Deep Purple have shared Portable Door – the lead single from upcoming album =1, and the band’s first single to feature their new electric guitar player, Simon McBride.
McBride was first appointed as a stand-in guitar player back in March 2022, after Steve Morse announced a temporary hiatus due to personal reasons. In September that year, the blues rock ace was appointed on a full-time basis.
More than a year after the recruitment, Deep Purple have shared their first studio cut to feature McBride, who is eased into the song by way of a galloping riff that pins up the near four-minute effort.
That riff is expanded through a series of tight box-breaking turnarounds, before McBride throws his first official original Deep Purple guitar solo into the mix.
Though McBride has already played to Deep Purple crowds totalling more than a half-a-million people, Portable Door represents another milestone for the PRS player, whose contributions to the classic rock institution’s storied repertoire have now been eternalized in record form.
McBride spoke to Guitar World back in 2022 following his initial call-up, and discussed the challenges he faced going into the role – one of which was the “creative” nature of the solos he’d be covering.
“There are some solos that aren’t just standard solos; they’re more like creative pieces, so I’ll have to learn them exactly and remember,” he reflected. “I’ve spent the last few weeks working on all of the stuff, taking it all into my brain.
“Whatever gig I’m doing, I always try to include a bit of myself where it works and also stick to the original solos as a mark of respect.
“I guess you could just say it’s all challenging, from timing to feel, there are all sorts of things coming together to make Deep Purple sound like Deep Purple. I have to try and get onboard with that and bring the same sort of energy that Steve would.”
McBride has clearly brought some of that famed energy to his own solo writing, marking his Deep Purple debut with a part that blends the best of his blues rock chops with an unmistakable Deep Purple sound.
Portable Door previews Deep Purple’s upcoming studio album, = 1. The album follows 2020’s Whoosh!, and will be released July 19. For the record, McBride will be joined by his new bandmates: Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Don Airey and Ian Paice. Bob Ezrin was enlisted to produce.
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