Ian Paice: Deep Purple's drummer, decoded
Ian Paice has anchored Deep Purple since 1968. Pearl signature kit, Paiste signature cymbal line, the canonical hard-rock drumming pioneer who defined what 70s hard-rock + heavy-metal drumming could be.
Deep Purple · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
Ian Paice (born June 29, 1948, Nottingham, England) has anchored Deep Purple since 1968 and is the only continuous member of every Deep Purple lineup across the band's 50+ year catalog. Pearl signature kit, Paiste signature cymbal line. Defining hard-rock + heavy-metal drumming pioneer: 'Highway Star' (Machine Head, 1972) is one of the most-imitated rock drum performances; the long-form drum solo on Made in Japan (1972) is canonical. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Deep Purple (2016).
At a glance
Role
Also known as
Active
Affiliations
- Deep Purple (drummer, 1968–1976, 1984–present); the only continuous member of every Deep Purple lineup
- Paice Ashton Lord (with Tony Ashton + Jon Lord, 1977)
- Whitesnake (drummer, 1979–1982)
- Pearl Drums (signature kit endorsement)
- Paiste (Ian Paice signature cymbal line)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Deep Purple (2016)
Notable credits
- Deep Purple, In Rock (1970)
- Deep Purple, Fireball (1971)
- Deep Purple, Machine Head (1972)
- Deep Purple, Made in Japan (1972, live)
- Deep Purple, Burn (1974)
- Deep Purple, Perfect Strangers (1984)
- Whitesnake, Ready an' Willing (1980)
Who Ian Paice is
Ian Anderson Paice, born June 29, 1948, in Nottingham, England, has anchored Deep Purple since 1968 and is the only continuous member of every Deep Purple lineup across the band's 50+ year catalog. He played in Whitesnake (1979-1982) during Deep Purple's hiatus and Paice Ashton Lord (1977) briefly with Tony Ashton + Jon Lord.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Deep Purple (2016).
Style signatures
Three things across the Deep Purple catalog you can identify as Paice's:
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Single-stroke roll velocity. The 'Highway Star' (Machine Head, 1972) drum break is canonical; Paice's hand speed defined what hard-rock drum solos could be.
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Composed long-form drum solos. 'The Mule' on Made in Japan (1972) runs 9+ minutes as a composed solo event with internal structure.
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Jazz-inflected hi-hat technique inside hard rock. The hi-hat work on 'Smoke on the Water' is the song's groove anchor; the technique draws on jazz vocabulary applied to hard-rock contexts.
Related
The catalog. Deep Purple, In Rock (1970) through the band's continuous catalog. Plus Whitesnake (1979-1982).
Drummer hub. Drummers index.