Ian Gillan Returns With The Most Spectacular Solo Album Of His Career

by **Sykesy** Fri Mar 06, 2009 2:20 pm

EarMUSIC is pleased to announce the March 23rd release of Ian Gillan’s exciting new solo album "One Eye To Morocco". Gillan’s first collection of original new recordings since 1997, the album will be released across four editions including CD, Ltd Edition CD, Vinyl Gatefold, 7” vinyl and CD.

Ian Gillan, one of the greatest rock singers of all times renowned as a member of Deep Purple, though he also led bands named after himself.

Gillan was the driving force of classic Deep Purple MkII that in the 70s changed rock fashions through a series of successful records — Concerto For Group And Orchestra (1970), Deep Purple In Rock (1970), Fireball (1971; number one U.K.), Machine Head (1972; number one UK; Top Ten, multi-platinum USA), Made In Japan (1973; Top Ten, platinum U.S.), and Who Do We Think We Are (1973; Top Five U.K.; Top 20, gold U.S.).

He was also featured on Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's concept album Jesus Christ Superstar singing the title role; the gold-selling double LP topped the U.S. charts in 1971.

As a solo artist, Ian Gillan enjoyed a lot of success too, in 1980, seven years after leaving Deep Purple (the band split in 1975, two years after Gillan’s departure), Gillan signed to Virgin Records and scored a British singles chart entry with "Sleeping On The Job" in June 1980, followed by "Glory Road", which peaked in the Top Five and charted briefly in the U.S.

Thus established, Gillan scored a series of Top 40 singles and Top 20 albums in the U.K. over the next two years: "Trouble" (1980); "Mutually Assured Destruction" (1981); "New Orleans" (1981); "Future Shock" (1981), "No Laughing In Heaven" (1981); "Nightmare" (1981); "Double Trouble" (1981) and "Magic" (1982).

In May 1983, he surprised fans by joining Black Sabbath with the recording of their album "Born Again" and subsequently toured with the band from August to March 1984.

In March 1984, the 1969-1973 line-up of Deep Purple, including Gillan reunited and soon after they cut the million-selling "Perfect Strangers" and "The House Of Blue Light" (1987).

Since then, Ian Gillan divided his energy between Deep Purple (who have been signed to edel records since the release of their "Rapture of the Deep" album) and his solo production. His most recent official release was the critically acclaimed "Live In Anaheim", released on CD and DVD.

One Eye To Morocco - Track Listing:

Normal CD:

01. One Eye To Morocco
02. No Lotion For That
03. Don’t Stop
04. Change My Ways
05. Girl Goes To Show
06. Better Days
07. Deal With It
08. Ultimate Groove
09. The Sky Is Falling Down
10. Texas State Of Mind
11. It Would Be Nice
12. Always The Traveller

Ltd. Edition CD:
Limited digi-pack with CD with exclusive track: "Lonely Days"

12” Vinyl Gatefold

7” vinyl single (signed) & CD album

Ian Gillan about One Eye To Morocco:

"It all started in Cracow, Poland, late December 2005.

In a café in where Oscar Schindler had been active during dark times in the mid-20th century, I sat across the table from my friend Tommy Djiubinski who was telling me all about it. He was deep into this amazing story when a woman caught my eye as she walked behind Tommy. Quite naturally I followed her graceful movement; I was drawn by her magnetism.

‘Sorry, what were you saying?’
‘Ah, Ian you have one eye to Morocco.’

This meant I was not concentrating on the matter in hand; I apologised and we carried on. Later I was curious about the expression so Tommy gave me the full version…You have one eye to Morocco and the other to The Caucasus.

We could only guess the origins but agreed the epigram meant being distracted from the party line by the lure of something exotic. So I filed it away in Incomplete Proverbs, Vague Maxims or more likely Interesting Phrases.

Three years later, due to a family illness, there was an unexpected break in the Deep Purple tour schedule. I made some calls and we discussed making a new album. When we finished counting there were 38 songs in various stages of completion. Roughly half of these were discounted because they need too much work in the allotted time span, and the rest were put on the ‘Short List’.

There was one particular song, untitled and without lyrics, that I felt should be the nucleus of the project. The song was the criterion by which all the rest would be judged and so the process was made easier by having a yardstick or even an interesting phrase – Aha! ‘One Eye to Morocco’ became the title of that song, and the song became the title track of the album."

Source:UG.Com