The Bananas tour unpeeled its way across Europe through November and December, with much success. The start, in Barcelona, seems distant now. We covered a lot of ground and spent many an hour on the tour bus. People, quite naturally, wonder what we do on it. Well, there are bunks, a small kitchen, TV and video, a back lounge and a front lounge, which is set up like a train carriage, with tables.
Long time no speak. This message is coming to you directly from the afraid nerve endings of my brain; guess I’ve been too long at the fair. Doctor, I’ve got a bad case of bananas. Yes , you are looking a little yellow….
The European festivals tour was short but in tents. Let me say that again – short but intense.
The next tour is on the horizon.
In the meantime, the spell at home has been great; enjoying being with my wife and family and doing all the good things – going to plays, movies, restaurants, seeing friends, paying bills, putting out the garbage, chasing used car parts, attending art classes, wondering why printers don’t work, listening to music, losing CDs, shopping, chopping, clearing my desk, losing things, checking email, going to the ballet, cooking, flying, writing songs, doing interviews, taking photographs, sorting bits, avoiding the lazy moments.
Snapshot continues to make steady progress. Here is the latest radio report from stations across North America. There doesn’t seem to be any pattern but we’re getting plays in some strange places as well as the more well known markets. Reaction has been very favourable so far. I am working on performing some gigs in a month or two – a lot depends on the availability of the players and also on the progress the record makes both in sales and on the radio.
Just letting you know, we’ve been let out of the studio. There may be other people there now but the place is deserted in Deep Purple terms.
It’s an odd business, this recording; you go through an intense period of writing the stuff, playing it over and over again, changing, improving, laughing and crying about it, getting it right – then in the studio, you play it once, more or less, and that’s that – it’s all over.