In 1948, a future rock icon was born. Ian Anderson Paice, the legendary original drummer for Deep Purple—and only member to appear in every incarnation of the band—was born on June 29, 1948, in Nottingham, England. He turns 78 today.
Rolling Stone once described Paice as “an epic rock legend” and one of “the greatest rock drummers of all time.” The outlet noted, “Without Deep Purple’s only continuous member, Ian Paice, there would be no heavy metal drumming. Paice is an old-school pro who plays fast, furious and full-on…. [He] imbued hits like ‘Hush’ and ‘Smoke on the Water’ with a studied, infectious swing.”
Paice was interested in playing drums at a young age. He once told Drumming magazine he got serious about drumming at age 15.
“Then after I’d done five or six months worth of gigs with my local band I realized that I was doing it ok and people were complimenting me, and it sorta creeps up on you that that’s what you’re going to be doing for the rest of your life,” he shared.
The music legend was also asked about his favorite performances with Deep Purple, and he pointed to the band’s double live Made in Japan live album, which was released in 1973. The album included an epic version of “The Mule,” which featured an iconic marathon drum solo by Paice.
“One of my favorite performances with Purple…is obviously the live recording of ‘The Mule’ on Made In Japan,” he said. “That was a pretty good performance. It was probably the best drum solo I did that whole year of touring [1972 /3]. It was just sorta lucky that the microphones were there to capture it. “
Classic Rock magazine has called “The Mule,” which originally appeared on the 1971 Deep Purple album Fireball, one of rock’s greatest-ever drum solos.
“I used to pick vehicles for drum solos basically rhythmically,” Paice told the outlet. “If I had a rhythm that gave me a good lead-off point to go into a solo, then that made it much easier. The Mule was almost written with a drum solo in mind. But obviously until you get it on stage you never really know if it’s going to work.”
RELATED: 1975 Rock Classic, Iconic band’s Debut Single, Remains a Timeless Anthem More Than 50 Years Later
Not only was Paice was an original member of Deep Purple when the band formed in 1968 but he has remained the only consistent member amid multiple lineup changes over the band’s nearly 50-year history. He also played with Whitesnake, Gary Moore, and more artists.
In 2016, Paice was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Deep Purple, per Ultimate Classic Rock.
Related: 1972 Road-Trip Anthem, Written by Rock Legends, Was Inspired by an Iconic TV Theme