Slaves and Masters
Slavery, encompassing the relationship between slaves and masters, refers to a historical institution in which individuals designated as slaves are legally owned as property by masters, who exercise absolute authority over their labor, movement, and lives, often through coercion, violence, and denial of basic rights. This dynamic has persisted across nearly all human societies for millennia, originating in ancient civilizations and evolving through various economic, social, and cultural contexts, with slaves typically acquired via war, debt, or birth and compelled to perform unpaid work in agriculture, mining, domestic service, or other roles.[1][2] In ancient Mesopotamia, slavery is first recorded around 3000 BCE as one of the earliest systems, where war captives became the property of conquerors under codes like that of Hammurabi (c. 1754 BCE), regulating masters' rights to buy, sell, and punish slaves while imposing some limits on excessive cruelty.[3] Similar patterns characterized ancient Egypt, where slaves labored in agriculture, households, and other roles, and Greece (c. 1200–300 BCE), where they formed about one-third of the population, laboring in silver mines or households under masters who could grant manumission but wielded unchecked power over their enslavement. In the Roman Empire, slaves comprised up to 30% or more of the population, treated as chattel with no legal personhood, allowing masters to subject them to arbitrary mistreatment, sale, or use in gladiatorial combat, though some achieved freedom and citizenship.[1][2][4] The master-slave relationship intensified during the transatlantic slave trade (c. 1526–1867), when European powers, particularly Britain, Portugal, and Spain, forcibly transported approximately 12.5 million Africans across the Atlantic, with about 10.7 million surviving the Middle Passage to labor on plantations in the Americas under regimes of racialized chattel slavery. Masters in these societies justified their dominance through pseudoscientific racial hierarchies and legal codes that permitted family separations, sexual exploitation, and corporal punishment to enforce compliance and profitability, resulting in high mortality rates—up to 12% during voyages—and devastating demographic impacts on African populations. In the Caribbean and Brazil, where over 90% of enslaved Africans were sent, masters replaced losses through continuous imports due to harsh conditions, while in British North America (receiving about 6%), natural population growth occurred amid similar coercive controls.[5][1] Abolition movements from the late 18th century onward dismantled formal slavery in most regions, beginning with Haiti's 1804 revolution, Britain's 1833 Slavery Abolition Act, the U.S. 13th Amendment in 1865, and Brazil's 1888 Golden Law, influenced by Enlightenment ideals, economic shifts, and slave resistance. Despite global prohibitions under the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the legacies of master-slave dynamics endure in systemic inequalities, and modern forms of slavery affect an estimated 50 million people worldwide as of 2021.[2][1][6]Background
Lineup changes
Following the conclusion of the The House of Blue Light tour in 1989, vocalist Ian Gillan departed Deep Purple amid escalating internal conflicts, particularly with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, as the band sought a change in musical direction.[7][8] In seeking a replacement, Deep Purple considered Survivor's Jimi Jamison, who auditioned and impressed Blackmore with his melodic and soulful performance on a track like "Going Down," leading to an immediate offer; however, Jamison's existing commitments and management disputes made him unavailable two weeks later.[9] The band then turned to auditions and selected Joe Lynn Turner, formerly Rainbow's lead singer, as the new vocalist in 1989, a choice driven by his prior successful collaboration with Blackmore and bassist Roger Glover.[7][10] This lineup shift resulted in Slaves and Masters (1990) being the only Deep Purple album to feature Turner.[10] The core instrumental members were retained unchanged: Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Roger Glover on bass, Jon Lord on keyboards, and Ian Paice on drums.[8] Drawing from his Rainbow era, Blackmore advocated for a more commercial hard rock sound, emphasizing polished, radio-friendly elements to align with Turner's style.[7]Album development
Following Ian Gillan's departure in 1989, initial songwriting ideas for Slaves and Masters emerged in late 1989, with Ritchie Blackmore and Joe Lynn Turner collaborating to blend Deep Purple's classic hard rock foundation with AOR elements drawn from Turner's Rainbow tenure.[10][7] The band decided to pursue a more accessible, radio-friendly sound to broaden its appeal, responding to the mixed reception of prior albums like The House of Blue Light (1988), which had underperformed commercially.[7][10] In pre-production meetings held in early 1990, the group selected material tailored to the new lineup, with Blackmore advocating strongly for Turner's melodic vocal style as a key fit for the evolving direction.[11][10] External pressures from label RCA, seeking greater commercial success amid the band's shifting fortunes, influenced the emphasis on polished, hook-driven compositions.[7] To maintain focus, the team excluded older unfinished tracks from previous eras, prioritizing fresh material that reflected the integrated influences of the Mark V lineup.[10][7]Recording and production
