Guitarist Clem Clempson tells the story of how he unsuccessfully auditioned for Deep Purple.
Imagine having a guitarist like Ritchie Blackmore in your band. You would have much more than a guitarist—you would have a prime mover, a visionary. Replacing someone like that is never easy, as the demands placed on future guitarists far exceed mastery of the instrument.
Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple in 1974, and the group was unsure how it could continue, if at all. They searched far and wide for a suitable replacement, and eventually found Tommy Bolin, who was more than capable of matching Blackmore's methods. Before Bolin, however, the band auditioned several guitarists, including Clem Clempson of Colosseum and Humble Pie fame.
In an interview with Guitar World, Clempson revealed he'd jammed with Deep Purple before Bolin's audition, getting along pretty well with Glenn Hughes:
“We had fun jamming for a couple of days and just hanging out. Although I think everyone enjoyed the playing we did together, it was clear that they didn't just need a guitar player to replace Ritchie; they needed someone who could also fill Ritchie's role as the main songwriter in the group. I definitely didn't see myself as being the right man for the job in that respect."
Bolin was quite good in the songwriting department, and he demonstrated this by co-writing seven of the nine tracks on Deep Purple's "Come Taste the Band" album. Reflecting on the past, Clempson stated he understood the band's choice:
“I believe Tommy had lots of songs which were exactly what the band needed. And his style was more akin to Ritchie's than mine. I was never into heavy rock as such. For me, there's a subtle difference between Humble Pie and bands like Zeppelin, Purple, and Black Sabbath."
Despite the unsuccessful audition, Clempson had a lovely time. He recalled how the jam sessions almost resulted in a very interesting project:
“One of the highlights was spending a very late night with Glenn Hughes and David Bowie. We wrote a song based on a riff I had, and made plans for a new band, the idea was to be Mahavishnu Orchestra with vocals.”
Courtesy of the Tommy Bolin Archives
