An inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Glenn Hughes is affectionately known as the 'Voice of Rock', and with good reason.
Hughes has a career that spans decades, beginning in the 1970s with Trapeze. He joined rock legends Deep Purple in 1973, and a string of solo albums followed, as well as collaborations with artists as diverse as metal titans Black Sabbath and electronic music pioneers and pranksters The KLF.
In 2019 Glenn joined rock collective The Dead Daisies as bassist and vocalist. And below he's picked 10 of his favourite tracks from all those years of collaboration.
The Dead Daisies tour mainland Europe in February and March. Tickets are on sale now.
Trapeze - Medusa
I distinctly remember writing this song in my mother and father's kitchen. Little did I know what an amazing impact it would have on my life as well as the lives of many others around the globe.
It was a very important song for myself and Trapeze back in 1971. Medusa really opened the doors to America for us. The song has stood the test of time and has nearly always made an appearance in my solo live shows. It was a great honour for me to re-record the song with Joe Bonamassa and Black Country Communion in 2010.
Deep Purple - This Time Around
My second album with Deep Purple featured my song This Time Around. I have always been very proud of this song and the lyrical content. Even to this day it moves me when I hear it or perform it. I remember recording it late one night with Jon Lord, the two of us were alone in the studio and I'm so glad the tape was rolling and we managed to capture the magical performance.
In 2014 at the Royal Albert Hall I sang the song in memory of Jon Lord at his memorial concert, with the backing of a full orchestra. I was very happy to have honoured Jon Lord in this way.
Hughes/Thrall - Muscle And Blood
Pat [Thrall] and I came up with the initial idea of the riff, live in the studio. Thankfully the tape was rolling again. It was a song that basically wrote itself and within an hour we had the complete track. The lyrics came very easily to me. The song wasn't the main focus of the album we released but it certainly developed as a live favourite.
Black Sabbath - No Stranger To Love
I went to the studio with Tony [Iommi] and he showed me a demo of the song. It was the first song I sang on the album. I wrote the lyrics at the control desk and we went ahead and recorded it. I was only supposed to sing three songs for that album but after hearing No Stranger To Love, Tony asked me to sing on the rest of the album.
Gary Moore - Reach For The Sky
Another song that was written in the studio. In my eyes Garry Moore was the greatest guitar player. He really opened up on this track and made it his own.
The KLF - America: What Time Is Love?
Billy [Bill Drummond] and Jimmy [Cauty] were massive Trapeze fans, they'd contacted me and requested that I collaborate with them on their song What Time Is Love?. It broke new ground for me as it was a pop song, and I got to a newer, younger audience. I had a lot of fun recording with the guys and the video clip on the boat at Pinewood Studios was mind-blowing.
John Norum - Face The Truth
We recorded in Los Angeles in Nov 1991. John [Norum, guitarist with Europe] - was a very close friend whom I had met during my time living in Sweden. He had been working on an album and asked me to sing. I wrote all the lyrics for the album and I enjoyed being a part of the record with John, as he is a dear friend and a sweet human being. Face The Truth was the first song we recorded together.
California Breed - All Falls Down
I wrote this song after recovering from heart surgery in 2013. It's a fan favourite and I'm glad I was able to touch so many people with it. It was a very traumatic time for me as I was recovering from surgery. I had and still do have a lot of gratitude for being alive.
Glenn Hughes - Soul Mover
With Soul Mover I wanted to go back to my roots and write a song which focused on groove. I wanted to sing about my love for the spiritual condition. Soul Mover took on a life of its own and became bigger than I imagined. It was and is a big song for me, something I'm very proud of.
The Dead Daisies - Like No Other
We recorded Like No Other for the Holy Ground album. We wrote this song in France during pre-production, it was written at the microphone. The music was pretty much done and whilst we were putting down a scratch vocal I kept repeating 'you’re like no other, can you feel my bassline'. It made perfect sense.
It’s a live favourite for us all. We love the crowd participation when singing "You’re Like No Other". It’s a pinnacle part of the set for us live.
