Last Concert in Japan
Live album by
Deep Purple
Released16 March 1977 (Japan)
Recorded15 December 1975
at Nippon Budokan
GenreHeavy metal, hard rock
Length43:57
LabelPurple Records (Europe)
Warner Bros. Records (Japan)
ProducerDeep Purple & Martin Birch
Deep Purple live albums chronology
Made in Europe
(1976) 		Last Concert in Japan
(1977) 		Deep Purple in Concert
(1980)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Last Concert in Japan is an album by Deep Purple released in March 1977 in Japan and in June 1978 in Europe.[2] Dedicated to Tommy Bolin, it records the last Japanese concert of the Mark IV-lineup that included Bolin. It was recorded on 15 December 1975 at the Tokyo Budokan and achieved gold certification in Japan.[3]

Background

The performance drew 14,000 people, an attendance record for the Budokan Hall. Parts of the concert were also recorded on 16mm film and included in the video Rises Over Japan, released in Japan in 1985.

The recording was substantially edited to fit a single LP. The complete concert was remastered and restored for This Time Around: Live in Tokyo, released in 2001. In addition to including a large portion of the set omitted from the original release, the 2001 re-release restored the show's original sound quality, which was compromised when a hurriedly mastered audio track meant for a potential video release was used to hasten the original release.

The album's original cover incorrectly stated that it included a live version of "Woman from Tokyo", when it included only a short jam on its main riff, performed during Jon Lord's organ solo. This displeased Deep Purple fans, who assumed the misinformation would boost sales.

In a 1995 interview, Glenn Hughes called Last Concert in Japan an "awful record". He said it "should never have been released" because "Tommy couldn't play", as Bolin had taken drugs the night before and fallen asleep on his left arm for eight hours.[4]

Track listing

Side 1
No.TitleLength
1."Burn" (Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Jon Lord, Ian Paice)7:05
2."Love Child" (Tommy Bolin, Coverdale)4:46
3."You Keep On Moving" (Coverdale, Glenn Hughes)6:16
4."Wild Dogs" (Bolin, John Tesar)6:06
Side 2
No.TitleLength
5."Lady Luck" (Coverdale, Jeff Cook)3:11
6."Smoke on the Water" (Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Lord, Paice)6:24
7."Soldier of Fortune" (Blackmore, Coverdale)2:22
8."Woman from Tokyo/Jon Lord Solo" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice)4:01
9."Highway Star" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice)6:50
Bonus CD
No.TitleLength
1."Gettin' Tighter" 
2."This Time Around" 
3."Stormbringer" 
4."Georgia on My Mind" 

Personnel

Deep Purple
Additional Personnel

Charts

Chart (1977) Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[5] 15

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[6]
original release 		Gold 100,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[7]
1989 release 		Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ "Deep Purple album discography".
  3. ^ Warner Pioneer Japan – Deep Purple – Last Concert in Japan, Certified Gold http://images.goldbergauctions.com/php/lot_auc.php?site=1&sale=43&lot=733&lang=1
  4. ^ Deep Purple – Rock Family Trees – 1995
  5. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  6. ^ "Deep Purple - Last Concert In Japan". 20 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Japanese album certifications – ディープ・パープル – ライヴ・イン・ジャパン" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1993年11月 on the drop-down menu
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