the 18 year old boy who sang them many years ago.

But there is a lot more to this recordings... By paying tribute to music legends such as Chuck Berry, The Drifters, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Buddy Holly and Bo Diddley, Gillan and The Javelins have not only managed to do that.

Avoiding the use of any modern technology, the band has managed to find the spontaneity and true sense of freedom of pop and rock and roll music of 50 years ago, probably without completely realizing it themselves. One world superstar and four friends who have taken very different directions in life (none decided to "turn pro" as they would say it) but still able to capture the essence of what being a performing band is about.

This album is what happened during four days of recordings in a studio in Hamburg, Germany, where instruments, microphones, lyrics sheets and memories were the only tools allowed.

This album is not an act of nostalgia, or a celebration of the purity of the old days versus modernity. This is simply what the Javelins were in 1963... and this is what they are now, if they happen to meet in the studio, embracing their guitars and look at each other with a big smile on their face.

This is where it all started.

"Ian Gillan & The Javelins" has been recorded at the Chameleon Studios during a five days recording session in Hamburg, March 2018, Germany.

Ian Gillan & The Javelins are:
Ian Gillan, vocals
Gordon Fairminer, lead guitar
Tony Tacon, rhythm guitar
Tony Whitfield, bass
Keith Roach, drums

Ian Gillan
was born on August 19th 1945 in Hounslow and was brought up in this Middlesex suburb in an atmosphere where musical endeavour was highly regarded. He was introduced to rock and roll by Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel' and at 16 decided to form a group, The Moonshiners. A few weeks later he was poached by The Javelins. It was October 1962, and Ian jacked school in mid-term.

Ian took the stage name Jess Gillan or Jess Thunder, and The Javelins worked hard for two years semi-pro until December 1964 when Gillan was again head-hunted, by Wainwrights Gentlemen, a soul big-band. He only stayed a few months and was invited to join Episode Six in early summer 1965. Episode Six's career was long and busy. They gigged continuously for four years and issued singles for Pye and others. In the band Gillan met founder member Roger Glover, while Mick Underwood later joined on drums. The group were highly thought of but never had any serious chart success in the UK and by early 1969 were hard up. Drummer Mick Underwood mentioned Ian to his old mate Ritchie Blackmore, looking for a singer to front Deep Purple, and Gillan got the job.

He devoted himself to Deep Purple for four years, with only a session on Jesus Christ Superstar, some production work for Jerusalem and others, and a few solo ideas breaking his concentration.

When he left in Deep Purple 1973, it was to start a number of business ventures - a recording studio (Kingsway), a delux Hotel (The Springs), and a motorbike engine company. It wasn't until 1974 that he began developing ideas which eventually became The Ian Gillan Band in 1975, which after two years doing jazz-rock changed line-up and became simply Gillan, employing a more direct rock direcion. They enjoyed European success, with hit singles and albums, before running out of steam in 1982.

With the possibility of a Deep Purple reunion under discussion, Ian Gillan accepted an invitation to join Black Sabbath for a year, recording one album with them, and leaving just before the reunion became fact in 1984. Ian left Deep Purple again in 1989, after two studio albums and a joint solo-album with Roger Glover. He then recorded a solo album, put together a new version of Gillan for one album, and toured extensively before rejoining Deep Purple in 1992.

This album contains no booklet.