TOMMY BOLIN: Why I Joined Deep Purple

Tommy Bolin has barely closed his eyes since he arrived in New York several days ago. Having recently replaced Ritchie Blackmore as Deep Purple’s lead axeman, he’s due shortly in Munich to record with that group, but in the meantime has been spending increasingly long hours in a studio here in the Big Apple, determined to finish work on a solo album. Last night’s session, which began promptly after dinner, stretched well past eight a.m.

Riding the elevator up to Bolin’s hotel suite early this afternoon, therefore, I half expect to be greeted only by a note announcing that the guitarist is still asleep. But he answers his doorbell almost immediately, ushering me inside with a smile that betrays no sign of his hard day’s night. He eases himself into a seat on the couch and sipping a “morning” glass of grapefruit juice, explains that he’s quite used to sacrificing his shut-eye.