On November 3, Nick Simper turns 81. The British bassist was part of the original lineup of Deep Purple — the band that would later become one of the pioneers of hard rock.
Nicholas John Simper was born in 1945 in Norwood Green, Southall, in the then county of Middlesex. His professional career began even before Deep Purple, with appearances in The Renegades, The Delta Five, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates and The Flower Pot Men. It was through the latter group that he became close to keyboardist Jon Lord.
Deep Purple's early years
In 1968, Lord and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore assembled the lineup that initially went by the name Roundabout. It also included drummer Ian Paice and vocalist Rod Evans. Simper was the band's bassist and one of the musicians who laid the foundations of Deep Purple.
He played on the recordings of the band's first three albums. Songs from this period include “Hush,” “Help!” and “Kentucky Woman,” while “Hush” became a major success for Deep Purple in the United States. The early lineup blended psychedelic rock, blues and classical influences that would later be developed into the band's heavier sound.
Leaving and a new beginning
In 1969, Simper and Rod Evans left Deep Purple. They were replaced by bassist Roger Glover and vocalist Ian Gillan — a change that ushered in the lineup that recorded some of the most recognizable albums in the band's history.
After parting ways with Deep Purple, Simper founded Warhorse in 1970. He later formed Nick Simper’s Fandango and continued working with other rock bands. In an interview with DMME, he takes the fact that audiences most often associate him with his first band in stride:
“I’m very happy that I’ve worked with great bands, but people naturally remember me for Deep Purple because that was the biggest commercial success. I’m not offended — in a musical career, it’s important to be remembered at all.”
Although he was part of Deep Purple for a relatively short period, Simper remains connected to its beginnings. In 2016, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the contribution of its early lineup is part of the history that led to that recognition.
Sources: allmusic.com, dmme.net, rockhall.com