Bombshell: Ian Paice makes the worst decision of his career as he has announced he won’t be…

I love Deep Purple as much as the next old dude. So naturally, I’ve been digging the new Super Deluxe Edition of their classic 1972 LP Machine Head. The remastered updates of classics like Lazy, Space Truckin’, Highway Star and (of course) Smoke On The Water are a sonic revelation, and the new mixes by Dweezil Zappa (no, really) are truly inspired. Listening to it reminded me that I interviewed their explosively propulsive drummer (and longest-serving member) Ian Paice back in 2011 before a Canadian tour. Here’s the piece that ran in the paper and online — expanded with plenty of quotes that got cut for space back in the day. Enjoy.

Deep Purple will make no  album before its time. Good thing it’s finally about time. Drummer Ian Paice says he’s “almost positive” the British arena-rock gods — whose last record was 2005’s Rapture Of The Deep — will hit the studio in 2012 to cut their 19th studio album.

“I believe that we have another good record in us and I believe we’ll make it this year,” says the 63-year-old rocker, blaming the delay on dissent within the ranks. “A couple of years ago there were a couple of guys in the band who just didn’t see the point. And when it’s like that there’s no use trying to push it. But there’s been a change of heart. I want to do it just because I think it’s good that we keep coming out with new music. It’s good for our fans that they still see us trying to give them something different to listen to. I don’t care how successful is it. Financially, most people know that making records is not what it used to be.”

Thankfully, touring is another story. “We play to more people now than we have in the past 20 years. We have to turn down work.” Some gigs they didn’t decline: The largest Canadian tour in their 44-year history. Singer Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover,  guitar player Steve Morse, keyboardist Don Airey and Paice — the sole constant in the group since its inception — will play 17 cities in 24 days on their Smoke On The Nation run, beginning in St. John’s and wrapping up in Vancouver.

From a Caribbean holiday villa where he was soaking up some extra rays before braving the Great White North, Paice discussed the various shades of Purple, forgetting about The Velvet Underground and getting into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The highlights: