Glenn Hughes claims that he turned down an opportunity to join Ritchie Blackmore for live appearances where the guitarist revisited his past with RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE.
Prior to the three shows Blackmore played earlier this summer with an all-new version of RAINBOW, the legendary axeman hadn't performed an exclusively hard rock concert under the RAINBOW moniker since May 1997. Since that time, the guitarist had focused his efforts on composing and performing renaissance and baroque-inspired music with his wife, Candice Night, in their band BLACKMORE'S NIGHT.
Asked for his opinion on the new RAINBOW, Hughes told HardrockHaven.net: "[Ritchie] asked me to do it with him. And I said no because he wanted to, funny enough, he wanted to use an unknown singer and I said, 'It's not me. It's not me to do that.' I've done that with David [Coverdale, former DEEP PURPLE and current WHITESNAKE singer] and it was good. I don't want to do it again. It was something… I said, I very eloquently said, 'No, thank you. I really would like to see you, but I can't do this at the point where I am right now.'"
Hughes also commented on WHITESNAKE's 2015 release "The Purple Album", which was billed as "a re-imagination of classic songs from David Coverdale's time as the lead singer for DEEP PURPLE's Mark III and Mark IV studio albums."
Glenn said: "Jimmy Page told me 18 months ago, 'Have you heard this? David's album on the PURPLE.' I said, 'Excuse me?' Page is telling me and I'm going, 'Thanks for telling me.' [Laughs] I didn't know about it. So I didn't know about it until it was announced, and then David sent me a copy and wanted my opinion. I got back to him, and blah, blah, blah, blah. And then I guested with him onstage last year in Beverly Hills and it was great.
"David and I, for all intents and purposes… I'm really good friends with David. I mean, really, like as close as you can get, but he didn't want to tell me about 'The Purple Album' for some reason. I never asked him. I wasn't upset at all. I absolutely wasn't. He just put his own spin on it. He just put his own spin on those songs and I gave him my two cents' worth. I said, 'Great, I think you did a good job on changing the stuff up a little bit.' You know?"
He continued: "I think the reason he did it is because we were going to get together with Jon Lord to do a Mach III and, when Jon died, David figured out to get Ritchie in would be impossible and then Ian Paice is with… so I think he just went off on his own and did his own tribute. And I never had a problem with it. People think I did, but I never had a problem with whatever David does…
"I was informed by Jimmy, but I was a little bit surprised, you know? I was quite surprised that I wasn't asked to do something with him on it, because it would have been great, I think, for fans, but I think he wanted to put his own spin on it which I also understand. Like I said, David and I are as close as you can get."
Hughes, who was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame earlier this year along with Blackmore, Coverdale, Lord, Rod Evans, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and Ian Paice, has just completed work on a new solo album for an early November release.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
I don't love everything Glenn Hughes does (and preferred Coverdale vocals to his when they were in Purple together), but both Ritchie and David's projects would have been more interesting to me if Hughes had been involved.
[Edited on 8/30/2016 by hotlantatim]
I like Glenn Hughes, but you never really know with him. He's always self promoting and doesn't mind name dropping to get that promotion done. I read his biography, and he might stretch the truth from time to time if it makes him look better.
That said, I do hope the Black Country Communion reunion does take place later this year as they have said it might.
I always thought that Ritchie didn't like that funky sound that Glenn brought to Deep Purple, personally I thought Burn and Stormbringer were great albums.
There are some rock songs that I reflect well on, You know kind of kicks the blood pump up a notch or two. Some dual vocal tunes stick with me. I'm a Deep Purple guy. Love the guitar and they've had some flair and uniqueness, especially Richie. I also love 1/2 of those tunes on Burn and Stormbringer. Strong riff rock that has a solid flow and punch. The Coverdale/Hughes alternating vocals compare nicely to some of my personal dual vocal fav's like Skynyrd's You Got That Right and Steppenwolf's Who Needs Ya.
I would see a Blackmore career retrospective show in a heart beat, especially in small to moderate sized venues. I'm not a stadium guy any longer.
I did a search for a Hughes tunes I bumped into a few moons back and here's someone's TV screen shot of it, The man can still belt a tune out.
I am a HUGE Glenn fan. BUT, I kinda find it hard to believe he would turn this gig down. He always seems to be looking for his place in the spotlight and get some pub. Noting wrong with that, but that s just the impression I get from him. I would like to hear from the Blackmore camp on this topic. I think Glenn would not have been the featured vocalist for sure, probably just a tune or two at the most. Maybe thats why he turned that down. I think if you want him in the band he willl be the singer and bass player.
On a side note here. I was listening to a podcast that Chris Jericho does and he had Hughes on there. I have never head this before but I guess after Gillan left they brought in Glenn, and from he said they offered the vocal job to Paul Rodgers before Coverdale. That seems like an odd fit to me.
California Breed - Sweet Tea
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
I just saw Glenn hughes for the first time and he rocked...
I like Glenn's voice and lots of his music but he is often full of crap and contradicts himself all of the time.
He has been the source of DP III rumors ever since they broke up. You never hear anyone else. After Jon Lord died, Glenn mentions how they were getting together. Not before. Jon had retired and if he had wanted to continue then it would have been with DP.
There is a reason that Glenn has played with so many people and they all walk.
Glenn is a great singer, now in particular. He used to shriek a lot live with Purple. He was great in the studio but over the top live with Mark III and Mark IV.
I really doubt Ritchie offered Glenn the gig.
"There is a reason Glen has played with so many people and they all walk."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bingo! We have winner. 
