Mark 1 Lineup-
back: Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Nick Simper
front: Ian Paice, Rod Evans
On this day in 1969, Deep Purple played the Cardiff Top Rank Suite. It was the final show of their "Mark I" lineup, with their "Mark II" lineup following after, debuting live at The Speakeasy Club in London on 10th July, six days later.
Founding members Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore felt that Rod Evans, with his tender, smooth voice would not be able to cope with their louder, more aggressive material. Evans had also expressed reservations about his place in the band and voiced his wish to permanently move to the US. Tensions were also high with bassist Nick Simper, whose playing style was considered, in Paice's words, "stuck in the late '50s and early '60s" by the other band members and unfit for the new musical direction they wanted to pursue.
Singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover of the band Episode Six, who had formed a songwriting duo, were invited to join Deep Purple and replace Evans and Simper.
