Ian Gillan ‘Highway Star: A Journey In Rock’

UK Release Date: April 2nd 2007

UNIVERSAL MUSIC DVD TELLS THE FULL OFFICIAL

STORY OF THE VOICE BEHIND DEEP PURPLE…

It took just one Elvis movie to convince the teenage Gillan that he should give the whole ‘performing’ thing a go, and – with the exception of a short break after leaving Deep Purple for the first time – he simply hasn’t stopped since. Whatever the circumstances, whatever the continent, Ian has spent the past 40 years carving out his place as one of rock’s most influential & iconic singers.

And it’s this four-decade-long stint in the spotlight that is gloriously celebrated on ‘Highway Star…’ – a lavish two-disc DVD set officially documenting The Gillan Story from Ian’s early years as a singer on the West London scene right through to his rise to the top as The Definitive Voice Of Deep Purple – a role, of course, he continues to occupy to this day.

Released through Universal on April 2nd and containing over six hours of material, including exclusive in-depth interviews, specially filmed live footage plus a host of bonus features, ‘Highway Star…’ is a detailed, refreshingly candid look at the career of a man who has always been at his happiest (and most successful) when fronting a loud rock‘n’roll band.

Which isn’t to say he hasn’t made his mark in other areas; he is, after all, the first interpretive voice of Jesus on the original ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ OST, and he’s been known to share a stage with Pavarotti no less, but it’s in the world of hard rock (either with Purple, Black Sabbath or leading the Gillan Band into the charts) that Ian’s natural charisma, intelligent lyrics and groundbreaking vocal gymnastics have consistently set him apart – loved by the fans and respected by his peers.

Certainly, it’s no great surprise to see the likes of vocalist Ronnie James Dio, Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi or former Purple keyboard player Jon Lord speaking warmly to camera about Ian The Musician and Ian The Man, but it’s a measure of the Gillan reputation that these interviews can be juxtaposed with pieces from Sir Tim Rice, the late George Best (a Purple fan through & through) plus the aforementioned Pavarotti himself. There are also contributions from the Gillan family, not to mention the current members of Purple, with bassist Roger Glover providing some of the sleeve notes for the set, in addition to Ian’s entertaining foreword.

Gillan says: “The producers have done a brilliant job.”

In the course of ‘Highway Star…’, Ian mentions that, at the age of 60, the last thing he thought he’d be doing was preparing for a two year world tour. However, to those who know him best (and they’re all featured here), it’s clear that this comes as no surprise at all! The journey continues…

Also in April/May a selection of seven re-mastered Gillan and Ian Gillan Band re-issues will be released as well as a Deluxe Tour Edition of Gillan’s current album Gillan’s Inn. Deep Purple tour in the UK from 21st April.

‘Highway Star: A Journey In Rock’ is available in strictly limited edition hardback book format (06025 171 211-4 [0]), and thereafter in standard version amaray case (06025 172 049-6 [6]) from Universal Music DVD.

Specifications:

Audio: DTS 5.1 Surround Sound & Dolby 2.0 Stereo

Aspect Ratio: 16:9

Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian

Total running time: 380 minutes approx.