Vinyl Icons

Original LP
The original LP was released on EMI subsidiary Harvest Records on June the 5th 1970 in a laminated gatefold sleeve with the Mount Rushmore group-shot on both the front and back covers. The black and white inside gatefold displayed the lyrics, credits and portraits of the group members while the record label bore the yellow and green Harvest logo [SHVL 777]. In the US the LP was released on Warner Brothers with green or beige labels [WS 1877].

The album was released in an unusually large number of territories worldwide. The standard sleeve format was used for most releases, but there were exceptions. The Malaysian version [Hero, Y 507012234 K] came in a single sleeve with the cover image in pale lilac monochrome. So did the German version on HÖR ZU/Harvest, which included the HÖR ZU logo on the front cover and on the black and white Harvest labels [SHZE 288]. A mono version was released in Argentina in 1971 on Harvest with the titles translated into Spanish on the rear cover [SHVL 777/5175].

Cassette and 8-Track
Deep Purple In Rock was released on 8-track format in the US in 1970 on Warner Bros [M 81877] and in the UK on Harvest [8X-SHVL 1877], both with different running orders. It was also released on 3¾ips, 4-track stereo tape on Warner Bros [WST 1877-B] but in the United States only.

In the UK the first cassette came in 1970 with the insert setting the LP cover artwork on a gold background [see below, left]. The cassette itself was royal blue in colour with black and white labels [Harvest, TC-SHVL 777]. Its American counterpart had the cover image reversed and set on a black background. The cassette came with white embossed shells [Warner Bros M5 1877].

First CD
The first CD release was in Japan in 1987 on Warner Brothers [32XD-898] and, like the first UK version in 1989 [EMI, CDP 7 46239 2], it had a fairly basic insert with just credits and tracklisting. But the 1989 Japanese reissue on the 'Forever Young' series from Warner Brothers had an eight-page colour booklet with credits, lyrics in English and notes in Japanese. [20P2-2603]. This was essentially the format of the first US CD release, in 1991 [Warner Bros 1877-2].

A 'Paper Sleeve' CD, remastered by Lee Herschberg, was released in Japan in 2006, with a facsimile card sleeve of the original LP [Warner Bros, WPCR 12253].

And a limited edition 24K+ Gold HDCD was released on Audio Fidelity in the US in 2009, remastered for this edition by Steve Hoffman [AFZ 051].

25th Anniversary Editions
A 25th anniversary CD remastered at Abbey Road studios appeared in the UK in 1995 with the group's signatures printed on the jewel case. The standard running order is augmented by the single 'Black Night', recorded at De Lane Lea the month after the In Rock sessions and originally released simultaneously with the LP in 1970.

Bonus tracks include the outtake 'Cry Free', an unreleased instrumental 'Jam Stew', an alternative 'Piano version' of 'Speed King', snippets of studio chat and remixes by Roger Glover of 'Flight Of The Rat', 'Speed King and an unedited 'Black Night'. The disc came with a booklet containing text and rare photos [EMI, CD DEEP1, 7243 8 34019 2 5].

A purple vinyl 2LP set was also released for the 25th anniversary [pictured above] with a transparent 'signature' sticker on the cover and the same tracklisting as the CD with photos and notes on the inner bags [Harvest, DEEPP 1, 7243 8 34019 1 8].

Picture Disc
A special edition LP picture disc was released in the UK in 1996 with extra tracks. Side A ended with 'Cry Free' and 'Jam Stew', while side two included 'Black Night' [EMI SHVL 777 P].

Audiophile Releases
A limited edition 180g marbled vinyl LP – in grey and black, based on the rock colour of the sleeve – was released by Harvest/Parlophone in the Vinyl Collector series in 2016 [SHVL 777/0825646035083]. Meanwhile, Rhino Records released an 180g vinyl LP in the US the same year via Warner Brothers [R1 1877].

In 2018 the album was newly remastered by Andy Pearce and Mark Wortham and cut to vinyl at half speed [Harvest, Parlophone SHVL 777]. Lastly, Warner Records released a 180g German LP in 2020 [R1 1877/825646 035083].