It was July 1968. While most of the world was obsessed with the Summer of Love's lingering psychedelic fumes, a group of virtuosic British musicians released an album that basically paved the road for heavy metal. That album was Shades of Deep Purple. If you’ve ever hunted for a Deep Purple Shades of Deep Purple CD, you know it’s more than just a piece of plastic. It is a historical document. It’s the sound of the "Mark I" lineup—Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Rod Evans, and Nick Simper—trying to figure out if they wanted to be a pop group, a progressive rock outfit, or a volume-heavy powerhouse. They ended up being all three at once.
Honestly, the record is a bit of a trip. You have these massive, sprawling arrangements of cover songs mixed with original compositions that sound like they were recorded in a whirlwind. Because they were. The band tracked the whole thing in just about three days at Pye Studios in London.
The Sound of 1968 Captured on Digital
Buying a Deep Purple Shades of Deep Purple CD today is a very different experience than it was back in the late 80s when the first digital transfers hit the shelves. The early pressings were, frankly, a bit thin. They lacked the "thump" that Ian Paice’s drumming demanded. However, if you track down the 2000s remasters or the more recent mono/stereo expansions, the clarity is startling. You can hear the grit in Rod Evans' voice—a singer who often gets overshadowed by the banshee screams of Ian Gillan, but who possessed a smooth, soulful baritone that gave this era of the band a distinct, almost "mod" flavor.
"Hush" is the big one, obviously. It’s the track that broke them in America before they even had a foothold in the UK. On a high-quality CD version, that opening wolf howl and the driving Hammond B3 organ riff by Jon Lord feel like they’re in the room with you.
But it’s not just the hits.
Take "Mandrake Root." This is where the DNA of the "Highway Star" era Deep Purple really lives. It’s an instrumental-heavy jam that allows Ritchie Blackmore to show off his early influences—a mix of Chet Atkins-style precision and the feedback-heavy chaos of Jimi Hendrix. On the Deep Purple Shades of Deep Purple CD reissues, specifically the ones that include bonus tracks, you get to hear the evolution of this song. It grew from a tight studio track into a twenty-minute live behemoth that defined their stage show for years.
Why the CD Format Still Wins for Audiophiles
Streaming is convenient, sure. But there is something about the physical Deep Purple Shades of Deep Purple CD that matters for collectors. First, there’s the artwork. That iconic psychedelic cover with the swirling colors and the band members looking appropriately "of the era" looks better in your hand than on a phone screen. Then there are the liner notes. Most modern CD reissues of this album come with extensive booklets detailing the band's formation. You learn about the "Roundabout" concept—the original idea for the band where members would move in and out like a revolving door.
Thank god they scrapped that.
- Mono vs. Stereo: Most fans don't realize that the original 1968 release had distinct mono and stereo mixes. The mono mix is punchier. It hits harder. Some CD editions include both, allowing you to compare how the songs were consumed on 1960s AM radio versus the "hi-fi" setups of the time.
- The Bonus Tracks: You get the outtakes. You get the "Help!" cover that is slowed down to a funeral crawl, turning a Beatles pop song into a proto-doom masterpiece.
- Dynamic Range: Unlike many modern "loudness war" remasters, the better CD pressings of Shades preserve the peaks and valleys of the performance.
The album is a weird mix of styles. You’ve got "I’m So Glad" (the Skip James cover popularized by Cream) and "Hey Joe." It’s a band trying on different hats to see which one fits. While the "Mark II" lineup with Gillan and Glover is the one that became legendary, the Deep Purple Shades of Deep Purple CD captures a moment of pure, unrefined potential. It’s more experimental than Machine Head. It’s more "Sixties" than In Rock.
Finding the Best Version
If you’re looking to add this to your collection, don’t just grab the first one you see. The 2014 Parlophone/Warner remasters are generally considered the gold standard for the Mark I era. They handled the master tapes with respect. They didn't crank the volume so high that the audio clips. Instead, they brought out the warmth of the tubes and the resonance of Jon Lord’s Leslie speaker.
Another thing to look for is the Japanese SHM-CD (Super High Material CD). These are pricey imports, but for the hardcore audiophile, they offer a bit more transparency in the high end. You'll hear the shimmer of Paice’s cymbals with a lot more air around them.
The Deep Purple Shades of Deep Purple CD is a must-own because it debunks the myth that the band only became "heavy" later on. Listen to the riff in "And the Address." That’s heavy. Listen to the way Blackmore attacks the solo in "One More Rainy Day." It’s aggressive, even for 1968.
Practical Steps for Collectors
If you're ready to hunt down a copy, keep these specific things in mind.
- Check the Tracklist: Make sure the version you buy includes "Shadows," an outtake from the original sessions that finally surfaced on later CD editions. It’s a moody, atmospheric track that shows a different side of the band.
- Verify the Label: Look for the Spitfire or Tetragrammaton (reissue) logos if you want the historical US label feel, but stick to EMI or Parlophone for the best sound quality.
- Inspect the Mastering Credits: If you see the name Peter Mew or similar reputable engineers, you’re usually in good hands.
- Listen for the "Hush" Intro: On some poor-quality budget reissues, the beginning of "Hush" is slightly clipped or faded in. A proper version starts with that sharp, clean drum hit and the howling.
Don't settle for a generic "best of" compilation. The flow of Shades of Deep Purple is intentional. It moves from the high-energy "And the Address" through the pop sensibilities of "Hush" and into the progressive weirdness of the second half. It’s a journey.
Go find a copy. Put it in a real player. Crank the volume until the neighbors complain about the organ solo. That’s how this music was meant to be heard.
Actionable Insights for Your Collection
- Prioritize the 40th Anniversary or later remasters to ensure you get the mono mixes and session outtakes that provide the full context of the 1968 sessions.
- Compare the "Help!" cover on this album to the Beatles original to see how Deep Purple was already pioneering the "heavy" reimagining of pop hits, a trope that would define much of late 60s rock.
- Check Discogs or specialized retailers for the European pressings, which often avoided the "no-noise" processing that plagued some of the mid-90s American CD releases.