Studio sessions
The recording sessions for Slaves and Masters took place across multiple studios in 1990, beginning with initial tracking in early 1990 at Greg Rike Productions in Orlando, Florida.[12] Overdubs followed in mid-1990 at Sountec Studios in East Norwalk, Connecticut, with final mixing completed at The Power Station in New York City.[13][12] Roger Glover served as the album's producer, a role he assumed by default amid band dynamics, where he focused on providing direction and capturing the group's live energy by taping rehearsals to preserve spontaneous riffs and jam-based ideas.[12][14] Sessions involved navigating internal disagreements, with Glover asserting control to balance contributions and advance the project.[14] The production incorporated additional musicians, including a string orchestra led by Jesse Levy, with arrangements by Jon Lord.[12][13] The completed album runs for a total of 46:51 minutes.[15]Songwriting and arrangement
The songwriting for Slaves and Masters primarily credited Ritchie Blackmore and Joe Lynn Turner as the core collaborators on most tracks, with Roger Glover contributing significantly to lyrics and structural elements, while Jon Lord added keyboard-oriented ideas on select songs.[16][17] For instance, "King of Dreams" stemmed from Blackmore's initial guitar riff, to which Turner supplied melodic lines and dream-inspired lyrics, and Glover refined the bridge; similar patterns held for "Love Conquers All" and "The Cut Runs Deep," where Turner's vocal hooks shaped the anthemic choruses.[7] Tracks like "Fortuneteller" and "Fire in the Basement" incorporated broader input from Lord and Paice, emphasizing rhythmic foundations and keyboard flourishes alongside Blackmore's riffs.[18] Arrangement techniques centered on Blackmore's guitar-driven riffs as the foundational backbone, layered with Lord's expansive keyboard solos and synthesized textures to evoke 1980s hard rock dynamics, creating a polished, arena-ready sound.[15] Anthemic choruses, often co-crafted by Turner and Glover, prioritized melodic accessibility over raw aggression, balancing heavy guitar work with harmonious vocal overlays.[7] A notable innovation appeared in "Love Conquers All," where Lord's string arrangements introduced orchestral swells, enhancing the track's theme of love overcoming adversity through subtle symphonic undertones without overpowering the rock core.[13] The creative process was iterative, beginning with rough demos recorded in Florida that Blackmore and Glover developed from jam sessions, then refined collaboratively during full band rehearsals to integrate heavy riffs with accessible hooks.[19] These demos evolved through multiple revisions, with Turner adapting lyrics to fit evolving melodies and Lord suggesting keyboard enhancements for depth, ensuring a cohesive album flow.[7]Composition
Musical style
Slaves and Masters represents a shift for Deep Purple toward hard rock infused with AOR (album-oriented rock) and pop metal elements, diverging from the band's progressive and blues-heavy roots of the late 1960s and early 1970s.[20][21] This classification reflects the influence of vocalist Joe Lynn Turner's background in Rainbow, resulting in a more melodic and radio-accessible sound compared to the raw intensity of the Mark II lineup's classics like In Rock and Machine Head.[22] Central to the album's sonic identity are Ritchie Blackmore's fiery guitar solos and riffs, Jon Lord's prominent, layered keyboard work—including classical-tinged flourishes and solos—and Turner's high, soaring vocals that emphasize melody and harmony.[20][21] The production, overseen by bassist Roger Glover, delivers a polished, layered texture with crisp drum sounds and echoed effects, enhancing the commercial sheen while maintaining hard rock drive.[23][24] In terms of contemporaries, the album's glossy hooks and anthemic choruses evoke the arena-ready style of bands like Whitesnake and Def Leppard, prioritizing accessibility over the experimental edge of Deep Purple's formative years.[22][25] This evolution toward broader appeal has drawn criticism for diluting the band's signature aggression, often likened to a "tired Foreigner" in its mainstream leanings.[15][26] Stylistic variations across tracks highlight this blend: "King of Dreams" opens with heavy, riff-driven hard rock and a standout keyboard solo, while "Fire in the Basement" delivers blues-infused, upbeat energy with punchy guitar work.[20][21] In contrast, "Love Conquers All" adopts a power ballad structure with emotive builds and orchestral keyboards, and "The Cut Runs Deep" balances rapid tempos with melodic AOR vocals.[23][24] Tracks like "Breakfast in Bed" incorporate Southern rock grooves reminiscent of Bad Company, underscoring the album's diverse yet cohesive commercial hard rock palette.[21]Lyrical themes
