According to Music Business Worldwide, a music industry newsletter, Deep Purple (Overseas) Ltd has appointed administrators. This means the business will continue to trade but will be protected from creditors until a buyer or buyers for the business are found. It also includes HEC, the company set up by Deep Purple’s original managers back in 1968 (and which DP(O) succeeded.) So if there are any well heeled fans out there…! Quite what this means for the time being I’m not sure, or indeed for the existing arrangements and future archive plans of Universal and Warners.
UPDATE : Some members of Deep Purple have now stated that they will fight to try and prevent this sale, and have issued a statement (which includes the claim that Jon was still a member of Deep Purple at the time of his death) as follows:
“1. It has come to our attention that two companies, Deep Purple (Overseas) Ltd (“DPO”) and HEC Enterprises Ltd (“HEC”) have recently gone into administration and that ReSolve Partners Limited (“ReSolve”) have been appointed as administrators for both companies. We believe ReSolve are inviting offers from third parties for the business and assets of the two companies.
2. We, (Ian Gillan, Ian Paice and Roger Glover, being continuing members of Deep Purple and Victoria Lord, representing Jon Lord, who was a member of the group until his death) commenced legal proceedings against both DPO and HEC and in particular those proceedings concern the ownership of various Deep Purple sound recording and song copyrights and the income generated thereby.
In short our position is that neither HEC nor DPO can, if it is their intention, dispose of or deal with those copyrights as between themselves and unidentified third parties. Our lawyers are, notwithstanding the two companies going into administration, instructed to progress and enforce our rights in relation to those copyrights (amongst other matters).”
darker than blue 
March 27, 2017 at 8:27 pm |
14 months later, and this situation is no closer to being resolved. If not for this situation, Deep Purple would be releasing Super Deluxe Editions of their albums, as other major 1960’s, 1970’s & 1980’s artists are. I fear that, by the time this situation is resolved and Deep Purple’s farewell tour is completed, that Deep Purple will have been all but forgotten, and there won’t be a significant market to sell Deep Purple archival product to. No one wins(either Deep Purple’s past and present members or the fans), if this situation contunues for too long.
June 16, 2016 at 7:54 pm |
I guess now we know why Deep Purple archival projects(such as the “Made in Europe” boxed set) halted.
February 16, 2016 at 12:12 pm |
As fans maybe all of us can give $50 each to help fight this crap ! I think that should add up to be a lot of cash .
February 14, 2016 at 3:36 am |
“Jon Lord, who was a member of the group until his death)`’ sounds still pretty weird to me
February 16, 2016 at 10:49 am |
and incorrect – you would hope their lawyers were sharper than that.
February 16, 2016 at 12:21 pm
Are you sure that it is incorrect? Why shouldn’t Jon have been at least a business-partner in that company acting as a group of musicians known as “Deep Purple”?
Malcom Young for example to this day is a member/partner of AC/DC, although for some years now he’s not really knowing what he does due to his illness.
February 22, 2016 at 1:16 pm
Obviously Jon would have retained an interest in the situation as he relied on DPO for his royalties, but not sure it is right to call him a member of the band as we would normally understand it.
February 2, 2016 at 10:13 am |
Is this an acquisition announcement?
February 2, 2016 at 7:40 am |
And what exactly does this mean for the Edel reissues of the DPAS catalogue or the back catalogue in general?
February 16, 2016 at 10:51 am |
As far as I know, Edel can continue their maltreatment of the archive titles as their contract is separate and was signed some years back, but I must admit to not being 100% sure on all this! Maybe we should crowd fund a buy out?
February 2, 2016 at 3:11 am |
Simon, I have followed the band and its music for 40 years. I am a lawyer in Melbourne. May I have details of the administrators?
February 16, 2016 at 10:52 am |
If you follow the story back to the source magazine, the details are there. Let us know how you get on.
February 1, 2016 at 1:28 pm |
This is outrageous, inexplicable, if not to say intangible!
How can a company that has no other business than to slaughter the artists’ vaults go into bankruptcy?!? Slouchs.
February 1, 2016 at 11:13 am |
What a very sad time for the Purple legacy. I can’t believe that DP Ltd would ever find themselves in this position. I guess it’s the sign of the times – rock music will never have a hey-day as like in the 1970s.
Marc Bolan masters were shockingly treated in the 1990s when the actual multi-tracks and 1/4″ masters were being sold off the highest bidders. I got a small conglomerate around me and we placed high bids to save for posterity a high volume of the most important recordings if T.Rex ie The Slider, Tanx albums on the original multi’s and 1/4″, and a wealth if other masters as well.
If the DP masters ever get to that position it would be worth looking into it in the same way, with a conglomerate of DP fans. It will be extremely costly, but at least they would be in safe hands and not scattered around the globe with no one knowing where they are.
February 16, 2016 at 10:56 am |
I managed to curate and archive just about all the master tapes during my 30 year tenure. When DPO started threatening me a few years ago over looking after the material, I had a word with a friend at Abbey Road archives and the upshot is all the material I had looked after was transferred there so it is just about as safe as it could be. I honestly don’t know if the admin means this material would transfer to new owners, or if they would be sensible and leave it there to access if needed.