The Deep Purple Albums Ritchie Blackmore Regrets”
Before Deep Purple roared into rock history with the monumental power of “Smoke on the Water,” the band’s earliest albums were a different beast entirely—experiments that guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has since viewed with a mix of nostalgia and reluctance.
Though these records helped lay the groundwork for the band’s eventual success, Blackmore has openly expressed regret over some of the group’s earliest efforts, particularly their first three albums: Shades of Deep Purple (1968), The Book of Taliesyn (1968), and Deep Purple (1969).
At the time, Deep Purple was still searching for its identity.
Their blend of psychedelic rock, classical influences, and pop covers drew comparisons to bands like The Nice and Vanilla Fudge. But in retrospect, Blackmore felt these records lacked the raw energy and heaviness that later defined the band.
In interviews, Blackmore has criticized the early reliance on cover songs like The Beatles’ “Help!” and Neil Diamond’s “Kentucky Woman,” feeling they diluted the band’s true potential.
Despite the technical skill present, he believed Deep Purple had not yet found their “real sound.”
It wasn’t until the band transitioned into its legendary Mark II lineup—with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover—that they began embracing a harder, more defined rock direction that culminated in classics like In Rock and Machine Head.
While fans of psychedelic and progressive rock still celebrate the early albums for their creativity and ambition, Blackmore’s own feelings highlight a common struggle for many bands:
the search for sonic identity. Those early years may not have aged perfectly in Blackmore’s mind, but they were crucial stepping stones toward Deep Purple’s hard rock legacy.
In the end, even the albums we