The lyrics of Slaves and Masters predominantly explore power dynamics and interpersonal relationships, as seen in tracks like "The Cut Runs Deep," where lyrics convey betrayal and deep emotional wounds inflicted by a close partner, emphasizing the pain of unbalanced power in romance.[27] Romantic and triumphant motifs also feature prominently, particularly in "Love Conquers All," a ballad that highlights the enduring strength of love amid adversity and loss. The song's lyrics portray love as an unyielding force that overcomes darkness and separation, with lines like "Love conquers all" underscoring resilience and hope in relationships.[28] Turner has noted that this track embodies an uplifting vibe, drawing from personal reflections on unity and perseverance.[7] Tracks like "Truth Hurts" address personal heartbreak and emotional desolation, with lyrics evoking isolation and pain—"You know my will is broken / You've got my heart on hold"—in the context of relational strife.[29][30] Turner's lyrical style on the album is more straightforward and emotionally direct, prioritizing accessible melodies and heartfelt expression over the poetic abstraction often associated with Ian Gillan's contributions to earlier Deep Purple works.[7] This approach, smoother and more melodic than Gillan's raw intensity, allows for immediate emotional connection, as seen in the vulnerable confessions of tracks like "Breakfast in Bed."[7] Turner co-wrote the majority of the album's lyrics, infusing them with personal experiences from his time in Rainbow, including the rigors of extensive touring and the dynamics of high-stakes rock collaborations.[7] His input, often in tandem with Glover and Blackmore, brought a sense of narrative intimacy shaped by those years, transforming band tensions into thematic depth.[17]Release and promotion
Commercial release
Slaves and Masters was released on 22 October 1990 by RCA Records.[31] The album was made available in multiple formats, including vinyl LP, cassette, and compact disc, with the initial pressing featuring the standard 9-track edition.[16] RCA positioned the record as Deep Purple's return to form, emphasizing the revitalized energy contributed by new vocalist Joe Lynn Turner following the band's lineup changes.[32] Promotion efforts exhibited regional variations, with a stronger emphasis in Europe than in the United States amid evolving rock music trends favoring AOR and hard rock in the former market.[16] The release also featured a tie-in with the 1990 film Fire, Ice & Dynamite, incorporating the non-album track "Fire, Ice & Dynamite" into the project's soundtrack.[16]Singles and videos
The first single from Slaves and Masters, "King of Dreams", was released in October 1990 as a promotional lead to the album, featuring an edited version of the track backed by "Fire in the Basement" on various formats.[33] The accompanying music video, directed by James Foley, showcased performance footage of the band in a straightforward rock setting to appeal to MTV audiences and radio play, aiming to reintroduce Deep Purple's Mark V lineup to broader listeners.[34] It achieved modest chart success in Europe, peaking at number 70 on the UK Singles Chart.[35] The second single, "Love Conquers All", followed in February 1991, with releases including B-sides such as "Truth Hurts" and the non-album track "Slow Down Sister" on limited-edition 12-inch and CD formats; some versions also incorporated instrumental mixes or live recordings from prior sessions to enhance collector appeal.[36] Its music video, directed by Storm Thorgerson, employed surreal imagery blending abstract visuals with band performance elements, designed for heavy MTV rotation to boost the album's visibility amid shifting rock promotion trends.[37] Like its predecessor, the single saw limited European traction, reaching number 57 on the UK Singles Chart.[38]Touring and live performances
1991 tour
The Slaves and Masters tour commenced on February 4, 1991, in Ostrava, Czech Republic, marking Deep Purple's first major outing with vocalist Joe Lynn Turner at the helm, and spanned approximately 60 shows across Europe, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Brazil, and Israel, concluding on September 29, 1991, in Tzemach, Israel.[39][40] The itinerary began with a European leg of over 30 dates, followed by a North American leg in April and May, an Asian swing in June and July including four Japanese shows, Brazilian shows in August, and additional dates in Eastern Europe, Israel, and Greece in September.[41] This global trek supported the album's hard rock direction, drawing crowds despite the band's transitional phase.[39] Setlists typically opened with "Burn" and integrated four to six tracks from Slaves and Masters, such as "Fire in the Basement," "King of Dreams," "Love Conquers All," "The Cut Runs Deep," and "Truth Hurts," debuting these songs alongside Deep Purple classics like "Highway Star," "Smoke on the Water," "Lazy," "Perfect Strangers," and "Knocking at Your Back Door."