Deep Purple - Days May Come and Days May Go (Compilation Album) (2000)
Deep Purple – Days May Come and Days May Go (Compilation, 2000)
Rare 1975 California rehearsal tapes from Deep Purple’s Mk IV era
Released in 2000, Days May Come and Days May Go is a fascinating archival compilation from the English hard-rock icons Deep Purple. Rather than being a conventional “greatest hits” or a fully polished live album, this release offers listeners a rare window into the band’s creative process — capturing lengthy improvised jams and studio rehearsal material recorded in June 1975 just after guitarist Tommy Bolin joined the lineup now known as Mark IV.
The result is a compelling document of Deep Purple in a raw, unfiltered state: experimenting, jamming, and shaping ideas that would later form part of the Come Taste the Band era. Unlike typical albums meant for radio play, this compilation is a treat for fans, collectors, and anyone curious about how one of rock’s most influential bands evolved during a moment of lineup change.
🎧 Background & Context
By mid-1975, Deep Purple had undergone a seismic shift. Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore had departed, and Tommy Bolin — a gifted young guitarist with roots in jazz, funk, and rock — stepped in. With this new energy, the band entered the Robert Simon’s Pirate Sound studios in California, laying down rough takes, extended jams, and embryonic ideas.
The recordings on Days May Come and Days May Go showcase these sessions: long, sometimes loose musical explorations that wouldn’t necessarily become final album tracks, but which form a unique snapshot of Deep Purple’s creative laboratory at that time. Some of this material gestated into ideas for Come Taste the Band (released later in 1975), Deep Purple’s first album featuring Bolin.
Originally issued as a single CD in March 2000, the album was backed by Purple Records in the UK and Europe (with Victor handling Japanese distribution). It was later accompanied by a mail-order companion release, 1420 Beachwood Drive: The California Rehearsals Pt 2, featuring additional rehearsal jams from the same sessions.
📜 Tracklist (Standard 2000 Edition)
Days May Come and Days May Go: The California Rehearsals, June 1975 – Disc 1
Owed to “G” (Instrumental) – 3:31
If You Love Me Woman (Jam) – 10:06
The Orange Juice Song – 3:33
I Got Nothing for You (Jam) – 12:52
Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell) – 5:55
Dance to the Rock & Roll (Jam) – 11:01
Drifter (Rehearsal Sequence) – 3:28
Drifter (Version 1) – 4:02
The Last of the Long Jams (Jam) – 9:04
Untitled Song (impromptu I Got You Babe snippet) – 1:05
Many of these tracks bear exploratory names like “The Orange Juice Song” or “The Last of the Long Jams” — titles often assigned retrospectively by archivists or collectors rather than the band itself.
A companion piece, 1420 Beachwood Drive: The California Rehearsals Pt 2, released around the same time via mail order, includes additional studio exploration such as alternate takes and early riffs.
🎤 Mini Review – Sound & Style
This compilation isn’t a traditional Deep Purple album — it’s a window into the band’s workshop rather than a finished product. For hardcore fans and music historians, that makes it a rewarding listen: you hear the group grappling with new ideas and styles, with Bolin’s distinctive guitar textures contrasting against David Coverdale’s soulful vocals and Glenn Hughes’ dynamic bass and harmonies.
The feel of many tracks is loose, jam-oriented, and free-form — quite different from the tight structure of studio albums or live staples like Machine Head. In tracks such as “If You Love Me Woman” and “Dance to the Rock & Roll,” extended jams explore blues, funk, and rock fusion directions. These improvisational tangents give insight into how Come Taste the Band would find its voice later.
However, because this music was never intended for public release in this form, the audio is rough around the edges — sometimes unpolished and raw. That quality is part of its charm for collectors, but it can feel challenging for casual listeners or those expecting a conventional album.
🎸 Personnel & Credits
Deep Purple (Mk IV Line-Up):
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Tommy Bolin – Guitar, Vocals
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David Coverdale – Lead Vocals
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Glenn Hughes – Bass, Vocals
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Jon Lord – Keyboards, Organ
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Ian Paice – Drums, Percussion
Production:
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Compiled and produced by Deep Purple & Martin Birch
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Rehearsals recorded at Pirate Sound Studios, California (June 1975)
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Sound-desk recordings and restoration handled by studio engineers and archival teams
🧠 Fun Facts & Trivia
🎸 Transitional Era Recording: The sessions captured on this album took place shortly after Tommy Bolin joined the band — marking a bold stylistic departure from the Blackmore era and pushing Deep Purple into funkier, more experimental spaces.
🎶 Early Come Taste the Band Seeds: Several ideas and riffs in these rehearsals foreshadow what would become Come Taste the Band, Deep Purple’s first album with Bolin and the only full studio record by the Mk IV lineup.
📼 Collector’s Item: The companion release 1420 Beachwood Drive was originally available only by mail order, making these recordings prized among dedicated Purple collectors.
📀 Rare Archive Release: Because these tapes weren’t standard studio multitracks, much of the material remained unheard by the public until this 2000 release — making it a notable “deep cut” in the Deep Purple catalog.
🧩 Did You Know?
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Not just rehearsals: While many tracks are labeled as jams or rehearsal sequences, some contain fully fleshed ideas that show just how collaborative and exploratory the band’s creative process was during 1975.
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Unofficial feel: Because this material was originally recorded for the band’s internal use rather than a commercial release, the titles and structures often differ from polished Deep Purple songs.
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Popularity among collectors: Despite mixed reviews from casual listeners, many Deep Purple fans appreciate this compilation for the unique glimpse it offers into the band’s evolution during a pivotal lineup change.
📌 Summary
Days May Come and Days May Go is not your typical Deep Purple album. It’s a historical document — a raw, revealing collection of rehearsals and jams from a time when the band was finding its feet with a new guitarist and exploring fresh musical terrain. While this archival compilation may not appeal to casual listeners expecting classic Deep Purple hits, it’s a must-listen for dedicated fans, archivists, and anyone interested in the creative process of one of rock’s most influential groups.
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