Mk 3 Reunion rumours

Glenn Hughes has raised the subject of a Mk 3 DP reunion in a few interviews over the last couple of weeks (including a new Glenn Hughes interview done in France last month we’ve posted).  Don’t go raiding the holiday money fund just yet though, as there are no firm plans. What is safe to ay from the stories is that GH is up for it were it to happen, and that he and DC have chatted about the subject together. They got as far as making tentative approaches some time ago, but clearly it would need a certain guitarist to come on board before anything serious could develop. And Ritchie? Well you never know do you. Who would have put money on him a couple of months ago doing a William Shatner album session?! And it would be one way of avoiding any personal issues between him and IG, having a bit of rock fun and generating some income.
Glenn explained his thinking recently, talking to VH1 radio:
“When I was in the band in the ’70s, let’s just say I joined the band a very bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Northern chap like David and I left the band, very sort of, let’s just say I was overserved at the bar,” he said. “And I’ve made my amends with everybody but I’d like to have a jam with the guys again as a sober man and somebody who knows how to deal with his life on a daily basis. That’s the way I’d like to do it. I think Purple Mk. III is the last reunion of the iconic bands from the ’70s. You know, The Who have come back and even Zeppelin did one show. So Mk. III would be a huge… for the fans it would be monumental.”
It’s likely that there would be some big offers for the project from promoters too, both in America – this is the line-up that did the business there on tour in 1974 don’t forget – and Europe (where it might be viewed as freshening up a franchise which has now been touring largely the same core set for 25 years), It’s not difficult to imagine the Japanese promoters going ballistic to secure a line-up which featured Ritchie and never played Japan.
Currently of course DP are still on the road, and it would be difficult to envisage two bands of the same name touring. You can’t help wondering that were RB to give it a thumbs up, how tempting it might be for Ian Paice, who has kept his hand in on some of the Mk 3 material during these tribute shows he keeps doing.
Jon Lord was asked for his thoughts late last year when the rumours were again doing the rounds and aimed to be a steadying influence before the story get totally out of hand, saying he felt it might be a wish too far. “Yes, I would love to play with Ritchie again, but don’t read anything into that as far as Mk. III is concerned.” Mind you, there seems to be an open invite for RB to take part in the planned studio recording of The Concerto, so who knows where that could lead? Interestingly Jon also raised the concern over DCs voice at present, and we’ll have to see how he handles the upcoming Whitesnake tour. To me I think if Black Country takes off the way it deserves to on the live circuit, then this is more likely than anything to put Mk 3 fantasies on hold (especially as BCC are actually very close to the spirit of Mk 3 in many ways, certainly that was my feeling about their debut album). Indeed seeing the way the Mk 3 story was quickly gaining momentum this past week GH was quick to put out a couple of quick statements to try and calm speculation, fearing it might impact on Black Country’s fortunes.
Good heavens, this is starting to sound like the old ‘reunion rumours’ we ran in Darker Than Blue back during most of the early eighties!