HALLELUJAH (I AM THE PREACHER) / APRIL (PART ONE)

A really neat vinyl single as an collectible anecdote for the fans of early Deep Purple. You can find the tracks from some compilations too, so the musical enjoyment doesn't require expensive hunting from the record vendors though. The A-side featured the new singer Ian Gillan on dramatic gospel themed rock ballad, one of the most singular minor key compositions of the band in my opinion. The B-side is an instrumental cut from three part long suite "April" from their self-titled third album, having quite medieval feeling rising from the keyboard melodies, guitar chords, choral singing and the steady beat of bass drum. That record had yet Rod Evans as a singer, but is not heard on this particular moment, making the music on this single sound more compact and also being a signpost of dramatic change on the band's course.