Ian Gillan / Clear Air Turbulence Japan Tour 1977 Kouseinenkin Kaikan Osaka (2CDR)

CD01:
01 Clear Air Turbulence
02 Money Lender
03 Child In Time
04 My Baby Loves Me
05 Mercury High
06 Over The Hill
07 What's Your Game

CD02:
01 Scarabus
02 Trying To Get To You
03 Twin Exhausted
04 Smoke On The Water > Encore Break
-(Encore)-
05 Rock & Roll Medley > Encore Break
-(Encore)-
06 Woman From Tokyo

Personnel:
Ian Gillan - Vocals
Ray Fenwick - Guitars & Vocals
Colin Towns - Keyboards & Vocals
John Gustafson - Bass & Vocals
Mark Nauseef - Drums

This live recording captures a performance by the Ian Gillan Band—a supergroup formed by rock legend and former Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan—during their first tour of Japan in 1977. Specifically, this is the show from September 12, 1977, at the Kosei Nenkin Kaikan in Osaka. As one would expect from 1977, Ian Gillan delivers powerful, soaring vocals that vividly recall his glory days with Deep Purple. While he remains active as the voice of Deep Purple to this day, this recording dates to four years after his initial departure from the band—arguably a period when he was at his absolute peak. Although an official recording of the Tokyo show from this tour has been released, the Osaka performance stands out for its relaxed atmosphere and Gillan's impressive high-pitched wails. The band displays such great chemistry and camaraderie that you can truly feel the difference in the performance quality when the members are so in sync. The setlist focuses primarily on tracks from their new album, *Clear Air Turbulence*, but also includes Deep Purple classics like "Child In Time," "Smoke On The Water," and "Woman From Tokyo." The biggest surprise is the arrangement of "Child In Time"—featuring an "Oriental" (or perhaps "Asian," in modern parlance) style—which offers a brilliant, 180-degree departure from the original Deep Purple version and serves as the absolute highlight of the set. This is a fantastic recording that truly showcases a superb vocalist. Although it is an audience recording, the sound quality is remarkably clear and excellent. While there is some slight instability at times, the performance remains solid and impassioned throughout.