[39][42] The structure emphasized the new material's melodic hooks while preserving the band's high-energy rock foundation, with occasional covers like "Difficult to Cure" or "Hey Joe" adding variety; for instance, the single "Love Conquers All" became a live staple, often positioned mid-set to showcase Turner's vocal range. Instrumental solos—bass by Roger Glover, keyboard by Jon Lord, and drums by Ian Paice—extended several numbers, bridging old and new eras.[39] Stage production was updated to reflect the album's epic, anthemic sound, featuring dynamic lighting rigs that synchronized with the music's intensity and pyrotechnic bursts during key moments like guitar solos, creating a visually immersive atmosphere for arenas and halls.[43] These elements amplified the band's reunion-era spectacle, with Blackmore's stage antics and the rhythm section's precision driving the shows' momentum.[39] The tour encountered challenges stemming from the lineup shift, as fans accustomed to Ian Gillan's raw style expressed mixed reception to Turner's smoother, Rainbow-influenced delivery, with some vocal discontent evident at early European dates amid debates over the band's direction.[7][44] Despite this, performances were generally energetic, and the tour wrapped in late September 1991, paving the way for Gillan's return and the band's shift toward the next album.[39]Post-tour usage of material
Following the conclusion of the 1991 tour, Deep Purple did not incorporate any songs from Slaves and Masters into their live setlists during subsequent tours, including after the 1993 reunion with Ian Gillan. Analysis of performance records shows that tracks such as "King of Dreams" (performed 34 times total) and "Love Conquers All" (performed 54 times total) were exclusively played during the 61-show Slaves and Masters tour, with no documented instances in later lineups or years.[45][46] Vocalist Joe Lynn Turner continued to perform select tracks from the album in his solo career and collaborative projects. For instance, "King of Dreams" has been a staple in his live repertoire, appearing in documented performances across solo shows and with the Hughes/Turner Project, including during their 2000–2004 tours. Material from the Slaves and Masters recording sessions found reuse in media beyond the band's initial promotion. The outtake "Fire, Ice and Dynamite," recorded by Blackmore, Turner, Glover, and Paice without Jon Lord, was included on the soundtrack for the 1990 German action film Fire, Ice & Dynamite.[47] Tracks from Slaves and Masters have appeared on various Deep Purple compilations and anthologies, though they are often not emphasized as highlights compared to earlier classics. For example, "Love Conquers All" is featured on the 1998 collection 30: Very Best Of, while other selections like "The Cut Runs Deep" appear in budget-line anthologies such as Collection (2005). These inclusions serve to represent the Mark V era but rarely anchor retrospective releases.[48][49]Reception and legacy
Critical reviews
Upon its release in 1990, Slaves and Masters received mixed reviews from critics, who praised certain elements of its hard rock energy while critiquing its songwriting and perceived shift toward a more commercial sound. AllMusic's review noted the album's energetic performances but described the songs as formulaic and the overall effort as sounding like a "generic" hard rock band past its prime, awarding it 2.5 out of 5 stars.[15] Similarly, contemporaneous coverage highlighted the record's polished production as a departure from Deep Purple's raw Mark II era innovation, often labeling it a commercial sell-out influenced by Joe Lynn Turner's Rainbow background.[50] Positive aspects focused on standout individual contributions, with Ritchie Blackmore's guitar work earning acclaim for its technical flair and Joe Lynn Turner's vocals commended for their smooth, melodic delivery on tracks like "King of Dreams."[50] British rock magazine Get Ready to Rock! described it as a "fairly consistent and excellent hard rock album," appreciating its groove-oriented tracks despite the stylistic detour.[22] The negative consensus centered on weak songwriting and a lack of the band's signature intensity, with some outlets like Ear of Newt calling it "quite possibly the lamest Deep Purple album ever," likening it to a "tired Foreigner."[25] Band members offered divided internal perspectives. Keyboardist Jon Lord and bassist Roger Glover later expressed reservations, with Glover viewing the album as a temporary "detour" that did not align with Deep Purple's core identity tied to Ian Gillan, though he still called it "not a bad album at all" and credited it with sustaining the band's longevity.[51] Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, however, defended it strongly, describing Slaves and Masters as "one of my favorite records of all time."[52] An aggregate score equivalent, based on period and early retrospective sources, hovered around 50/100, reflecting the polarized reception.[53] Despite the artistic critiques, the album achieved modest commercial peaks, charting at No. 87 on the Billboard 200.[15]Commercial performance
Slaves and Masters peaked at number 87 on the US Billboard 200 chart in November 1990.[54] Internationally, the album achieved stronger results in Europe, reaching number 5 on the Swiss charts, where it spent 17 weeks, and number 12 on the Swedish charts for five weeks.[55] In the United Kingdom, it entered the Official Albums Chart at number 45 and charted for two weeks.[56] The album's performance was modest in other markets, reflecting a broader decline in hard rock popularity amid the emerging grunge movement in 1990–1991.[57] The album received a gold certification in Switzerland for 25,000 units sold in 1990.[58] Overall, Slaves and Masters underperformed commercially compared to Deep Purple's prior releases, such as the multi-platinum Perfect Strangers, with worldwide sales estimated below expectations and contributing to lineup changes.[31]Track listing
Standard tracks
The standard edition of Deep Purple's Slaves and Masters, released on October 5, 1990 by RCA Records, consists of nine tracks recorded primarily in Orlando, Florida, and New York.[15][16] The album's original RCA pressing (catalog PD 90535 in Europe) features a single sleeve with lyrics and band logo on the inner bag.[16] Below is the track listing, including durations and songwriting credits.| No. | Title | Writers | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "King of Dreams" | Blackmore, Glover, Turner | 5:26 |
| 2. | "The Cut Runs Deep" | Blackmore, Glover, Turner, Lord, Paice | 5:42 |
| 3. | "Fire in the Basement" | Blackmore, Glover, Lord, Paice, Turner | 4:43 |
| 4. | "Truth Hurts" | Blackmore, Glover, Turner | 5:12 |
| 5. | "Breakfast in Bed" | Blackmore, Glover, Turner | 5:15 |
| 6. | "Love Conquers All" | Blackmore, Glover, Turner | 3:47 |
| 7. | "Fortuneteller" | Blackmore, Glover, Turner | 5:49 |
| 8. | "Too Much Is Not Enough" | Greenwood, Held, Turner | 4:19 |
| 9. | "Wicked Ways" | Blackmore, Glover, Turner, Lord, Paice | 6:33 |
Bonus and alternate versions
The 1999 remastered CD reissue of Slaves and Masters, released by Castle Communications on June 22, added the bonus instrumental track "Son of Alerik," originally recorded during the band's 1984 Perfect Strangers sessions but unused until this edition.[59] This ten-minute mid-tempo piece provided collectors with previously unavailable material from the Mk II lineup's transitional era.[60] During the Slaves and Masters recording sessions in early 1990, Deep Purple produced the track "Fire, Ice and Dynamite" as an outtake, which was adapted for the soundtrack of the German action film Fire, Ice & Dynamite (directed by Willy Bogner Jr. and released in 1990).[61] Performed by the band as a four-piece without keyboardist Jon Lord—featuring Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Joe Lynn Turner on vocals, Roger Glover on keyboards, and Ian Paice on drums—the song incorporates action-oriented lyrics tailored to the film's treasure-hunt plot, diverging from the album's themes.[62] It remains the only official alternate adaptation from the sessions, highlighting the band's commercial versatility during this period.[63] Regional variants of the original 1990 release included the Japanese CD edition (BVCP-25 on BMG Victor), which came with an exclusive full-color promotional poster measuring 28.5 by 20 inches, issued to promote the album in that market.[64] The 2013 remastered CD edition by Friday Music includes bonus tracks "Slow Down Sister" (a non-album B-side from the "Love Conquers All" single) and "Love Conquers All" (single edit).[65] In 2025, Music On Vinyl released a 35th anniversary edition limited to 2000 numbered copies on blue/purple marble vinyl, containing the standard tracks without additional bonuses.[66] No other major alternate versions exist in official releases, though studio rehearsals and live demos from the 1990-1993 period—often blending Slaves and Masters material with previews of The Battle Rages On—circulate unofficially via bootlegs like The Battle of Slaves and Masters, capturing the lineup's internal tensions without formal authorization.[67]Personnel
Band members
The Slaves and Masters album features the Mark V lineup of Deep Purple, which was the band's configuration from 1989 to 1993 and marked a shift after the departure of previous vocalist Ian Gillan.[68] This lineup consisted of:- Joe Lynn Turner on lead vocals, who joined from Rainbow and provided the only Deep Purple album appearance in his career.[69]
- Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, the band's founder who had returned after a hiatus.[69]
- Roger Glover on bass guitar, a returning member from earlier eras.[69]
- Jon Lord on keyboards and Hammond organ, contributing the band's signature organ sound.[69]
- Ian Paice on drums and percussion, the sole constant member across all Deep Purple lineups.[69]