Gillan — Glory Road

About the album

Glory Road is the third studio album by the British hard rock band Gillan, released on 8 August 1980. The album reached No. 3 in the UK album charts. The US version of the album had a slightly different running order and included "Your Mother Was Right" instead of "Sleeping on the Job". The song "Unchain Your Brain" was re-recorded and released on Ian Gillan's 2006 release Gillan's Inn. Glory Road was also released in the UK as a limited edition double LP and contained the free LP For Gillan Fans Only. When Glory Road was eventually released on CD, most of the For Gillan Fans Only material was included as bonus tracks. However, "Higher and Higher", "Egg Timer" (a spoof of Samson 's "Vice Versa" from the Head On album) and " Harry Lime Theme " failed to make it to CD until the two-CD 2007 Edsel Records remaster, which contains both the album and the whole of For Gillan Fans Only. This latter release also has retrospective comments by Ian Gillan and the original artwork, plus pictures of various single covers. A different version of " Trying to Get to You " can be heard on Ian Gillan 's album Cherkazoo and Other Stories.

Artist

English rock band fronted by Ian Gillan Gillan was an English rock band formed in 1978 by then-former Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan. Gillan was one of the hard rock bands to make a significant impact and achieve commercial success in the United Kingdom during the late 1970s and early 1980s, with five top 20 albums and six top 40 singles. The band split in late 1982 when Gillan joined Black Sabbath, before re-joining Deep Purple in 1984. In July 1978 Ian Gillan had become dissatisfied with the jazz fusion style of his band Ian Gillan Band and dissolved it, retaining only keyboard player Colin Towns, and formed this new band entitled Gillan. He added Steve Byrd on guitar, Liam Genockey on drums and John McCoy on bass, and initially pursued a progressive rock direction, releasing their eponymous debut in September 1978, although they could get a record deal only in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. This recording has subsequently become more widely available as The Japanese Album as a CD re-issue by RPM Records in 1994. However, the RPM CD issue replaces the original opening instrumental "Second Sight" with another instrumental, "Street Theatre". Genocky was unable to commit to the band beyond the recording of the album and the band's live debut at the Reading Festival in 1978. He was replaced for the subsequent tour by Pete Barnacle. At Christmas 1978, Ian Gillan turned down an offer from Ritchie Blackmore to join Rainbow but Blackmore did make a guest appearance for Gillan at their Christmas show. It was the first time Ian Gillan and Blackmore had performed together since 1973. The album was sufficiently successful to attract more attention and in 1979 the band secured a European deal with Acrobat Records. Before a new album was recorded, Byrd was replaced by Bernie Tormé and Barnacle by drummer Mick Underwood, Ian Gillan's former colleague in Episode Six. Torme's "screaming guitar" sound fundamentally altered the dynamics and Gillan took a more heavy metal direction. This line-up's first album was released as Mr. Universe and contained many re-worked songs from The Japanese Album. The album went straight into the UK album charts but stalled as Acrobat Records went bankrupt. This led to a multi-album deal with Virgin Records. Meanwhile, in Japan, Australia and New Zealand a version of Mr. Universe was released with a different track selection to avoid repeating the Gillan tracks used on the Mr. Universe album. Several of the alternative tracks are included on the Japanese Album release. The band caught the rise of the NWOBHM at just the right time and the group gained popularity in Europe. In 1980 Gillan reached the peak of their success, releasing the album Glory Road, with initial copies containing the free album For Gillan Fans Only. However, the band remained unknown in North America and were unable to raise any interest there despite a long and difficult 1980 US tour. As with most of the post-Deep Purple bands, money remained very tight. By 1981 the band members were beginning to wonder why their European and Japanese success was not translating into increased financial rewards. Rumours also circulated that band funds were being diverted to pay for problems with Ian Gillan's failing hotel. Following the Future Shock album, whilst on tour in Germany, Torme left, just before the band were due to fly back to the UK to appear on Top of the Pops. Tormé was replaced by White Spirit guitarist Janick Gers (who would later join Iron Maiden ) and this line-up released the live/studio double album Double Trouble at the end of 1981. In August 1982, the final album Magic followed. By this time, tension over money had reached fever pitch and Ian Gillan needed time to have surgery as a result of damage to his vocal cords. After the Magic tour, the band performed a final show at the Wembley Arena on 17 December, and then Ian Gillan dissolved the group while he underwent surgery. He then accepted an offer to front Black Sabbath to the incredulity of the Gillan band members, particularly McCoy, and the acrimony remains to the present day. McCoy subsequently released compilations of studio out-takes to which he had the rights, known as The Gillan Tapes. Bernie Tormé and John McCoy collaborated on the GMT (Guy McCoy Tormé) band project, releasing two albums in 2006 and 2008. Tormé died in 2019 Underwood in 2024.

Tracklist

1. Unchain Your Brain · 3:12
2. Are You Sure · 4:07
3. Time And Again · 5:08
4. No Easy Way · 6:38
5. Sleeping On The Job · 3:13
6. On The Rocks · 6:42
7. If You Believe Me · 7:37
8. Running, White Face, City Boy · 3:13
9. Nervous · 3:55

Credits

• Guitar: Bernie Tormé • Written-By: Bernie Tormé (1, 2, 3, 4, 7) • Photography By: Brian Cooke (2) • Flute: Colin Towns • Keyboards: Colin Towns • Written-By: Colin Towns (5, 6, 8, 9) • Arranged By: Gillan • Producer: Gillan • Vocals: Ian Gillan • Written-By: Ian Gillan (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9) • Bass: John McCoy • Mixed By: John McCoy • Written-By: John McCoy (1, 2, 3, 4, 7) • Drums: Mick Underwood • Written-By: Mick Underwood (7) • Mixed By: Paul Watkins