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Roger Glover

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Roger Glover
Glover performing with Deep Purple in 2017
Glover performing with Deep Purple in 2017
Background information
Birth nameRoger David Glover
Born (1945-11-30) 30 November 1945 (age 79)
Brecon, Wales
GenresHard rock, heavy metal, pop rock, blues rock, progressive rock
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instruments
Years active1962–present
Member ofDeep Purple
Formerly of
WebsiteOfficial site

Roger David Glover (born 30 November 1945) is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as a member of the hard rock bands Deep Purple and Rainbow.[1][2] As a member of Deep Purple, Glover was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2016.[3]

Early life

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Born near Brecon, Wales, Glover moved with his family to the South Kensington area of London at the age of nine.[4] His family owned a pub.[5] Around that time his interests started to shift towards rock music, and by the time he was thirteen Glover began playing guitar.[6]

Career

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Early career

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He later moved to the North London district of Pinner, and while at Harrow County School for Boys he formed his first band, Madisons, with a group of friends; in time this merged with a rival band to become Episode Six, a band which later featured Glover's future Deep Purple bandmate, vocalist Ian Gillan.[6][7] The two left Episode Six in 1969 to join Deep Purple.[8]

Deep Purple and solo

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Deep Purple, Roger Glover 1970

Glover spent four years (1969–1973) with Deep Purple, during which the band saw their most successful releases in the albums Deep Purple in Rock, Fireball, Machine Head, Who Do We Think We Are and the live album Made in Japan.

Glover was a prominent songwriter for the band, most notably co-writing with the rest of the group, "Highway Star".[9]

He is credited with developing the title for the band's iconic song "Smoke on the Water", thus inspiring the song's lyrics which were written by Ian Gillan. Glover says the title came to him when he awoke from a dream two days after the famous fire over Lake Geneva. While he liked the title, he was reluctant to have the band use it because he initially thought it sounded like a drug song.[10] Glover also developed the guitar riff to "Maybe I'm a Leo", stating, "I wrote the riff to 'Maybe I'm a Leo' after hearing John Lennon's 'How Do You Sleep?'."[11]

Glover contributed bass on Jon Lord's first solo album, Gemini Suite (1971), and was the featured soloist in the bass movement.[12] Glover departed Deep Purple, along with Gillan, after the band's second tour of Japan in the summer of 1973.[4]

In 1974 Glover released his first solo album, The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast, which generated the single "Love Is All", featuring lead vocals by Ronnie James Dio. The single did little in the UK, but became an unexpected number one hit song in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Australia. The song came with an animated music video starring a guitar-playing frog. [13] In 1978 Glover's second album followed: Elements. When Deep Purple reformed in April 1984, Glover returned to his old band where he has remained for the last four decades.[14] He has since produced four of their albums.[15]

Glover worked as a producer, producing albums for Elf, Rupert Hine, Nazareth, Hardin & York, The Spencer Davis Group, Dan McCafferty, Ian Gillan Band, Strapps, Rory Gallagher, The Young & Moody Band, Judas Priest, Eddie Hardin, Barbie Benton, David Coverdale, Grand Theft, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Deep Purple, and Pretty Maids.[15]

Painting and photography

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On 22 October 2010 Roger Glover's artwork exhibition called Happy Silence opened at the K-8 e.V. Galerie in Cologne.[16] Previously Glover has let many of his pictures be auctioned in other galleries for charitable purposes, but this was the first large-scale presentation of his work. The proceeds were donated to three different charity organisations (KiK Krebsberatung in Köln, Gulliver Überlebensstation für Obdachlose, Ambulanter Kinderhospizdienst Köln).[17]

Gear

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Glover performing live with Deep Purple in 2013.

Roger Glover played Fender Precision, Fender Mustang and Rickenbacker 4001 basses during his early years with Deep Purple. In late 1970s, he used a Gibson Thunderbird. In the mid-1980s Roger used Peavey Foundation with a neck from Peavey Fury Bass. Since the mid-1990s, he has used Vigier Bass Guitars, SWR heads and cabinets, and Picato and Ernie Ball strings.[18]

Personal life

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Glover has been married twice and has three daughters. The eldest, musician Gillian Glover (born 1976), is from his first marriage. He currently lives in Switzerland with his partner and their two daughters.[19]

Discography

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Main articles: Deep Purple discography and Rainbow discography

References

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  1. ^ Turkey: Deep Purple Performs in Istanbul Archived 30 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Balkan Travellers
  2. ^ "Purple haze". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  3. ^ "Deep Purple". Rock Hall Library and Archive. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Roger Glover". Deep Purple Appreciation Society. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Roger Glover Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor..." AllMusic. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Episode Six". Deep Purple Appreciation Society. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  7. ^ Thompson 2004, p. 65.
  8. ^ Thompson 2004, p. 69.
  9. ^ "Roger Glover (writing credits)". www.mlinusson.com. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  10. ^ "Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple (Songfacts)". songfacts.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  11. ^ "Bass player's question time". Roger Glover official site. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  12. ^ Thompson 2004, pp. 102–103.
  13. ^ "Alan Aldridge". Lambiek.net. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  14. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 392. CN 5585.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "Deep Purple - Roger Glover : Producer". www.thehighwaystar.com. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  16. ^ "The Highway Star — Roger Glover's exhibition: "Happy Silence"". Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  17. ^ "Deep Purple - Art and History - Roger Glover (UK)". www.deeppurple-artandhistory.com (in German). Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  18. ^ "Guitar Magazine, October, 2003". Archived from the original on 12 August 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  19. ^ Perry, Shawn. "The Roger Glover Interview". Vintage Rock. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2015.

Other pages

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roger Glover.
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