Deep Purple is one of the most influential hard rock bands of all time. Formed in 1968, they pioneered a heavier blues-based style that laid the foundations for heavy metal. Their 1972 album Machine Head is considered one of the essential rock albums of the decade. The classic Deep Purple line-up featured Ian Gillan on vocals, Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Jon Lord on keyboards, Roger Glover on bass and Ian Paice on drums. This line-up was responsible for Deep Purple’s most successful releases between 1969 and 1973.
One of Deep Purple’s most famous live albums is Made in Japan. Recorded over three nights in August 1972 at the Budokan in Tokyo, it captured the band at the height of their powers and became a huge commercial success. But an interesting question arises – was the Made in Japan album actually filmed as well as recorded? Let’s take a closer look at the story behind this seminal live album.
Deep Purple’s 1972 Japan Tour
In early 1972, Deep Purple were one of the biggest rock bands in the world. They had achieved major success with albums like Deep Purple In Rock (1970) and Fireball (1971). Their single “Smoke on the Water” had been a big hit. After headlining the Montreux Jazz Festival, the band headed to Japan in August 1972 for a series of concerts.
Japan was a key market for rock music and Deep Purple had played there in 1971. Their record label requested they return to capitalize on their popularity. Deep Purple were initially non-committal but their management convinced them that it would be a good opportunity. The band were persuaded by the prospect of playing in the famous Budokan arena in Tokyo.
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 9th August | Fukuoka | Kyuden Kinen Gym |
| 11th August | Osaka | Kousei Nenkin Kaikan |
| 12th August | Nagoya | Shi Kokaido |
| 15th August | Tokyo | Budokan |
| 16th August | Tokyo | Budokan |
| 17th August | Tokyo | Budokan |
The band played 6 concerts at major venues in Japan between the 9th and 17th of August 1972. The Tokyo shows at the Budokan on 15-17th August ended up being recorded for what became the Made in Japan live album.
The Budokan Shows
The Budokan arena in Tokyo was originally built for judo competitions in the 1964 Summer Olympics. By the late 60s and early 70s it started hosting rock concerts as the music took off in Japan. Top artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin played the Budokan. Deep Purple were only the third rock act to perform there, so these shows marked a milestone for the band.
Deep Purple’s three night stand at the Budokan was sold out, with over 35,000 people attending across the three concerts. The Japanese fans were loud and enthusiastic, whipping up a feverish atmosphere in the arena. The band fed off this energy and played some of the best shows of their career.
They opened with Highway Star each night and played a mix of songs from their recent albums plus older tracks like Child In Time. The setlists were:
15th August:
Highway Star
Child in Time
Smoke on the Water
The Mule
Strange Kind of Woman
Lazy
Space Truckin’
16th August:
Highway Star
Smoke on the Water
Child in Time
The Mule
Strange Kind of Woman
Lazy
Space Truckin’
17th August:
Highway Star
Smoke on the Water
Child in Time
The Mule
Lazy
Space Truckin’
The recordings of these shows formed the basis of the classic Made in Japan live album.
Recording Made in Japan
Deep Purple’s shows in Japan were intended to be recorded right from the start. Their label wanted to capture the excitement of their live performances for a live album to capitalize on their popularity. The same recording team from the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio who had recorded Machine Head were brought over to tape the Budokan gigs.
Martin Birch was the engineer and he used the latest state of the art recording equipment to get clean live recordings direct from the venue’s mixing desk. The 8 track recordings were mixed and compiled into the Made in Japan double album, which was rush released in the UK in December 1972.
The album was an instant hit, demonstrating Deep Purple’s reputation as a premier live act. Made in Japan went to number 1 in the UK and top 10 in the US, becoming the band’s biggest record. It remains one of the best selling live albums ever 46 years after its release.
Was Made in Japan Filmed?
While the Tokyo shows were definitely recorded in multi-track audio for the live album, there is uncertainty around whether they were actually filmed as well. No official footage from the concerts has ever been released by the band. Rumors have persisted over the years that the Budokan shows were filmed and that video footage exists. However, this has never been definitively confirmed.
Several factors suggest the Made in Japan shows were most likely not filmed:
- No film crew is documented as being present at the concerts.
- Band members have never made reference to the shows being filmed.
- No video footage has surfaced despite the album’s popularity.
- Video recording equipment was still relatively scarce in 1972 compared to audio.
- Filming rock concerts was not standard practice at the time.
While it’s possible some video taping was done, perhaps for a documentary, the evidence suggests this was not a full multi-camera shoot for a concert film. Otherwise it’s likely the footage would have been utilized or released by now. Made in Japan is therefore only available as a live album rather than a concert film.
What the Band Said About the Shows
Deep Purple have given plenty of interviews over the years about their celebrated Japanese tour and the recording of Made in Japan. While they consistently talk about the tremendous energy and feedback from the audiences, there is no indication the shows were ever filmed.
In a 2012 interview, bassist Roger Glover said of the Japanese fans:
“They were so fanatical and excited. It was chaos, madness. Absolutely brilliant.”
Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore reflected:
“The Japanese audiences were very musical. They knew all the intros, they knew exactly what we were going to do. So we had to change the program every night. We never played the same thing twice.”
Vocalist Ian Gillan remembered the crowds being so loud that they drowned out parts of the band’s performance on the recordings. But tellingly, none of the band members ever mentioned anything about the concerts being filmed.
Conclusion
In summary, while there are rumors that footage exists, there is no evidence that Deep Purple’s famous 1972 Budokan concerts documented on the Made in Japan live album were ever actually filmed. The shows were clearly recorded in audio and produced an all-time great live rock record. But reviews and recollections by the band suggest there was no professional filming taking place.
Made in Japan captured Deep Purple at a peak moment – but only on tape rather than on celluloid. The lack of concert footage hasn’t dampened the appeal of one of the greatest live albums in rock history. But it provides an intriguing historical question mark for Deep Purple archivists trying to determine if the Budokan shows were also committed to film.
