Glenn Hughes EXCLUSIVE interview reveals new Black Country Communion album and Deep Purple

Named after the industrial area of the UK, and the birthplace of Glenn Hughes, Black Country Communion have returned with new material, after a five-year absence, with the release of their fourth album to date BCC IV.

A bone fide hard rock supergroup, Hughes with his partners Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian have released three chart topping, hard riffing studio albums to date.

2017 has been a very busy year in the life of the man known as ‘the voice of rock’. Hughes began the year with the release of his superb solo album Resonate backed up by a very successful worldwide tour.  

Now, with the release of a new Black Country Communion album, Express.co.uk are granted an exclusive and revealing interview with Glenn who discusses the recording of BCC IV and his solo plans for Deep Purple.

Most fans assumed that the band had broken up after the release of the 2013 Afterglow album. Did the band actually split up?

Glenn opens up: “There was never a plan to completely break up. There needed to be some separation for a while, while we all went out and did our own thing and then we got back together. And it all worked out great!”

With four very busy in demand band members, it must be a headache to coordinate schedules and start the ball rolling on making a new album together?

Glenn reveals: ” I was inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame last year with Deep Purple and Joe called me up the next day at my hotel. He wanted to know when I was returning to Los Angeles, which is the place that I have been pretty much living all of my life. So I said: ‘I’ll be home on Tuesday’. He said: ‘Can we get together for dinner when you do get home’?  So we met for dinner in Santa Monica and spoke about what it would be like if we got back together with Jason and Derek and make another epic album.”

‘So Joe and I decided that we would write together, alone. I wanted to feel that he was going to be committed to making an album. You know, he’s a very busy guy and I have been extremely busy myself. I wanted to make sure that we were both on the same page! Joe was very enthusiastic, so we got together in my house during October 2016 for eleven days and we wrote all of these songs for the album in a row.”

Blessed with the sobriquet The Voice of Rock, which he earned on an international level as the bass player and singer in Deep Purple, Glenn cherishes his unique gift.

Hughes said: ” I’m so grateful to have been given this gift to sing and write and surround myself with loving people. I never want to stop growing spiritually and learn how to be a better singer, writer and musician.” 

Glenn continues: ” BCC IV is aggressive, sensitive and sad. It’s a celebration of life and death. All of my work is about fact, not fiction. I don’t write about anything other than what goes on inside a human being.”

There is a high energy enthusiasm that Hughes exudes for life and creating music. Indeed, inspiration is something that Hughes takes in his stride wherever he may be and at whatever time of the day. 

The opening track Collide and follow up song Over My Head are perfect examples of how Glenn latches fast onto ideas.

He explains: ” Collide is the first song that Joe and I wrote. It just came out. The riff was so simple, so damn easy! In rock music, you have to keep things simple. For instance, look at how simple but glorious AC/DC sound. It’s so exciting and I wanted Black Country Communion to have the glory of that kind of simplicity.”

“I had the idea for Over My Head at 3 am in the morning. My wife Gabi heard me singing it, so I went upstairs and recorded the demo. I just knew the melody was there and it kinda wrote itself in a dream.”

As a well documented reformed drug addict, Hughes is involved with many causes. One, in particular, inspired the the song the Cove. An atmospheric Led Zeppelin style classic about the dolphins that are slaughtered each year in Japan. 

As an ambassador for the dolphin project charity, Hughes describes: “between February and March each year, fifty dolphin hunters in the Japanese village of Taiji go deep into the ocean and net and bring in the dolphins into the killing cove and slaughter them for food and entertainment. Now that I am a vegan, I want to educate people as it’s deeply saddening to see how these beautiful creatures are killed. I want to be of service to the human race and show people that this is wrong!”

Glenn Hughes has played with some amazing musicians down the years. And sharing an LA house with David Bowie during Deep Purple’s Stormbringer album, he has many fond memories from his time in Deep Purple.

To celebrate his time in Deep Purple, Glenn is planning an Australian, and New Zealand Glenn Hughes plays Deep Purple tour in October. 

Glenn says: “I remember that I was getting off a plane in LA when I got the news that Purple keyboard legend John Lord had died. We all knew that he had pancreatic cancer, from which nobody survives. I’m gonna do my own celebration. Trust me, I tried to get together with Ritchie Blackmore and David Coverdale, but it’s just impossible to work it. I’m friends with these guys but you just can’t get them onstage.”

Clearly a restless spirit, Hughes has more fuel in his tank to burn with multiple projects currently on the go.

He enthuses: “Next year, i’m travelling and touring with a very famous guitarist . It’s contractual that I can’t speak about it, but it’s gonna be fantastic!”

But firstly, with the Black Country Communion BCC IV album to promote and with gigs announced in January 2018, it’s clear that The Voice of Rock has plenty to shout about.

Black Country Communion BCC IV is released by Mascot Records on 22 September. Click here to see the upcoming shows.

The band are playing two exclusive UK concerts at: Wolverhampton Civic Hall – Tuesday 2 January 2018.

London Hammersmith Apollo – Thursday 4 January 2018.