Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan has urged the band's legion of fans against buying the re-released recording of a 1993 concert.
Gillan alleges the recording of the Birmingham show, titled 'NEC 1993', was re-released by Sony/BMG without the band's knowledge. The album has since been withdrawn from sale. Gillan added that the performance was one of the worst in Deep Purple's history.The Birmingham show coincided with the band's final falling out with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who at the time was barely on speaking terms with the rest of the band.
The vocalist told BBC radio, "It [the performance] was one of the lowest points of my life - all of our lives, actually. In fact, it lasted five or six shows after that Birmingham show. Then Ritchie left the band. And we've had 13 years of stability ever since then."
A spokesperson for Sony/BMG said, "We've withdrawn that album and tried to find out how a member of the band was not aware of its release."
Explaining that the album was re-released around six weeks ago, the spokesperson added, "We are taking it off our sales platforms and trying to get back what there is out there. The CD has been out before in 1993, when it was sanctioned by the band."
