Ian Gillan (born on 19 August 1945), is a rock music vocalist best known as… Read Full Bio ↴Ian Gillan (born on 19 August 1945), is a rock music vocalist best known as the lead singer for legendary rock band Deep Purple. He is considered to be one of the foremost rock vocalists, who introduced into the rock music the vocal belting technique. In his prime he possessed a very wide vocal range which was rumored to be 4 and a half to 5 octaves and with seemingly effortless and fluid movement throughout it and with remarkable force and precision in the upper register.

Gillan was born in Hounslow, Middlesex, England. He joined the band Deep Purple in 1969. In 1970, he sang the part of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. After leaving Deep Purple in 1973, he went into brief retirement before forming the Ian Gillan Band. The early band sound had a distinct jazz-rock aspect which proved unpopular and was replaced by a more high powered hard rock sound as Gillan reformed the lineup and shortened the groups name to Gillan. With the release of Mr. Universe Ian Gillan was back in the UK charts and through several more line up changes released a string of hit singles and successful albums including Glory Road, Future Shock, Double Trouble, and finally Magic.

Then he announced the band would fold as he needed to rest his damaged vocal cords. In 1983 he joined Black Sabbath to record the Born Again album before rejoining a reunited Deep Purple shortly after completing the Born Again tour in early 1984. He left Purple again in 1989, but rejoined for good in 1992. He remains in the band today.

Gillan is now working on a project to document his 40-year career, tentatively called Gillan's Inn. Tony Iommi, Jeff Healey, various members of Deep Purple and many others will be featured on this 2006 DVD project.

Pre-Release
Ian Gillan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ian Gillan Band

Cast no shadow on the ground
Scream and there is not a sound
You can be free when you're with me
If I'm not me who can I be
Watching in the darkest night
When you cast your opal light

You go away during the day
Where do you stay when you're away

And now I am your tangled slave
Command me from your lonely grave
You make it easy so completely
When you're with me when you're with me
Take me back a hundred years
Let me kiss your dying tears
You can have peace I can release you
Living will cease and the undead will have peace

Years of wonder passing
Burning in my brain

Take me down beneath your hill
Take me where the air is still
If I'm with you then I can choose
A life for me too undead like you
Deep inside your new disguise
Burning colours in my eyes

We can be free if we can see
What shall we be it's our mystery

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ian Gillan's song "Pre-Release" are cryptic and mysterious, with a poetic quality that leaves the interpretation open to the listener. The song appears to explore the idea of living as an undead or immortal being, without the constraints of mortality. The lyrics describe being free when with the singer, who asks the question "if I'm not me who can I be". It is unclear whether the singer is referring to a literal transformation or a mental state of being. The idea of disappearing during the day and returning to the singer is also introduced, adding to the supernatural tone of the song.

The lyrics also touch upon themes of control and power. The singer describes themselves as a "tangled slave" commanded by the other person, who is described as coming from a "lonely grave". This imagery suggests that the other person has some kind of dominance or control over the singer, perhaps in the context of immortality or the supernatural world. The idea of "living will cease and the undead will have peace" reinforces this notion, suggesting that the singer is willing to give up their own life for the sake of the other person.

Overall, "Pre-Release" is a haunting and poetic exploration of the idea of immortality, control, and power. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but the overall tone is one of both fascination and fear.

Line by Line Meaning

Cast no shadow on the ground
I am not able to leave a trace on the ground

Scream and there is not a sound
Even though I scream, there is no sound to be heard

You can be free when you're with me
Being with me makes you feel free

If I'm not me who can I be
If I am not myself, who else can I be?

Watching in the darkest night
Observing in the darkest night

When you cast your opal light
When you emit your hazy light

You go away during the day
You disappear during the day

Where do you stay when you're away
Where do you rest when you're away?

And now I am your tangled slave
I am now your ensnared servant

Command me from your lonely grave
Order me from your solitary grave

You make it easy so completely
You make it completely easy