Famously originally issued in the Far East only as Live In Japan – at the request of Deep Purple’s Japanese record label Warner Pioneer, in the hope of encouraging back catalogue sales – it subsequently grew into a historic release, widely ranked as one of the greatest live albums of all time.
It was recorded at three shows on the band’s first visit to Japan, in August 1972 (two shows in Osaka then one in Tokyo). The dates had been postponed from May, meaning the band had played many more shows (mostly in the USA), honing performances of the songs from their June-released sixth album Machine Head. Come Japan, that studio masterpiece’s great songs became almost transcendental. Word got around. Imports sold well. So, repackaged as Made In Japan, the double album went on sale in the rest of the world – at the same price as a single album in the UK, redefining the meaning of ‘value for money’.
