DEEP PURPLE Has No Plans To Retire: 'We've Got A Bit To Go Yet,' Says IAN GILLAN

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Three years after launching what DEEP PURPLE considered to be an extended farewell tour dubbed "The Long Goodbye", singer Ian Gillan has told Cleveland.com in a new interview that he and his bandmates no longer have definitive plans to retire. "I think a few years ago there was some kind of effort from our business connections to sort of get an exit plan — we were all a bit under the weather, physically, so we decided on a goodbye tour," the 74-year-old rocker explained. "But the operative word is 'long,' so, yeah, very long. We've got a bit to go yet. I think things are gonna be on the shelf for awhile, but then I think we'll be back for a bit of fun." Two years ago, guitarist Steve Morse said that he personally saw "The Long Goodbye" as "a farewell tour. As for the other guys, I think they will still be playing, perhaps in other groups, special projects or as guests," he told Koztimes.com. "I also plan to stay in music, but not so actively as now. But you do realize that, when the music for so many years is the most important place in your life, [it's] impossible in one day to abandon it. In general, I know that the guys are not going to retire. They would rather die onstage than in bed." DEEP PURPLE will release its new album, "Whoosh!", on August 7 via earMUSIC. The LP was once again helmed by Canadian producer Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, ALICE COOPER), who also worked on the band's last two studio albums, 2017's "Infinite" and 2013's "Now What?!" "Whoosh!" will be available as limited CD+DVD mediabook (including the one-hour feature "Roger Glover And Bob Ezrin In Conversation" and, for the first time, the full live performance at Hellfest 2017 as video), 2LP+DVD edition, limited box set and digital.

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