Glenn is a great singer, now in particular. He used to shriek a lot live with Purple. He was great in the studio but over the top live with Mark III and Mark IV.
I really doubt Ritchie offered Glenn the gig.
I agree on all points.
His live "singing" with Purple was suspect. There are parts of the Cal Jam show that aren't listenable with him on vocals.
Speaking of Glenn Hughes, I just listened to Black Sabbath' s "Seventh Star" for the first time in about 20 years and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
It got panned st the time because it didn't sound like classic 1970s Sabbath. It is slick 1980s metal, not far from the sound of Deep Purple' s "Perfect Strangers." But I love "Perfect Strangers"!
Some great Iommi riffs and solos, excellent singing. Yes it has modern drums and a layer of keyboard gloss. It ain't "The Wizard." But it works.
Speaking of Glenn Hughes, I just listened to Black Sabbath' s "Seventh Star" for the first time in about 20 years and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
It got panned st the time because it didn't sound like classic 1970s Sabbath. It is slick 1980s metal, not far from the sound of Deep Purple' s "Perfect Strangers." But I love "Perfect Strangers"!
Some great Iommi riffs and solos, excellent singing. Yes it has modern drums and a layer of keyboard gloss. It ain't "The Wizard." But it works.
I agree .I always liked Seventh Star from the get go and a good part of the other sab releases minus Ozzy.
Born To Lose
Ancient Warrior
Black Moon
Disturbing the Priest
Zero The Hero
Evil Eye
Sins Of A Father
I
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
GLENN HUGHES To Release 'Resonate' Album In November
Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/glenn-hughes-to-release-resonate-album-in-november/#R5ElmJClVwVBKZu1.99
Legendary bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, CALIFORNIA BREED) will release his new solo album, "Resonate", on November 4 via Frontiers Music Srl. The cover artwork for the CD can be seen below.
Hughes's first solo album in eight years was recently completed at a studio in Copenhagen, Denmark. Joining him during the sessions for the follow-up to 2008's "First Underground Nuclear Kitchen" were Søren Andersen (guitar), Pontus Engborg (drums) and Lachlan "Lachy" Doley (keyboards).
Glenn told Billboard.com about "Resonate": "It's possibly the heaviest record I've ever made. I don't want to confuse it with horns-up heavy; it's not metal. But it's definitely fucking heavy. It's dense. It's dark. There's some aggression on this record. Every bloody track is begging to be played live."
Songtitles set to appear on Hughes's new album include "Let It Shine", "God Of Money" and "Steady", with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith, a regular Hughes collaborator, making a guest appearance.
While he was in the studio recording his new album, Hughes talked to Denmark's Metalized magazine about the musical diversity that has been his trademark throughout his four-decade-plus career.
"I never make the same album twice," he said. "Go back to the first TRAPEZE album. The second was different and the third one was different. And then you go to 'Burn', and 'Stormbringer' was different from that, and then 'Come Taste The Band'. You got HUGHES/THRALL and that was different from DEEP PURPLE. And then you go to 'Seventh Star' with Tony Iommi. That was different from HUGHES/THRALL. And then the blues album and then the Glenn solo albums."
He continued: "Although some of [my albums] have been very, very soulful and very, very funky, the key for me — as I am an Englishman that grew up in the West Midlands — is rock. But when I moved to America in the early seventies, I started to listen to what came out of Detroit. And I met Stevie Wonder. He became a very, very close friend and still is. He became my mentor.
"I need people to know that my success has come from the foundation of rock music. As much as I love THE BEATLES, Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder, when you think of Glenn Hughes, you think of the guy who plays bass and sings in any register."
Hughes added: "I am friends with a lot of famous rock stars and they are one genre. I wouldn't say who, but they have a one-genre-dimensional sound. You know it's them. And you know it's me because of my voice.
"I have been cursed and blessed with the ability to switch very quickly from rock to soul to funk to acoustic and almost into jazz — without scaring people. When you mix those ingredients, that's Glenn Hughes.
"This will be an album that is entirely Glenn Hughes music. For that reason, it is an important album."
Hughes previously credited his involvement with the supergroup BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION as the catalyst leading to his return to rock music. "What I will do on the next Glenn album is portray the image of the Glenn Hughes on the BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION albums," he told IHeartGuitarBlog.com in 2011. "Because it's the same Glenn that was in DEEP PURPLE, really. The classic rock iconic Glenn that, let's be clear, the majority of the fans want. The 'F.U.N.K.' album was very well recorded and I love the songs, but that's for a cultured audience and a different kind of audience. It's more of a cult audience, if you will. But my audience now with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and a lot of my fans are rockers, man, so it's time to rock. So the next album will be a rock record."
Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/glenn-hughes-to-release-resonate-album-in-november/#R5ElmJClVwVBKZu1.99
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Glenn's work with Tony Iommi's solo albums is great also especially Fused. Different for Tony also which is a nice change.
I personally still find him screechy at times live. It is as if he feels the need to show people that he can still do it.
I highly doubt Ritchie offered him any gig, especially to one who loves what Ritchie calls "shoeshine music".
Glenn with Kings Of Chaos - The band of revolving members. LOL But some lineups are cool. Steve Stevens does a great job here.
Glenn's work with Tony Iommi's solo albums is great also especially Fused. Different for Tony also which is a nice change.
I personally still find him screechy at times live. It is as if he feels the need to show people that he can still do it.
yeah FUSED was a great album
Iommi and Glenn Hughes
The 1996 Dep Sessions
Don't You Tell Me
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Phenomena
Kiss Of Fire
Phoenix Rising
Believe
Who's Watching You
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
