Justin’s Japan: Deep Purple Guitarist Steve Morse Weighs in on the Japan Catastrophe
Interview/Profile, Justin's Japan, Music 
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Steve Morse, far right, with his Deep Purple bandmates. (Ellenwood Artist Group)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Throughout its career, Deep Purple–who formed in England in 1968 and released their debut album that year–has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Revered in Japan, their iconic rock hits include “Smoke on the Water,” “Highway Star,” and “Woman from Tokyo.” After a four-year hiatus from American shores, the band’s upcoming tour, called Deep Purple: The Songs That Built Rock, finds them returning with a symphony orchestra.
In this exclusive interview, I spoke with Steve Morse, the group’s guitarist since 1994, about the tour, and his thoughts on the cataclysmic events happening in Japan.
Regarding the recent catastrophe in Japan, is the band planning to do any special shows or benefits at this point?
No, we haven’t gotten anything that we’re privy to at the moment. I think the thing in Japan is, they sort of differ from a Third World country that just totally doesn’t know what to do. The people of Japan are so incredibly organized and capable, I don’t know how anybody can help them that isn’t right there. They need all kinds of support. The logistics of getting what they need to them is obviously the problem—it’s not being able to afford it, as far as what I’ve seen. And don’t forget that at this time I’ve got a limited view, because I’m working all the time [Morse was touring with the band in Eastern Europe during this interview], and I can’t just turn on the TV and get anything set to a certain very narrow international news station.
So from my point of view, it looks like they need more logistical support than moral support to raise more money for food or anything. I could be wrong, but it looks like they’ve got that part covered, and the government is willing to do whatever it takes to get the people back on their feet and working again. But they’re handling some really amazing problems right now, and one last thing that I get from that is how incredibly dignified they are in such a time of stress.
Of course Deep Purple has a long relationship with Japan and its people, making live albums recorded there something special long before bands like Cheap Trick came along. What’s it like when you go over there as a member of the group?
Deep Purple has very old acquaintances, like promoter Mr. Udo, and everybody knows people there, so it’s a friendly, familiar place. And like I said, it’s so organized and dignified, it’s just wonderful. It’s wonderful to see a guy driving a cab that’s spotless, with white gloves on, and that’s any cab you get into.
The trains, they come exactly on time, they leave exactly on time, and they go really fast. So a lot of times we just ride the trains, because it’s the best way to go. And when you’ve got mass transit that’s that organized, even in an earthquake zone, it’s still the way to go. It beats traffic, you know? And whenever we get mass transit that’s that organized and that cool and that fast and that reliable, I think then America could really cut down on one person per Suburban, you know? (Laughs.)
Is there any place that you haven’t played yet that you’re looking forward to?
Oh, yeah. I’d like to see—and this is not a joke—Antarctica. Because I’m fascinated with technology and how people cope with things. Since I’m a member of Deep Purple, and have played outside in the snow on top of a mountain, in a desert (laughs) and in a monsoon in Korea, I think, outside, getting drenched, it seems like if we can play anywhere, we might as well go to the most extreme gig possible, and that would be Antarctica. Maybe even the North Pole, I don’t know. But there’s some parts of Africa that we haven’t been to, and that would be interesting, especially if they were able to accommodate all the power and logistics for the band. The adventure never stops.
Read the rest of the interview here.
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