In 2018 Prog introduced the 50 largest keyboardists within the style’s historical past, planting Jon Lord at No. 10. Admitting he used to be “in all probability the peculiar guy out” since “Deep Pink have been unequivocally heavy rock,” we argued: “Lord’s early solo albums like Gemini Suite and Sarabande confirmed revolutionary tendencies. Similarly he used to be the person in the back of Concerto For Team And Orchestra, which is lovely darn prog too.”
We positioned Rick Wakeman at No. 2 – simply in the back of Keith Emerson – announcing: “The capes, the bold reside displays on ice at exceptional settings like Hampton Court docket… doesn’t do correct justice to a person who used to be by no means scared of taking large dangers,” and including: “Wakeman’s time with Sure helped outline prog as we are aware of it.”
In the similar characteristic Wakeman paid tribute to his nice good friend Lord, who died in 2012, expressing feel sorry about at by no means getting time to make the album they’d begun making plans in combination.
“Jon Lord is likely one of the largest keyboard avid gamers there has ever been. He’s no longer in reality thought to be a prog rock musician, however he did issues that no one else did. Whilst you have a look at early Deep Pink particularly, there used to be numerous prog in there – they have been breaking laws. Jon did issues that you just ‘shouldn’t’ do on within the context of a rock band. If that’s no longer revolutionary, I don’t know what’s.
I purchased Sun shades Of Deep Pink, the first actual album by way of the unique Deep Pink line-up, again when it got here out. What I in reality cherished about that album used to be that they did a model of The Beatles’ Assist! on there, the place Jon did superb issues at the Hammond and Leslie. I believed, ‘I really like this man,’ so I at all times stored a watch on what he used to be doing.
Like Keith Emerson, Jon had such had such an identifiable sound – one who no one else may play. He labored laborious on his Hammond to get new noises out of it. And the one manner to do this used to be to repeatedly experiment.
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He can have been no matter he sought after to be. He cherished enjoying in a rock band, and he had a wonderful really feel for solos – concentrate to a track like Velocity King. However he additionally had a classical edge to him. Ian Paice, the drummer from Deep Pink, as soon as informed me that no person else within the band knew what used to be happening with the Concerto For Team And Orchestra factor they did, as it used to be all in Jon’s head.
At one Deep Pink gig, he offered the remainder of the band, after which he offered himself: ‘I’m Rick Emerson!’
I first met Jon very in short within the 70s and the times of the Melody Maker ballot awards, however our bands have been at all times at the highway or within the studio elsewhere so we by no means in reality were given a possibility to speak. Then about seven or 8 years in the past, I used to be spherical at Ian’s space and Jon used to be there – they have been married to twins, Jacky and Vicky.
The women have been speaking and Ian used to be off doing one thing else, and Jon and I stopped up having a chit-chat about what we would have liked to do. 5 hours later, it’s 3 within the morning and we’re nonetheless speaking. Ian popped his head in and mentioned, ‘I didn’t need to disturb you, since you appeared so engrossed.’ We changed into nice buddies after that.
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I simplest were given to play with him onstage as soon as, which used to be on the Sunflower Jam charity gig on the Albert Corridor in 2011. Vicky, who organised it, mentioned, ‘You two can do one thing in combination’ – and also you simply don’t argue along with her. We met up in a practice session room a couple of days sooner than the live performance and began to take into consideration what we have been going to do.
We determined he’d maintain the organ and piano and I’d maintain the synth aspect of items. Jon had this intro piece, which I cherished, and I had this different piece, and we constructed it from there. After 4 or 5 hours, we had this factor that we knew in reality labored. My keyboard tech informed me it used to be essentially the most magical second of his existence.
That ended in the speculation folks doing an album of totally new subject matter in combination. We have been desirous about it. It were given to the purpose the place we’d organized to take a seat down in a few weeks to correctly paintings all of it out, when he referred to as me. ‘Glance, I’ve been to the docs and so they’ve informed me I’ve were given pancreatic most cancers. I think just right, however do you thoughts if we put issues on dangle till we get this taken care of out?’ And naturally, unfortunately that by no means took place.
Jon used to be a real gentleman, and he had a depraved sense of humour. At one Deep Pink gig, he offered the remainder of the band, after which he offered himself: ‘I’m Rick Emerson!’ I believe one of the crucial toughest choices he made used to be leaving Pink. I requested him about it and he mentioned, ‘I needed to depart as a result of there are such a large amount of issues I need to do.’ I knew what he intended. It used to be the similar for me in Sure.”
He used to be the one that impressed me to remake Adventure To The Centre Of The Earth – he as soon as informed me that he didn’t need to depart in the back of one thing that wasn’t what he sought after it to be, and that used to be what took place with that album for me firstly.
When I used to be riding again from his memorial, that’s after I made the verdict to redo it and installed all of the bits I needed to miss. I informed my spouse, and he or she mentioned: ‘Why do you need to do it?’ And I mentioned, ‘As a result of Jon Lord used to be completely proper when he mentioned that.’ And that’s why there’s a willpower to him on that album.”
