Hawaii Public Radio recently caught up with Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey, who discussed the band's new all-covers album, Turning to Crime, as well as fun encounters from throughout his career. 

Airey Looks back on the beginning of the pandemic and details how the band decided to do an all-covers album, sharing a little about the recording and song selection, which includes music from Led Zeppelin, Spencer Davis Group, Booker T. and the M.G.’s, Jeff Beck, The Allman Brothers Band, Little Feat and many others. He also offers some fun stories about encounters along the way with Richie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Gary Moore, Little Feat, Gregg Allman and his experience in Ozzy Osbourne’s band, in particular, the night of the infamous "bat incident" on January 20th, 1982, when he bit the head off a bat while on stage.

Airey recalls the incident at the 10:45 mark of the interview below.

Deep Purple released their new studio album, Turning To Crime, on November 26 (earMUSIC). Turning To Crime continues the creative trajectory set in motion with Deep Purple’s “time trilogy”, consisting of NOW What?! (2013), inFinite (2017), and Whoosh!. Each produced by Bob Ezrin, these albums sold over 1 million copies, topped the charts 11 times, and garnered more than 40 Top 10 positions worldwide.

Order the new album here

Tracklisting:

"7 And 7 Is"
"Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu"
"Oh Well"
"Jenny Take A Ride!"
"Watching The River Flow"
"Let The Good Times Roll"
"Dixie Chicken"
"Shapes Of Things"
"The Battle Of New Orleans"
"Lucifer"
"White Room"
"Caught In The Act" [Medley: "Going Down" / "Green Onions" / "Hot ‘Lanta" / "Dazed and Confused" / "Gimme Some Lovin’"]

"Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu" video:

"Oh Well" video:

“7 And 7 Is” video:

Locked Up: The Making Of Turning To Crime:

Deep Purple is:

Ian Gillan
Roger Glover
Ian Paice
Don Airey
Steve Morse