A new DEEP PURPLE book is available. Stealing Deep Purple tells the story of the short-lived bogus band from 1980, and fronted by original DP singer Rod Evans. Deep Purple 1980 (the ‘new’ Deep Purple, then) played shows throughout Canada, the US, and Mexico before being stopped. This period is a curious and often overlooked chapter in the band’s history, though not being Deep Purple. There’s been many articles and DP fan accounts written online in the past, but Scottish author Steve McLean has researched this thoroughly for this book (373 pages). Looking forward to this one. Deep Purple 1980 kinda capped off an era where many big bands saw their name hijacked by corrupt managers and used to make money using bogus line ups (see also Fleetwood Mac, Steppenwolf, Herman’s Hermits…)

Order Stealing Deep Purple HERE.

About the book:

This is the story of Rod Evans, the little known original singer of Deep Purple, who decided to reform the band for a continental tour in 1980. The problem was that this Deep Purple contained no other members of the original group and that Rod, who had been fired long before their 1970s heyday, had no real legal rights to use the name.

The tour was comprised of riots, cancelled shows, on-stage fights, arrests, terrible performances and a massive court case. The who episode has become stuff of legend, with no two accounts seemingly the sames. Evans effectively ‘stole’ Deep Purple….. And he would have gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for all the posters, ticket sales and press coverage.

Using over 200 newspaper, magazine, book and media sources plus brand new testimonies from the people who were there, Steve McLean attempts to piece together what actually happened in this real life Rock’n’Roll Swindle.

“They all had something down their spandex pants. We couldn’t tell if it was vegetable or plastic… Let’s just say it was pretty obvious those bulges weren’t real...Every time I watch that scene in Spinal Tap, I think of Deep Purple 1980.” Llory McDonald.

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TEN WORDS OR FEWER INTERVIEW: Steve McLean, author of Stealing Deep Purple

https://www.thehighwaystar.com/news/2025/07/16/stealing-deep-purple/