“Awful” Deep Purple Album Shelved

Sony BMG has pulled the Deep Purple live CD, NEC 1993, from store shelves after singer Ian Gillan complained that the record had been released without his knowledge.

Gillan told the BBC that tensions within the band had led to an “awful” performance when the band recorded the live CD in the English city of Birmingham in 1993. “It was one of the lowest points in my life—all of our lives, actually,” he said. Gillan also states that he and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore were barely on speaking terms at that time.

A label spokesperson said, “We’ve withdrawn that album and tried to find out how a member of the band was not aware of its release.”