A month or so ago, Russ Williams was interviewing Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan about his new album “One Eye To Morocco”. During the conversation, Ian mentioned that he had always dreamed of making an acoustic album. This prompted Russ to ask whether any Deep Purple tracks could be stripped down and played on a 12-string guitar. After admitting that in his whole career he had never tackled any of his songs in this way, he appeared to have set himself a mental challenge even before the interview was over.

As he left the building, he turned to Russ and to me saying that he’d think about a way to do it.

For Ian and for us, the dream became a reality today as, for the first time since it was recorded in 1969, Deep Purple’s Black Night was performed acoustically in front of a small audience in the Absolute Radio Zoo. The delight as he listened back to it was evident for all to see and further sealed in his and our minds, that Absolute Radio really is the true home of live music.

For a sneak preview, two of the tracks will be available to view online at www.absoluteradio.co.uk from Friday the 9th of May. Then on the following Monday it’s Ian Gillan week on Absolute Classic Rock where you can hear the rest of the session, enjoy archive interviews from the great man and be in with a chance to win a signed Ian Gillan Fender Telecaster Guitar to round off the week.