Formed in Hertford in 1968, Deep Purple were originally called Roundabout. The original line-up featured Ritchie Blackmore, Rod Evans, Nick Simper, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.

The band's debut album, 'Shades of Deep Purple' released in July 1968, didn't catch the attention of the UK, but in American they landed a top five hit with 'Hush'. The albums 'The Book of Taliesyn' (1968) and 'Deep Purple' (1969) followed but, as the band's ambitions were growing, their American label folded. Evans and Simper left the band and Ian Gillan and Roger Glover took their places, marking the first of many line-up changes.