They held auditions and placed ads in the music papers. Coverdale, who was working as a shop assistant and singing in local bands in Saltburn, sent in a demo tape. He also saw an ad in the Melody Maker asking for a singer and called the number.
The story goes that Deep Purple’s bassist, Roger Glover, and drummer, Ian Paice, were tasked with finding a new singer. They wanted someone different from Gillan—perhaps someone with a bit more soul or blues influence. when did david coverdale join deep purple
The need for a new vocalist arose after Deep Purple’s exhausting world tour supporting the album Who Do We Think We Are . Strained relationships, particularly between guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillan, combined with management and financial disputes, led to Gillan’s official resignation in June 1973 . The band was contractually obligated to produce a new album and undertake another tour, leaving little time for a leisurely search. They held auditions and placed ads in the music papers