Developments in rock and blues during the 1960s brought about the formation of Deep Purple, a group whose signature was high volume combined with fast tempos and a highly arranged combination of rock and classical music. Ritchie Blackmore (b. 1945), who had a background working on sessions and backing pop singers, brought an unusual range of influences to Deep Purple. In contrast, the music of Tony Iommi (b. 1948) of Black Sabbath has a much narrower focus his soloing with the group is essentially based on the blues.

Ritchie Blackmore

With Deep Purple, formed in 1968, Ritchie Blackmore developed a style that has superficial affinities with Jimi Hendrix but, in fact, draws heavily on classical phrasing. At one extreme, he is a theatrical soloist, using the tremolo arm for a shaking vibrato effect and to move the pitch of notes by large intervals. His concentrated playing is improvisatory and scalar in approach and his solos are often fiery and imbued with a fast, nervous energy. His innovative use of repeating arpeggiated motifs has been very influential in rock soloing.

On Deep Purple's first album, Shades of Deep Purple (1968), "And The Address" demonstrates Blackmore's distorted riffs and the surging solo features vibrato and wild leaps over large intervals. The solo on "Mandrake Root" uses classical arpeggiation and scalar lines before breaking into a free section with distortion. On their second album, Book of Taliesyn (1969), the group move further into a neoclassical vein with extended instrumental sections. "Anthem" features a classically influenced electric solo over strings. The highlight of the album is "Wring That Neck," an instrumental showcase for Blackmore's individual voice in which jazz influences merge with rock and blues.

The album Deep Purple (1969) showcases a simpler, heavy-rock style within which Blackmore plays heavy-rock chords and riffs using a strong vocal projection with effects. On Deep Purple in Rock (1970), the flamboyant "Speed King" features a wide range of tone and color, and "Child in Time" shows articulate and controlled blues influences and note- bending. During the 1970s, Blackmore went on to produce inspired solos on Machine Head (1972), particularly on "Lazy" and "Highway Star," a track with a harmonized opening and a solo containing classical motifs.