The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast explained

The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast
Type:Studio Album
Artist:Roger Glover
Cover:Butterflyball.jpg
Released:18 November 1974 (UK)
16 October 1975 (US)
Recorded:Summer 1974
Studio:Kingsway Recorders, London
Genre:
Length:48:28
Label:Purple Records (United Kingdom)
UK Records (United States)
Producer:Roger Glover, Alan G. Rainer
Next Title:Elements
Next Year:1978

The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast is a concept album and subsequent live rock opera written by Roger Glover. It appeared in 1974 and 1975 respectively, and was based on the children's poem of a similar title. The album cover design is from Alan Aldridge's design for a 1973 book based on the poem.

Origin and production history

The work was originally conceived as a solo vehicle for Jon Lord to be produced by Roger Glover who had recently left Deep Purple. However, Lord proved too busy with Deep Purple, and Glover took up the reins on his own. Using his connections, Glover recruited a large cast of noted rock musicians, with a different vocalist for each character, including David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. Les Binks, later of Judas Priest, and Michael Giles of King Crimson play drums on the album. [1]

An accompanying animated short film, The Butterfly Ball, was made by the Halas & Batchelor company.[2]

On 16 October 1975, a one-off performance at the Royal Albert Hall took place. Again it had a star-studded cast of rock musicians, most notably Ian Gillan who was drafted in at the last minute and received a standing ovation on his entrance. He replaced an unavailable Ronnie James Dio who had commitments with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (although Dio did eventually get to perform the song at the Royal Albert Hall in 1999 as the guest of Deep Purple). Gillan had not performed since leaving Deep Purple in 1973. Also notable was the appearance of Twiggy as singer and actress and Vincent Price as narrator. Apart from most of the musicians involved in the studio recording, the concert also featured Jon Lord. The live concert was filmed and released in 1976, produced by Tony Klinger.[3]

Later appearance

Colin Meloy of The Decemberists has used the piece as intro music for the band's shows.[4]

Track listing

Personnel (original album)

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Thompson . Dave . Smoke on the Water: The Deep Purple Story . 2004 . ECW Press . 978-1-55022-618-8 . 207 . 11 January 2022 . en.
  2. Book: Cowie . Peter . International Film Guide 1979 . 1978 . Tantivy Press . 978-0-498-02241-8 . 451 . 11 January 2022 . en.
  3. Book: Donnelly . Kevin . Pop Music in British Cinema: A Chronicle . 26 February 2002 . Bloomsbury Academic . 978-0-85170-863-8 . 85 . 11 January 2022 . en.
  4. Schweber, Nate, "The Making of Meloy", The Montanan, Winter, 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  5. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 321.