Wizard's Convention – Wizard's Convention

Wizards Convention is an obscure album sought after by Deep Purple fans for the involvement of of that band. The album was laid down just a few weeks after Deep Purple Mk 4 had played their final concert in Liverpool, with the of the band all contemplating solo careers of one sort or another.
The album was in the main Eddie Hardin's (former Spencer Davis Group keyboard player). He wrote (or co-wrote) all the material and played many of the instruments himself. Several musician friends were brought in and the decision was taken to credit everyone equally on the sleeve, to try to promote it as a kind of jam session.
Rather than do a traditional solo album, Eddie Hardin wrote the songs and then asked a number of musicians to help him record them. Deep Purple's David Coverdale, Jon Lord, Roger Glover and Glenn Hughes ed other guests including Mark Nauseef (from Elf and Rainbow), Tony Ashton, Mike D'Abo, Ray Fenwick and drummer Pete York. The result was an album full of variety and styles, which later became much sought after by Deep Purple collectors. Other guests include: Ric Lee (Ten Years After), Rick van der Linden (Ekseption), Mike D'Abo (Manfred Mann), Mo Foster, Leslie Binks, and Henry Spinetti.

Released in December 1976, the album got lost in the Christmas rush. Promotion was minimal and sales poor, with the album quickly reaching the bargain bins, hastened, no doubt, by the advent of punk. The inclusion of the Purple gang has added an interest in the album which it is doubtful it would otherwise have had. Apart from the Deep Purple , several of the personnel will already be familiar from the Butterfly Ball album. By the time this album was taped, Fancy guitarist Ray Fenwick had graduated to The Ian Gillan Band, whose percussionist (and former Elf member) Mark Nauseef is also featured here. Rick Van Der Linden hailed from the Dutch band Ekseption, while Ten Years After drummer Ric Lee also made a brief appearance.

Coverdale's track, 'Money To Burn' remains of interest, a good performance not unlike the material he was soon to be laying down for his first solo album, 'Whitesnake'. Elsewhere, Tony Ashton turned in a spoof twenties' performance in his inimitable style. Within a few months he was to be teaming up with Jon Lord (also guesting here) in Paice, Ashton, Lord. As noted, the album was quickly deleted in the UK. A German gatefold edition which sported a reworked sleeve (from which the front cover logo is taken) lasted a little longer but apart from a poor reissue in 1986 which was even harder to find than the original, the album has remained unavailable.