Dedicated to Jon Lord
July 18, 2012
I felt very strange for the whole of July 17th – so strange, that I believed I would hit the lotto: my regular readers need not worry – after writing “Dream Killer” – I haven’t been able to even fantasize what I’d do with lotto winnings. But I did have dreams about Australia re-offering me that gig I worked so hard applying for.
And I’m not even sure that Jon Lord died on the 17th, but I’m pretty sure his spirit was visiting me on this date – because I can’t imagine anyone doing more DEEP PURPLE or Jon Lord jams than I have — over the years — and, his soul must have sensed this! Hell! I took my Korg Poly Six in for repair today, and, I pulled out my fuzz box to plug into my Korg CX3 to play a few odes and tributes to the fellow who influenced my keyboard work more than anyone else (but my CX3 doesn’t quite vibrate the testicles like the King of the Hammond B3 did!). Hell! His band mates nicknamed that smokin’ Hammond, “The Beast.”
Sure, I cited Keith Emerson as my #1 keyboard idol on my first recording (For Those Still Awake and Those Who Never Slept) – but I believe I was deluded – only wishing to become as good as he, or, Rick Wakeman. They were both technical wizards, and could literally put on shows of their own; yet rarely did they rumble the old balls like Jon Lord did (though they did shock and awe). But here, let Russell Smith help me out a bit:
I listened to it (‘Made in Japan’) when I was 10 years old and it changed my world, set my musical tastes forever – I was from that moment on fascinated by the deep darkness and sexual energy of noise, and by the hysteria of fast percussion. I couldn’t listen to soft or pleasant pop music from that moment on, and still seek out a hard edge.
Similarly, I pissed off my neighbors playing “Deep Purple in Rock” as loud as the folks’ stereo console would go (coloring my world with “Child in Time” and a host of other songs that I have already mentioned in my “Why isn’t DEEP PURPLE in the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame?” article). As noted, I could go off for hours-and-hours on those simple Jon Lord riffs; and finding Pete, Mick and Rabie (who played seven DEEP PURPLE tunes back in 1973 as CRO MAGNON) – finally got me into electrified rock (up until then, I had only jammed with Jon on my acoustic piano).
I believe what made DEEP PURPLE and Jon Lord special to me (and many, many more fans) – was their jazz edge: there seemed to be a big-band-jazz-flavor in a number of their songs; particularly in my 3 favorites: “Child in Time”; “Lazy”; and, “Strange Kind of Woman.”
And don’t forget, Jon (along with Ritchie) created my Holy Grail song “Oh No No No”; which I just re-discovered (after 40-or-so-years-of-searching): this was the keystone song that set me off on a 40-year- journey to compose something that flew me as dramatically as “Oh…” (I may have it with ‘Sailing into Your Sunset’).
Like so many of us — Jon was classically trained — but unlike most of us, he composed a symphony or two (perhaps even more?). I enjoyed DEEP PURPLE with the LONDON SYMPHONY from circa 1970. Jon purportedly didn’t like interviewing, and according to his former road manager (the very same producer who gave my WATERFIRE organ tones a Jon Lord feel) – could consume quite-a-few-ales (I recall a photograph where 12-17 beers stood on the Lord’s Beast!).
Jon’s induction to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a founding member of DEEP PURPLE) will obviously come posthumously — and he probably won’t care — because he is already jamming with Beethoven in the afterlife!
Thank you, Sir Jon – without You – I wonder what direction my life would have taken!
Coming next: Penn State be Buggered