Artist: JON LORD
Album: GEMINI SUITE SPLATTER VINYL REISSUE (LP)

Release date: 2025
EAN/UPS: 4050538938296
Media type: LP

The Gemini Suite was first performed in September 1970 at the Royal Festival Hall and was recorded the following year at the Abbey Road and De Lane Lea studios as the first solo project of Jon Lord. It is a six piece classic-rock fusion work inspired by the members of Deep Purple and was recorded with the London Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Oscar winner Malcolm Arnold and is featuring the guest musicians Albert Lee, Yvonne Elliman, Tony Ashton as well as the two other Deep Purple member Ian Paice and Roger Glover. Now this assembly of music giants is being released completely remastered for vinyl.

After 1969's classical / rock Concerto for Group & Orchestra, Jon Lord was comissioned to write a follow-up. This was GEMINI SUITE, five movements inspired by the members of Deep Purple.

After just one live performance in 1970 (available on Purple Records) it was recorded as a solo project because Ian Gillan and Ritchie Blackmore didn't want to be involved further. The Gemini Suite album was issued in October 1971 with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Malcolm Arnold. To replace Gillan and Blackmore, Jon Lord asked other guests along.

Even in the seventies, when experiments like this were seen as a natural progression for many rock musicians (with Keith Emerson and ELP, Rock Wakeman of Yes and Procul Harum all developing their own pieces), Gemini Suite was still a long way from the music of Deep Purple. Challenging as it was it nevertheless can be seen as an important part of Jon Lord's classical career and brought further offers of work. This included WINDOWS in 1974 and SARABANDE in 1976. Today Lord is busier than ever in this area.

Stand-outs on the album are perhaps the vocal movement, arguably one of Jon's finest pieces of writing, and the final movement where the orchestra and musicians trade riffs with increasing rapidity which keeps the listener enthralled for over ten minutes.

Gemini Suite was also the very first album on the original Purple Records label. It has never been issued on CD in Britain, and only fleetingly available in Germany twenty years ago.

The remastering work has been meticulous, with the original 1971 quarter inch production masters located and used. This has been engineered by Nick Watson at his newly equipped mastering studio in London (Nick previously worked on a lot of Deep Purple related projects at SRT Studios in Cambridge).

An illustrated booklet with detailed notes accompanies the set. The gatefold illustration has been digitally restored, and even the original decorative typeface tracked down to use on the packaging.

LINE-UP:

1 - Guitar. Albert Lee (from Heads Hands & Feet).
2 - Piano. Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
3 - Drums. Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
4 - Vocals. Yvonne Elliman (fresh from her role on Jesus Christ Superstar) and Tony Ashton (from Ashton, Gardner & Dyke).
5 - Bass guitar. Roger Glover (Deep Purple)
6 - Organ. Jon Lord (Deep Purple)