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Aside from a mention by Ian Gillan on Irish radio in February 2002, Jon Lord's departure was not officially announced until March, when Deep Purple were to begin a tour of Russia. Jon was given a fitting send-off however, invited back in September to share the keyboard duties on the rescheduled UK Tour. Jon's participation wasn't announced in the pre-tour publicity (though this site gave fans a strong hint). Don did the first half of the shows, the lights went down and Jon was there for the opening chords of 'Perfect Strangers'. The final show in Ipswich was as emotional an event as any in the band's long career.
The intense touring schedule which ultimately had lead to Lord's departure did not change, nor really did the set list, which still relied heavily on Mk 2 material, although the performances were if anything becoming steadily sharper and harder. The band did at last return to the studios, and recorded their first new album in five years. 'Bananas' appeared in August 2003 (on CD and vinyl) to virtually no fanfare in the UK, and slipped out in the US soon after. In most other territories however it was a much stronger seller than 'Abandon'. The album included some of the very best recordings of the post 1984 era. Outside producer Michael Bradford helped write some of the strongest tracks on the album, but managed to keep the band's unique sound intact, aided by Airey's ability to integrate his Hammond style. The Bananas tour lasted through into 2005, delighting huge audiences worldwide. One highlight of their 2005 American tour was a very well received performance at the Live8 show in Barrie, Canada. Two months later tracks from the upcoming 'Rapture Of The Deep' album were being performed in the live show, and new tour dates were being announced for 2006. The album sold well in many parts of the world, but failed to make any impact in the UK and USA. Even so, the band remain a sizeable concert draw in the UK. The story continues... .... Deep Purple Mk8 Discography ....
.... Deep Purple Mk8 On DVD ....
.... Deep Purple Mk8, Further Reading ....
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