Deep Purple "Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple"

Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple is a compilation album by the British hard rock band Deep Purple, released in 1980 on LP. It features the original hits of Deep Purple before their 1984 reunion. Aided by a TV advertising campaign it would become Purple's third UK No. 1 album. In 1984 this compilation additionally was published on CD.

It was at one point the longest album ever released as a single LP, but it was overtaken by Def Leppard's Hysteria album in 1987. Being a 60+ minute vinyl LP, Warner Brothers Records used Noise Reduction, which lowered the volume considerably, on all tracks to fit both sides equally.

This also marked the debut of "Demon's Eye" for the North American release, where it was replaced by "Strange Kind of Woman" on Fireball.

All songs from this album appeared in 2000 on Rhino's The Very Best of Deep Purple, along with three additional songs.

In 2010 a 30th Anniversary Edition of this compilation was released (in the UK, 25 October and US, 2 November). It contains four additional tracks, two of them from the Mark I & IV eras, plus a bonus DVD containing previously unreleased video footage and an exclusive track-by-track commentary from founding member Jon Lord.

Track list:

All titles composed by Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, except where indicated.

Side one

1. "Black Night" – 3:28 (7-inch single, 1970)
2. "Speed King" (Edited version) – 5:04 (from the album Deep Purple in Rock, 1970)
3. "Fireball" – 3:25 (from the album Fireball, 1971)
4. "Strange Kind of Woman" – 3:52 (7-inch single, 1971)
5. "Child in Time" – 10:20 (from the album Deep Purple in Rock)
6. "Woman from Tokyo" – 5:51 (from the album Who Do We Think We Are, 1973)

Side two

1. "Highway Star" – 6:07 (from the album Machine Head, 1972)
2. "Space Truckin'" – 4:33 (from the album Machine Head)
3. "Burn" (Blackmore, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Lord, Paice) – 6:02 (from the album Burn, 1974)
4. "Stormbringer" (Blackmore, Coverdale) – 4:06 (from the album Stormbringer, 1974)
5. "Demon's Eye" – 5:22 (from the album Fireball)
6. "Smoke on the Water" – 5:40 (from the album Machine Head)

30th Anniversary Edition

CD track listing

All titles composed by Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, except where indicated

1. "Black Night" (Single version) – 3:27 (2002 Digital Remaster)
2. "Speed King" (Edited version) – 5:00 (2010 Digital Remaster)
3. "Fireball" – 3:23 (1996 Digital Remaster)
4. "Hush" (Joe South) – 4:13 (1998 Digital Remaster)
5. "Strange Kind of Woman" – 3:51 (2002 Digital Remaster)
6. "Child in Time" – 10:15 (1995 Digital Remaster)
7. "When a Blind Man Cries" – 3:30 (1997 Remix)
8. "Woman from Tokyo" – 5:49 (2000 Digital Remaster)
9. "Highway Star" – 6:07 (1997 Digital Remaster)
10. "Space Truckin'" – 4:33 (1997 Digital Remaster)
11. "Burn" (Blackmore, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Lord, Paice) – 6:02 (2004 Digital Remaster)
12. "Stormbringer" (Blackmore, Coverdale) – 4:06 (2009 Digital Remaster)
13. "Soldier of Fortune" (Blackmore, Coverdale) – 3:15 (2009 Digital Remaster)
14. "Demon's Eye" – 5:19 (1996 Digital Remaster)
15. "You Keep on Moving" (Single edit) (Coverdale, Hughes) – 4:28 (2002 Digital Remaster)
16. "Smoke on the Water" – 5:40 (1997 Digital Remaster)

Note: Track 11, "Burn", falsely is declared as single edit on the CD-case inlay. In fact it is the album version.

DVD

1. "Jon Lord discusses 'Hush'"
2. "Hush (Playboy After Dark, 1968)"
3. "Jon Lord discusses arriving in the US for the first time"
4. "Jon Lord discusses miming for German TV"
5. "'Speed King' (Vicky Leandros show, German TV, 1970)"
6. "Jon Lord discusses the writing of 'Child in Time'"
7. "Child in Time (new clip)"
8. "Jon Lord discusses the power of 'Child in Time'"
9. "Jon Lord discusses the recording of 'Black Night'"
10. "'Black Night' (Classic 1970 video clip)"
11. "Jon Lord discusses 'Fireball'"
12. "'Fireball' (German TV performance on Disco ZDF, 1971)"
13. "Jon Lord discusses the Fireball album"
14. "Jon Lord discusses the writing of 'Strange Kind of Woman'"
15. "'Strange Kind of Woman' (Top of the Pops, BBC, 1971)"
16. "Jon Lord discusses 'Demon's Eye'"
17. "'Demon's Eye' (Music Today, RBB Berlin)"
18. "Jon Lord discusses 'Highway Star'"
19. "'Highway Star' (Beat Club, German TV, 1971)"
20. "Jon Lord discusses 'Never Before'"
21. "'Never Before' (Classic 1970s video clip)"
22. "Jon Lord discusses 'Smoke on the Water' and the story behind it"
23. "'Smoke on the Water' (Hofstra University, 1973)"
24. "Jon Lord discusses the choice of singles"
25. "Jon Lord discusses 'Woman From Tokyo'"
26. "'Woman from Tokyo' (New clip)"
27. "'Made in Japan' / 'Space Truckin' (New clip from Made in Japan footage)"
28. "Jon Lord discusses 'Burn'"
29. "'Burn' (California Jam, 1974)"
30. "Jon Lord discusses 'You Keep on Moving'"
31. "'You Keep on Moving'"
32. "Jon Lord discusses 'Stormbringer'"
33. "'Stormbringer' (New clip)"

All songs are performed by Deep Purple in different line-ups (Mark I–IV). The track numbers in the following listing correspond to the 30th Anniversary Edition CD.

On Tracks 1–3, 5–10, 14 & 16: Deep Purple Mark II

Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar

Ian Gillan – Vocals

Roger Glover – Bass

Jon Lord – Organ, Keyboards

Ian Paice – Drums and Percussion

On Track 4: Deep Purple Mark I

Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar

Rod Evans – Vocals

Jon Lord – Hammond Organ, Backing Vocals

Ian Paice – Drums and Percussion

Nick Simper – Bass, Backing Vocals

On Tracks 11–13: Deep Purple Mark III

Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar

David Coverdale – Lead Vocals

Glenn Hughes – Bass, Vocals

Jon Lord – Keyboards

Ian Paice – Drums and Percussion

On Track 15: Deep Purple Mark IV

Tommy Bolin – Guitar

David Coverdale – Lead Vocals

Glenn Hughes – Bass, Vocals

Jon Lord – Keyboards

Ian Paice – Drums and Percussion

Original album compiled by EMI in conjunction with Ian Paice and mastered by Nick Webb at Abbey Road Studios.

Full title is "Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple".

Mastering by Nick Webb. Compiled by EMI and Ian Paice. 

The version of "Speed King" on this album is the single version that lacks guitar intro. 

Album was heavy commercial success (partially thanks for advertising campaign), and hit the charts reaching #1 in UK. From crossing total 100,000 sold copies in UK it got a gold certification from British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in august 20, 1980. In US, from crossing total sales of one million copies, it got a platinum certification from Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in July 16, 1997.