Perks and Tit the final show of a highly successful American tour, the first to feature new members David Coverdale (Lead vocals) and Glenn Hughes (Bass, vocals) replacing Ian Gillan and Roger Glover respectively, and just 3 days after Deep Purple's legendary performance at the California Jam. Many fans in attendance to both shows agree that the band managed to outdo themselves with this show, reaching new levels of musical brilliance. This could be partly attributed to the fact that the band, and especially guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, were eager to firmly establish the new lineup in the minds of American fans. Even though
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