IAN GILLAN BAND.

Description

September 1977 Japanese concert tour program 

Large original vintage concert program lavishly produced for English progressive jazz-rock group Ian Gillan Band’s September 1977 Japanese tour, presented by Udo Artists, Inc. The 6-date tour commenced with two consecutive shows at the Welfare Pension Hall in Osaka on 12th & 13th September, and ended at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on 22nd September, 1977. It was the first time vocalist Ian Gillan returned to Japan since his monumental 1972 tour with Deep Purple, which produced the iconic Made in Japan live album. At this stage the band featured keyboardist Colin Towns, guitarist Ray Fenwick, bassist John Gustafson, and drummer Mark Nauseef. The tour promoted their upcoming third album, Scarabus, alongside tracks from Clear Air Turbulence. New songs like “Mercury High” and “Twin Exhausted” were heavily featured. Fans hoping for standard hard rock were often surprised. The band did perform classics like “Smoke on the Water”, “Child in Time”, and “Woman from Tokyo”, but completely rearranged them into unexpected, jazzy, experimental fusion versions. The tour is perhaps best remembered for the Live at Budokan album, recorded on 22nd September, at Tokyo’s legendary Nippon Budokan. It was originally released exclusively in Japan in March 1978 across two separate single LPs (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) before later being compiled as a double gatefold vinyl worldwide.

In original illustrated coated wrappers, staple bound, 25.6 x 36.1 cm, 32 pp. All text in Japanese. In excellent complete condition, tightly bound and clean.