The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast

The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast

Concept album and subsequent live rock opera written by Roger Glover. Released in 1974 in the UK and in 1975 in the US, the album was based on a children's poem of a similar title, with its album cover designed by Alan Aldridge, who also designed a 1973 book based on the poem. Recorded at Kingsway Recorders in London during the summer of 1974, the album encompasses various genres like pop rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, and progressive rock. It was produced by Roger Glover and Alan G. Rainer, and released under Purple Records in the United Kingdom and UK Records in the United States.

48:28

Originally conceived as a solo project for Jon Lord, produced by Glover, the reins were taken by Glover himself as Lord was busy with Deep Purple. The album featured a large cast of noted rock musicians, each providing vocals for different characters, including David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. Notably, an animated short film, "The Butterfly Ball," was also produced by the Halas & Batchelor company. A one-off performance of the rock opera occurred on 16 October 1975 at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring a star-studded cast including Ian Gillan, Twiggy, and Vincent Price as the narrator. The concert, which also featured Jon Lord, was filmed and released in 1976.