Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan recently spoke with Classic Rock about the band being nominated for a third time for inclusion in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. They were passed over in 2013 and 2014 even though Deep Purple has been eligible for 20 years.

Gillan: "I have no respect for them. They’re the kind of people that having seen A Hard Day’s Night decided that The Monkees would be America’s equivalent to The Beatles. They’ve no idea what goes on in the big, wide world outside of their self-arbitrating surroundings.

To me, those people are bloody arrogant and rude. I’ve heard that somebody on their committee dismissed us as one-hit wonders. I couldn’t figure out whether that hit was 'Hush', 'Kentucky Woman', 'Black Night', 'Strange Kind Of Woman', 'Child In Time', 'Perfect Strangers', 'Knocking At Your Back Door' or perhaps even 'Smoke On The Water'.

I’m very grateful for the other bands and artists that stood up for us with a view to our induction – that’s nice of them. But I wish that the Hall Of Fame had had the discretion to ask us first. It’s now become a debate in which we are too late to have the final word."

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Steve Morse, legendary guitarist for Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse Band and now Flying Colors, took time out of his schedule to join Shawn and Corbs of The GuitCast podcast to talk about his Ernie Ball Music Man signature guitars, his signature Engl E656 amplifier, the new Flying Colors DVD and plans for a new Deep Purple album scheduled for 2016.

Morse states that writing has already begun for the new, as yet untitled, Deep Purple album. Currently in the writing stage, recording is scheduled to start about the middle of January. Capitalizing on the commercial and critical success of 2013's Now What?! album, legendary producer Bob Ezrin (KISS, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper) will once again sit in the producer's chair.

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