"Like many heavy metal rock bands with a big name and huge roster, the signature ‘70s rock band Deep Purple dealt with the standard drug overdoses, losses and a revolving door of band members in their three-plus decades of reigning in the music industry. Where Deep Purple is different from most bands, however, is in their gritty yet mainstream and catchy songs, which remain consistent through the many genres and changes the band has undergone in their musical history.The legend that is Deep Purple was created in Hertford, England in 1968. Band members Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Rod Evans (vocals), Nick Simper (bass), Jon Lord (keyboards) and Ian Pace (drums) were the original posse that jumpstarted the rock revolution for the band, first going by the name Roundabout. Though initially assembled as a session band for the ex-Searchers drummer Chris Curtis, the group realized their potential and split from Curtis, conducting a tour of Scandinavia before producing their first album, 1968's Shades of Deep Purple. Like most of the band's early work, the album was mostly pop-oriented, scoring big on the pop charts with the hit single ""Hush,"" which brought Deep Purple into the spotlight in America before their native England. A cover of the Neil Diamond song ""Kentucky Woman"" scored another Top 40 hit in the U.S., eventually raking in fame at home, as well.Steering away from pop into a more rock-oriented style, Deep Purple teamed up with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1970, creating a rock/classical fusion of music in the album Concerto for Group and Orchestra. The brilliant sound worked for the band, and 1970's Deep Purple in Rock drove them more toward rock than ever. ""Smoke on the Water"" was the final touch for Deep Purple, solidifying their rock star status in 1972, and although the band suffered through frequent changes in their lineup, they went on to release dozens more hit albums and songs, even reuniting in the 21st century to prove their invincibility."