Deep Purple - Mandrake Root (1968)

"Mandrake Root" is a song by Deep Purple that featured on their debut album Shades of Deep Purple.

Deep Purple recorded their first studio album in May 1968. Of the eight songs that were included, (an additional one, "Shadows", was cut as a demo but scrapped from the album), only four of them were written by the band itself. Additionally, one of these songs, "And the Address", is an instrumental. The studio version is just under six minutes long. Most full recordings of live arrangement exceed the twenty minute mark.

"Mandrake Root" was performed and recorded at the same time as their first instrumental - "And the Address" - and was actually intended to be an instrumental at first. Song is primarily a solo, and the lyrics weren't added until after rehearsals took place before the album-recording of "Shades of Deep Purple in May 1968". It was recorded on Sunday, May 12. The song features many sound effects, which were picked from the BBC Library.

Song has rather controversial writing history, thou it officially has credited to Rod Evans, Jon Lord, and Ritchie Blackmore, according to Jerry Bloom authorized biography of Ritchie Blackmore it was written by a guy called Bill Parkinson and named "Lost Soul". The song was conceived as a drum solo for Carlo Little (Rolling Stones original drummer), who like Blackmore had played with The Savages, the backing band for Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages. Simper said Blackmore learned the melody "note for note" from Little. Bill Parkinson was lead guitarist with the Savages Jul-Sep 1966, while Blackmore had played with Sutch May-Oct 1962, Feb-May 1965 and Dec 1966 - Apr 1967, so their paths had clearly crossed. As this song along with Hush pushed fledgeling band sky high it wasn't surprising that word about it got back to Parkinson who wasn't happy with regard "to what he saw as the rip off of Mandrake Root", and turned up on Simper's doorstep to complain. Parkinson threatened with court action to Simper, who at that time already left the band but agreed with some reluctance to testify for him, but "...I never saw Bill again. Apparently they paid him off with about £600."

Next to "Hush" and "Wring That Neck", "Mandrake Root" is one of the more popular songs by the band from the Mark I era.

The song has a slow, groovy rhythm, and is arguably the closest the band has come to funk until late 1973 and the introduction of Glenn Hughes, and his affection for this genre. The song would become an early concert staple for the band, with the keyboard and guitar solos extended at times for up to 15 minutes (one of the few Mk I era songs to be continuedly played by Mk II and sung by Ian Gillan) A similar instrumental would be paired in later years with the extended live versions of "Space Truckin'." In the version of "Space Truckin'" recorded for the 1972 live Made In Japan album, a riff from "Mandrake Root" can be plainly heard during the instrumental parts.

It is notably one of the few Mk I tracks that was a regular feature of Mk II's early setlist, as it provided a vehicle for lengthy organ and guitar solos from Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore respectively. It is also one of two Deep Purple songs that was written by the Mk I lineup, and later re-worked by Ian Gillan from Mk II. The other one is "Bird Has Flown", originally featured on the album Deep Purple III from 1969.

Ian Gillan would also perform the Mark I covers of"Kentucky Woman" and "Hush" on occasional live shows in 1969 and early 1970. Ian Gillan has later proved his tendency to deny performing songs that are written by Deep Purple during the periods the band had another vocalist than himself. "Wring That Neck", that was also written before Ian Gillan's time in the band, has also been played when he was the vocalist, but since the song is an instrumental, there is no input by Gillan.

For the guitar solo, Blackmore would frequently throw his guitar into the air, play it with his feet, or perform similar crowd pleasing tricks.

One of the guitar riffs in the vocal section of the song bears a resemblance to the Jimi Hendrix track "Foxy Lady".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• deep
• purple
• vinyl
• rod
• evans
• mark

[DCHurlford1]

One of the best songs the MK1 lineup did imo, that good the classic MK2 lineup kept it in their live set for a couple of years into the early 70's. Great to hear an old vinyl version (i have the cd). Sounds like a good setup you have.

Cheers for posting.

[GreenerHill]

Years ahead of its time.

[57250tr]

@baronsting 1968, it was the very 1st deep purple album

[baronsting]

Hey, what year did they release this album?