When Deep Purple emerged in the late 1960s, they were at the forefront of a new, heavy sound that would help define hard rock and heavy metal for decades to come. But according to founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, the band’s early direction wasn’t entirely original, it was heavily inspired by another groundbreaking group that had already changed the rock landscape: Cream.
In several interviews over the years, Blackmore has openly admitted that Deep Purple initially wanted to be “clones” of Eric Clapton’s power trio, saying:
“When we first started Deep Purple, we wanted to be like Cream. They were our heroes. Everything they did, the way they jammed, the heaviness, the tone, that’s what we were chasing.”
A Blueprint For The Hard Rock Sound
At the time, Cream, made up of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, had set a new standard for musicianship in rock. Their blend of blues, psychedelia, and extended improvisation became the gold standard for aspiring rock musicians. Blackmore, along with keyboardist Jon Lord, bassist Nick Simper, and vocalist Rod Evans, modeled Deep Purple’s early performances around the same idea of dynamic, extended jams and virtuosic playing.
Blackmore explained that Cream’s success proved that virtuoso musicians could thrive in a rock setting without watering down their technical abilities:
“We saw Cream and thought, ‘This is it. This is how you can combine musicianship and power.’ It wasn’t about being pretty or commercial, it was about playing with passion and aggression.”
Finding Their Own Voice
While Deep Purple may have started as Cream disciples, they quickly developed their own identity. By the time Ian Gillan and Roger Glover joined in 1969, the band began evolving into something heavier and more original. Their landmark albums, “Deep Purple in Rock” (1970) and “Machine Head” (1972) — solidified a style that was more ferocious and classically influenced than Cream’s blues-based sound.
Jon Lord’s organ riffs intertwined with Blackmore’s fiery guitar lines, creating a dual-lead attack that no other band at the time could match. Songs like “Speed King,” “Child in Time,” and “Smoke on the Water” redefined what hard rock could sound like.
Blackmore would later admit that, though Deep Purple started out imitating their idols, they ultimately surpassed their influences:
“We began as a band trying to be Cream, but once we found our chemistry, we didn’t sound like anyone else. That’s when it really started to click.”
From Followers To Innovators
It’s fascinating to consider that one of the most influential hard rock bands in history began as admirers of another group. Yet, that admiration was part of the creative process. Deep Purple, along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, would go on to create the blueprint for heavy metal, each band pushing the limits of what rock could be.
In a way, Blackmore’s early goal of cloning Cream worked, it gave Deep Purple the foundation to evolve beyond imitation and into innovation.
As Blackmore once put it with a grin:
“You start by copying your heroes. Then, if you’re lucky, you become someone else’s hero.”
In the end, Ritchie Blackmore’s confession isn’t one of musical theft but of reverence, a reminder that even the greatest pioneers often begin as fans. Cream might have been the spark, but Deep Purple lit the fire that continues to burn across generations of rock musicians.
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