Bogus Deep Purple Purple put an ad in a newspaper underneath an ad for a Bogus Deep Purple concert that was to take place at Long Beach Arena in California, stating: <poem> The following STARS WILL NOT PERFORM at the Deep Purple Concert at Long Beach Arena Tomorrow, Aug. 19, 1980. RITCHIE BLACKMORE DAVID COVERDALE IAN GILLAN ROGER GLOVER GLEN HUGHES (sic) JON LORD IAN PAICE </poem> The real Deep Purple were contacted about the bogus Deep Purple, and their management sued Evans, given that he was the only member of the band who received booking royalties and who had any rights to
Ian Gillan and Barnacle were quickly replaced by Bernie Tormé and by former Episode Six bandmate Mick Underwood, after Gillan saw Torme playing with his punk trio. This band had a more high-powered hard rock sound, and the release of "Mr. Universe" in October 1979 saw Ian Gillan back in the UK charts, although the independent record company the album came out on – Acrobat Records – folded soon after the album was released, prompting a contract with Richard Branson's Virgin Records. In Christmas 1979, Gillan was visited by Blackmore, who offered him the position of lead vocalist in Rainbow. Gillan declined