Who Do We Think We Are

Who Do We Think We Are! is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple. It was recorded in Rome (in July 1972) and Frankfurt (October 1972) using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. It was Deep Purple’s last album with the Mark II lineup of the group until Perfect Strangers (1984).

Overview

Although “Woman from Tokyo” was a hit single, the group - riven with internal strife - struggled to come up with tracks of the quality of their previous three albums (and first live album). Whilst it hit number 4 in the UK charts and number 15 in the US charts, it did not sell as well as previous albums. Nonetheless, Deep Purple was the best selling artist in the USA in 1973 (see also Machine Head and Made in Japan). The album was certified Gold on April 11, 1973 by the RIAA, selling 500,000 copies in the US.

“Woman from Tokyo” was recorded in July 1972 and is about touring Japan for the first time (e.g. the lyric “Fly into the Rising Sun”). The only other track released from the Rome sessions is the out-take “Painted Horse”. The rest of the album was recorded in Frankfurt after more touring (including Japan). “Place in Line” has a darker blues mood.

Ian Gillan left the band following this album, citing internal tensions widely thought to include a feud with Blackmore. However, in an interview supporting the release of the 1984 Mark II Deep Purple comeback album Perfect Strangers, Gillan stated fatigue and management also had a lot to do with it. “We had just come off 18 months of touring, and we’d all had major illnesses at one time or another. Looking back, if they’d have been decent managers, they would have said, ‘All right, stop.