Deep Purple - Long Beach 1976 (2016)
Deep Purple – Long Beach 1976 (2016)
Mark IV live at their experimental peak
Released in 2016, Long Beach 1976 is a live archival recording capturing Deep Purple’s Mark IV lineup—David Coverdale, Tommy Bolin, Jon Lord, Glenn Hughes, and Ian Paice—performing at the Long Beach Arena in California. This concert documents the band during a transitional and experimental phase, blending hard rock with funk, soul, and jazz-infused elements, highlighting Tommy Bolin’s improvisational guitar brilliance and Coverdale/Hughes’ dynamic vocals.
The performance reflects the evolution of Deep Purple beyond the Mk II classic hard rock sound, giving fans insight into a unique and often overlooked era.
🎧 Mini Album Review
Long Beach 1976 is dynamic, adventurous, and groove-driven, showcasing Mark IV’s distinctive live sound:
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Tommy Bolin brings a fusion-influenced style, adding new textures to familiar Deep Purple tracks.
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David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes deliver powerful dual vocals, blending soul, rock, and blues.
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Jon Lord adapts his keyboard work to Mk IV’s funkier material, demonstrating versatility and orchestral depth.
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Extended jams on songs like You Keep on Moving and Love Child highlight Mark IV’s improvisational approach.
Verdict:
An essential archival release for fans of the Mark IV era, highlighting a creative period of experimentation that contrasted sharply with earlier hard rock lineups.
🎶 Tracklist – Representative Highlights
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Burn
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Stormbringer
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You Keep on Moving
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Love Child
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Sail Away Rhapsody
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Mistreated
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Smoke on the Water
The setlist combines classic Deep Purple material with Mark IV-era songs, giving fans a full spectrum of the band’s evolution.
👥 Personnel – Mark IV Lineup
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David Coverdale – Vocals
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Tommy Bolin – Guitar
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Jon Lord – Keyboards
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Glenn Hughes – Bass, Vocals
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Ian Paice – Drums
This lineup captures a band experimenting with new styles while maintaining Deep Purple’s core energy, bridging classic hard rock with funk, blues, and fusion.
🎼 Performance Highlights
🔥 You Keep on Moving
A soulful, dynamic performance highlighting Coverdale and Hughes’ vocal interplay, enhanced by Bolin’s expressive guitar work.
🌊 Love Child
Demonstrates Mk IV’s funk and soul influences, with improvisational guitar and rhythm section grooves.
🎹 Sail Away Rhapsody
Jon Lord’s keyboards shine, blending orchestral textures with modern fusion tones.
⚡ Smoke on the Water
Even with Mark IV reinterpretation, the iconic riff delivers high-energy nostalgia, with Bolin adding fresh guitar improvisations.
🎸 Fun Facts & Trivia
🎤 Tommy Bolin’s brief tenure
Bolin joined Deep Purple in 1975, and the Long Beach 1976 concert is one of the few official live recordings capturing his short but impactful time with the band.
🎹 Jon Lord adapts
Lord’s ability to blend classical rock organ with funk and jazz influences shows his adaptability during Mk IV.
📀 Archival release
Previously available as bootlegs, this official 2016 release preserves the high-quality remastered sound.
🎸 Improvised jams
Extended sections on You Keep on Moving and Mistreated highlight the band’s willingness to experiment live, giving fans a unique experience.
🤔 Did You Know?
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This concert occurred during the final year of Mark IV, shortly before the band’s temporary disbandment in 1976.
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Glenn Hughes’ and Coverdale’s vocal styles heavily influenced hard rock and early heavy metal singers in subsequent decades.
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Ian Paice anchors the performance with precision drumming, adapting to both funk grooves and hard rock sections.
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Bolin’s improvisational solos on this tour foreshadowed his later solo career, blending jazz, rock, and fusion seamlessly.
🎼 Album Credits
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Recorded: 1976, Long Beach, California, USA
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Released: 2016
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Label: Eagle Rock / Purple Records
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Producer: Deep Purple archival team
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Format: CD, digital
🧠 Legacy & Final Thoughts
Long Beach 1976 is a rare window into Deep Purple’s Mark IV era, highlighting:
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The fusion of hard rock with funk, soul, and jazz influences
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Tommy Bolin’s innovative guitar work
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The vocal power of Coverdale and Hughes
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Jon Lord’s adaptability to experimental arrangements
For fans, this release is a unique document of a transitional period, showing that even outside the Mk II era, Deep Purple continued to push musical boundaries while maintaining their identity.
