Gillan
Gillan was a hard rock band formed in 1978 by Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan. In 1978 Ian Gillan had become dissatisfied with the jazz fusion style of his band called the Ian Gillan Band and dissolved it, retaining only keyboard player Colin Towns, and formed a new band entitled Gillan. He added Steve Byrd on guitar, Liam Genocky on drums and John McCoy on bass, and initially pursued a progressive rock direction, releasing their eponymous debut in 1978, although they could only get a record deal in Japan. This recording has subsequently become more widely available as The Japanese Album as a CD re-issue by RPM Records in 1994. Genocky was unable to commit to the band beyond the recording of the album and the band’s live debut at the Reading Festival in 1978. He was replaced for the subsequent tour by Pete Barnacle.
