Post by erik on Apr 13, 2024 17:20:08 GMT -5
An early example of a rock group paired with a symphony orchestra is in this week's Pop Music Hits Spotlight, and it happens to be one of the loudest ones of its day.
CONCERTO FOR GROUP AND ORCHESTRA—Deep Purple (EMI Import; 1969)
Formed in England in 1968, Deep Purple, led by guitarist Richie Blackmore, vocalist Ian Gillan, and keyboardist Jon Lord, were one of the first major groups in that peculiar genre that came to be known as Heavy Metal, alongside their compatriots Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Indeed, during much of their heyday in the late 1960’s and 1970’s, they were among the loudest bands in concert, with decibel levels sometimes reaching 120. In temperament, however, Deep Purple was closer to Led Zeppelin than to the extreme screech of Black Sabbath, due to their technical polish. They had big U.S. hits in covering Neil Diamond’s 1967 classic “Kentucky Woman”, and country songwriter Joe South’s “Hush” (the latter reached #4 in America in August 1968, becoming their highest-charting American hit). Their hard rock approach, however, was tempered by the structure of the songs, and Lord’s keyboard work, making it worth audiences’ while to see and listen to them in concert…just with the right kind of protective earplugs.
What may very well be this British band’s most ambitious album, however, was borne of an idea that Lord had of combing the group’s sound with a full symphonic orchestra. While that may have seemed like a cultural contrast of a most bizarre kind when it was done in 1969, Lord and the group nevertheless put together what came to be known as Concerto For Group And Orchestra. The recording paired the group with Sir Thomas Beecham’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, here under the direction of noted British composer Sir Malcolm Arnold. Lord himself had a tremendous respect for orchestras; and Arnold, though he might have understandable scoffed at the idea if he didn’t think the group was being serious, was impressed with their moxie The “concerto” itself consisted of a first movement (marked Allegro) that ran nineteen minutes and twenty-three seconds; a second movement Andante that ran nineteen minutes and eleven seconds; and a third movement finale (marked Presto) that ran thirteen minutes and nine seconds. What could have been a high-decibel cacophony was nevertheless hailed as a bold experiment by classical and rock fans alike, with both the band and the Royal Philharmonic (under Arnold) giving the work its premiere at Royal Albert Hall in London on September 24, 1969.
Concerto For Group And Orchestra managed to get to #24 on the UK Album Chart, but it stalled out at #149 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart in the United States. The group’s only U.S. performance of the album in America (until 2010) came on August 25, 1970, when they performed it with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Lawrence Foster at the Hollywood Bowl. Despite its low chart placement back in 1969-70, Concerto For Group And Orchestra nevertheless influenced many other rock band/orchestra albums to come, including Procol Harum’s live 1972 album with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and Metallica’s 1999 album S&M, which they recorded with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
CONCERTO FOR GROUP AND ORCHESTRA—Deep Purple (EMI Import; 1969)
Formed in England in 1968, Deep Purple, led by guitarist Richie Blackmore, vocalist Ian Gillan, and keyboardist Jon Lord, were one of the first major groups in that peculiar genre that came to be known as Heavy Metal, alongside their compatriots Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Indeed, during much of their heyday in the late 1960’s and 1970’s, they were among the loudest bands in concert, with decibel levels sometimes reaching 120. In temperament, however, Deep Purple was closer to Led Zeppelin than to the extreme screech of Black Sabbath, due to their technical polish. They had big U.S. hits in covering Neil Diamond’s 1967 classic “Kentucky Woman”, and country songwriter Joe South’s “Hush” (the latter reached #4 in America in August 1968, becoming their highest-charting American hit). Their hard rock approach, however, was tempered by the structure of the songs, and Lord’s keyboard work, making it worth audiences’ while to see and listen to them in concert…just with the right kind of protective earplugs.
What may very well be this British band’s most ambitious album, however, was borne of an idea that Lord had of combing the group’s sound with a full symphonic orchestra. While that may have seemed like a cultural contrast of a most bizarre kind when it was done in 1969, Lord and the group nevertheless put together what came to be known as Concerto For Group And Orchestra. The recording paired the group with Sir Thomas Beecham’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, here under the direction of noted British composer Sir Malcolm Arnold. Lord himself had a tremendous respect for orchestras; and Arnold, though he might have understandable scoffed at the idea if he didn’t think the group was being serious, was impressed with their moxie The “concerto” itself consisted of a first movement (marked Allegro) that ran nineteen minutes and twenty-three seconds; a second movement Andante that ran nineteen minutes and eleven seconds; and a third movement finale (marked Presto) that ran thirteen minutes and nine seconds. What could have been a high-decibel cacophony was nevertheless hailed as a bold experiment by classical and rock fans alike, with both the band and the Royal Philharmonic (under Arnold) giving the work its premiere at Royal Albert Hall in London on September 24, 1969.
Concerto For Group And Orchestra managed to get to #24 on the UK Album Chart, but it stalled out at #149 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart in the United States. The group’s only U.S. performance of the album in America (until 2010) came on August 25, 1970, when they performed it with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Lawrence Foster at the Hollywood Bowl. Despite its low chart placement back in 1969-70, Concerto For Group And Orchestra nevertheless influenced many other rock band/orchestra albums to come, including Procol Harum’s live 1972 album with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and Metallica’s 1999 album S&M, which they recorded with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.