Bad Attitude

Album: The House of Blue Light (1987)
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Songfacts®:

  • According to the Jerry Bloom biography Black Knight, "Bad Attitude" was inspired by lead guitarist Ritchie Blackmore "although the tone was far less vicious" than Ian Gillan's previous polemic "Smooth Dancer."

    By the time The House Of Blue Light was recorded, Blackmore had spent twelve years in the States and his speech had become Americanised to a certain extent, something which appears to have irked Gillan.
  • The dedicated Deep Purple website TheHighwayStar.com credits words and music to Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and Jon Lord, with Gillan obviously supplying the lyrics. It remains to be seen if Blackmore realized he was the subject of the song, as it is by no means as obvious as "Smooth Dancer."

    The same source says several edits were made, including a live version which begins with Gillan reciting "The Teddy Bears Picnic"; this was recorded in Phoenix, Arizona on May 30, 1987. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2
  • Roger Glover explained to Metal Hammer in 1988, "'Bad Attitude' is probably the hardest song for us to do live for some reason. Again I think it's better live than the studio version and it's a song that really does suffer from translation from the studio to stage."

Comments: 1

  • Jorge from Bronx, NyI came to like this song,because back then,my handle [nickname] in the Citizen Band radio my name was Bad Attitude,but of course the album had 2 more songs i liked also.
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