DEEP PURPLE Guitarist Answers Fan Questions

DEEP PURPLE's official web site has been updated with a short question-and-answer session with the group's guitarist Steve Morse featuring questions submitted by the band's fans.

Q: If you could be the guitarist in a five-piece band made up of artists living or riding their sailplane to the pearly gates, who would the drummer, bassist, keys and vocalist be? (OK perhaps a rhythm guitar as well)

Steve: You know how tough these kind of questions are, since there are so many musicians that are talented enough to be in anyone's dream band. I have played with some of the best living musicians already, and have always appreciated that. It might be interesting to imagine a band of departed musicians with Keith Moon on drums, Barry Oakley (ALLMAN BROS.) on bass, J.S. Bach on Hammond organ, and Brad Delp on vocals.

Q: Since you joined DEEP PURPLE which tune contains your most difficult solo to play?

Steve: With the band, it's pretty easy to play on any of the tunes. But I imagine that the solo from "Cascades", or actually the arpeggiated parts were pretty technical. I still enjoyed doing them, though. Of the music that we currently do onstage, probably doing Ritchie's 16th note finale to the guitar solo on "Highway Star" requires the most concentration to really nail it.

Q: I noticed you wear a lot of Native American jewelry and shirts with Native American imagery. Do you have a Native American heritage?

Steve: I have a typically mixed American heritage, predominantly European. So I'm Caucasian. I have been spiritually aligned with the Native Americans ever since I read about the history of the USA. I have contributed to Native American causes that have to do with the government taking more of their land, still. Despite this colossal governmental injustice, I am a patriotic American. I also have collected indigenous, simple jewelry from other continents, believing that it helps to inspire me... that much effort and work working with raw materials to make something with visual impact… sort of the same way music inspires people. One of my prized material possessions is a totally hand made Native American rug given to me by a now departed Navaho lady that I was able to meet through some friends that were putting together a benefit concert for her. She raised the sheep, spun the yarn, dyed it with natural materials from the area, and wove the rug herself by hand. It reminds me to never think that something is too much trouble.