Martin Popoff – Seven Decades of Deep Purple: A Deep Dive Into a Band That Became a Lifelong Companion
In this special episode of the Now Spinning Magazine Podcast, I sit down with one of the most prolific, passionate, and respected music writers in the world: Martin Popoff.
Martin has written well over a hundred books about the music we love—hard rock, heavy metal, prog, and the many offshoots that have shaped our musical lives. But for all his wide-ranging interests, one band runs deeper into his personal story than almost any other: Deep Purple.
His new book, Seven Decades of Deep Purple, is his most ambitious project yet. At more than 640 pages, it’s a career-spanning exploration of every incarnation, every album, every lineup, and every detour of a band that has shaped the sound of rock music for over half a century.
This book is not just an update. It’s a complete re-imagining of two earlier Popoff titles — Gettin’ Tighter and A Castle Full of Rascals — expanded, refined, and elevated into what I believe may be the definitive Deep Purple book of our generation.
And in our conversation, what becomes clear is that this isn’t simply a reference guide. It’s a labour of love.
Re-Writing the Past With a New Voice
One of the early themes we touched on is Martin’s own sense of growth as a writer. This new book draws from material he first tackled decades ago, but now with the benefit of experience, confidence, and clarity.
He admits that those early books were written at a time when he “thought he knew everything”—long, winding sentences, occasional leaps in logic, and a writing voice still forming. Revisiting that material now, he was able to reshape it with what he describes as “clarity and joy.”
He’s also gained access to an enormous archive of new interviews—thousands of conversations, including many with Deep Purple members across nearly every era. The result is a book that lets the band speak for itself.
“I want the words of these great legends to be used and to be there forever,”
Martin says.
A Soul-Replenishing Project
This is how Martin describes writing this book—and that phrase struck me immediately.
What is it about Deep Purple that resonates so deeply for him?
For Martin, it’s the band’s ability to remain vital, curious, mature and forward-moving, even as the decades rolled on. He finds profound meaning in how Purple, unlike so many legacy acts, continued to evolve, experiment, and produce relevant, thoughtful music well into their later years.
He notes that the albums from Purpendicular onwards — often overlooked by casual fans — represent some of the band’s most mature and emotionally resonant work. In fact, he believes several of these later albums could plausibly be considered the best Deep Purple records, period.
This aligns with something I’ve long felt myself: that Purple’s so-called “golden era” didn’t stop in the 70s. It simply changed shape.
Age, Wisdom, and the Walk in Portugal
One of the most fascinating insights Martin brings up is the “walk in Portugal” — a moment he revisits several times in the book.
During this walk, Ian Gillan and Roger Glover discussed a new creative approach:
to write lyrics that reflected who they were at that age, rather than trying to recapture the testosterone-fuelled bravado of youth.
This shift — writing like grown-ups, embracing maturity instead of resisting it — rejuvenated the band and shaped some of their strongest later albums.
It’s an approach that other legacy bands could learn from. As Martin says:
“It should be sensible that we all get better at what we do over the years. Nobody says that about rock and roll — but Deep Purple absolutely prove that it can be true.”
The Spirit of Deep Purple
We spent time discussing what the “Deep Purple spirit” actually is. After all, this is a band with more lineup changes than almost any major rock act, with only Ian Paice present since day one.
Yet the essence remains.
Martin believes the spirit flows from two main sources:
The drumming of Ian Paice — evolving constantly, now more intricate and expressive than ever
The classical/jazz sensibility of Jon Lord, carried forward with personality and respect by Don Airey
And then there is Gillan — the worldview, the philosophical musings, the reflection on age, history, and humanity. The perspective only a lifetime can provide.
It’s a fascinating angle that gives Deep Purple a unique identity across eras.
On Visuals, Archives and Global Reach
Another remarkable part of this project is the photographic curation. Full-colour throughout, with an enormous archive of press ads, tour posters, magazine spreads and rare images woven into the story.
This isn’t just a text-heavy rock biography—it’s a visual time machine.
Martin explains that Purple’s global presence became more evident as he assembled the visuals:
“You get a sense of the worldliness of this band. Deep Purple and Iron Maiden — those are the two bands who will go anywhere.”
On Albums, Rediscoveries and Changing Tastes
One delightful moment: Martin admitting he’s fallen back in love with the much-debated Slaves and Masters. He describes it as “joyous, happy, casual” and finds himself revisiting it more often than expected.
He’s also refreshingly honest about the early Rod Evans albums — acknowledging their historical importance, but admitting the late-60s sound feels “old and clanky” to his ears.
Deep Purple fans will disagree passionately, as we always do — but this honesty is part of what makes Martin’s work enjoyable.
Improvisation, Musicianship and the Modern Purple
We also talk about:
Why Purple don’t stretch songs into 20-minute improvisations anymore
How Simon McBride has invigorated the band
Why Ian Gillan still sings with remarkable power
The emotional connection fans have developed with the band’s journey
Martin describes Simon as bringing “five years of life back into the band,” and says =1 (the latest album) represents a rebirth — even if he still thinks the album cover is “horrible,” which made us both laugh.
If This Were the End…
We finish with a poignant question:
If =1 were their final album, does it feel like the right ending?
Martin believes it would be a high note — especially given how strong the band still is live — but hopes (as we all do) that they have at least one more album left.
Having now lived with the PDF and spoken to Martin directly, I can say this with absolute confidence:
Seven Decades of Deep Purple is the most comprehensive, insightful, and emotionally resonant Deep Purple book ever written.
It’s the literary equivalent of one of those giant career-spanning box sets from Madfish — a collector’s treasure chest full of photographs, interviews, history and context. A book you’ll keep going back to as you rediscover each era of the band.
For anyone who loves Deep Purple, this is essential.
ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE SEVEN DECADES OF DEEP PURPLE HERE
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
