Bananas (Deep Purple album)


Bananas is the seventeenth studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on 25 August 2003 by EMI Records and on 7 October 2003 by Sanctuary Records in the US. It is the first album to feature Don Airey on organ and keyboards, replacing founding member Jon Lord.

Overview

The album was recorded in Los Angeles during January and February 2003. It is also notable as being the first Ian Gillan-fronted Deep Purple album to make use of backing vocals other than Gillan's own with the song "Haunted" featuring Beth Hart. The album includes "Contact Lost", a short slow instrumental requiem for the Space Shuttle Columbia astronauts, written by guitarist Steve Morse when he heard the news of the crash.
The photo in the album cover was taken by the band's manager Bruce Payne.
Bananas charted well despite lack of media exposure, especially in Europe and South America.

Unreleased tracks

Since the Abandon album, Deep Purple performed three new songs onstage. "Long Time Gone" was debuted in the summer of 2000 but not included on Bananas. Another new song, "Up The Wall" was played on the 2002 UK tour and reworked into "I Got Your Number". The instrumental "Well Dressed Guitar" remained unreleased until the next album, 2005's Rapture of the Deep.

Personnel

Deep Purple
Additional musicians
Production