Bananas (Deep Purple album)

Bananas is the 17th studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on 25 August 2003 via EMI Records^[4] and on 7 October 2003 via Sanctuary Records in the US.^[5] It is the first album to feature Don Airey on organ and keyboards, replacing founding member Jon Lord.

Bananas
Studio album by Deep Purple
Released	25 August 2003 ^[1]
Recorded	January–February 2003
Studio	Royaltone Studios, Burbank, California
Genre	Hard rock progressive rock
Length	51:25
Label	EMI
Producer	Michael Bradford
Deep Purple chronology
Abandon (1998) Bananas (2003) Rapture of the Deep (2005)
Singles from Bananas
"Haunted" Released: 22 September 2003 (EU)^[2]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[3]

Overview

The album was recorded in Los Angeles during January and February 2003.^[4] It is also notable as being the first Ian Gillan-fronted Deep Purple album to make use of backing vocals other than Gillan's own (since the 1972 sessions for the song "Woman From Tokyo" in Germany which featured Jon Lord and Roger Glover singing backing vocals) with the song "Haunted" featuring Beth Hart. The album includes "Contact Lost", a short slow instrumental requiem for the Space Shuttle Columbia astronauts, written by guitarist Steve Morse when he heard the news of the crash.^[6]

The photo in the album cover was taken by the band's manager Bruce Payne.^[7]

Bananas charted well despite lack of media exposure, especially in Europe and South America (notably at Germany and Argentina where it peaked in the top 10).^[8]

Unreleased tracks

Since the Abandon album, Deep Purple performed three new songs onstage. "Long Time Gone" was debuted in the summer of 2000 but not included on Bananas. Another new song, "Up The Wall" was played on the 2002 UK tour and reworked into "I Got Your Number". The instrumental "Well Dressed Guitar" remained unreleased until the next album, 2005's Rapture of the Deep.^[9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Steve Morse, Don Airey, and Ian Paice, except where indicated

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"House of Pain"	Gillan, Michael Bradford	3:34
2.	"Sun Goes Down"		4:10
3.	"Haunted"		4:22
4.	"Razzle Dazzle"		3:28
5.	"Silver Tongue"		4:03
6.	"Walk On"	Gillan, Bradford	7:04
7.	"Picture of Innocence"	Gillan, Glover, Morse, Jon Lord, Paice	5:11
8.	"I Got Your Number"	Gillan, Glover, Morse, Lord, Paice, Bradford	6:01
9.	"Never a Word"		3:46
10.	"Bananas"		4:51
11.	"Doing It Tonight"		3:28
12.	"Contact Lost"	Morse	1:27

Personnel

Deep Purple

• Ian Gillan – vocals
• Steve Morse – guitars
• Roger Glover – bass
• Don Airey – keyboards
• Ian Paice – drums

Additional musicians

• Paul Buckmaster – string arrangement and cello on "Haunted"
• Beth Hart – backing vocals on "Haunted"
• Michael Bradford – guitar on "Walk On"

Production

• Michael Bradford - producer, engineer
• Chris Wonzer - assistant engineer
• Andy Vandette - mastering at Masterdisk, New York

Charts

Chart (2003)	Peak position
Argentinian Albums Chart^[8]	10
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[10]	12
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[11]	42
Czech Republic Albums Chart^[8]	17
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)^[12]	6
French Albums (SNEP)^[13]	50
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[14]	3
Italian Albums (FIMI)^[15]	13
Japanese Albums (Oricon)^[16]	212
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[17]	19
Polish Albums Chart^[18]	24
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[19]	70
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[20]	18
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[21]	13
UK Albums (OCC)^[22]	85
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)^[23]	10

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Russia (NFPF)^[24]	Gold	10,000^*
^* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Popoff, Martin (2018). The Deep Purple Family, vol 2 (2nd ed.). Wymer Publishing. p. 236. ISBN 978-1-908724-87-8.
2. Popoff, Martin (2018). The Deep Purple Family, vol 2 (2nd ed.). Wymer Publishing. p. 239. ISBN 978-1-908724-87-8.
3. Jeffries, David. "Deep Purple - Bananas review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
4. "Bananas". thehighwaystar.com. Retrieved 15 February 2007.
5. "Deep Purple: 'Bananas' To Receive U.S. Release In October". Blabbermouth.net. 15 September 2003. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
6. "Deep Purple's Shuttle Connection". guitarsite.com. Retrieved 15 February 2007.
7. Colothan, Scott. "42 facts about Deep Purple's album covers". Planet Rock. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
8. "Deep Purple: 'Bananas' In The Charts". Blabbermouth.net. 6 September 2003. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
9. Heide, Rasmus (19 November 2003). "Bananas - Deep Purple's New Album". The Highway Star.com. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
10. "Austriancharts.at – Deep Purple – Bananas" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
11. "Ultratop.be – Deep Purple – Bananas" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
12. "Deep Purple: Bananas" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
13. "Lescharts.com – Deep Purple – Bananas". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
14. "Offiziellecharts.de – Deep Purple – Bananas" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
15. "Italiancharts.com – Deep Purple – Bananas". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
16. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
17. "Norwegiancharts.com – Deep Purple – Bananas". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
18. "Deep Purple - Bananas". Acharts.co. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
19. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
20. "Swedishcharts.com – Deep Purple – Bananas". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
21. "Swisscharts.com – Deep Purple – Bananas". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
22. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
23. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
24. (in Russian). National Federation of Phonogram Producers (NFPF). Retrieved 17 May 2019.