"Perfect Strangers"
Single by Deep Purple
from the album Perfect Strangers
B-side	"Son of Alerik"
Released	1985
Format	7"
Recorded	August, 1984
Genre	Hard rock
Length	5:23
Label	Polydor (UK) Mercury Records (US)
Writer(s)	Ritchie Blackmore Ian Gillan Roger Glover
Producer	Roger Glover Deep Purple
Deep Purple singles chronology
"Knocking at Your Back Door" (1985) "Perfect Strangers" (1985) "Knocking at Your Back Door"/"Perfect Strangers" (1985)
Perfect Strangers track listing "Mean Streak" (4) "Perfect Strangers" (5) "Gypsy's Kiss" (6)

"Perfect Strangers" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It is the title track of their 1984 album Perfect Strangers.

The words tell of the sorrow of remaining perfect strangers after a relationship with another person. It is one of the few Deep Purple songs not to feature a guitar or organ solo. Ritchie Blackmore has called it his favorite Deep Purple song^[1]

[edit] Live version

On the original studio version, the song ends with a fade out. However, in concerts, the band would end it with the added-in line "I don't want to taste your poison...", a throwback to a line vocalist Ian Gillan sang in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar in 1970.

Sometimes in concerts the song is introduced as "Perfect Street Rangers" by vocalist Ian Gillan. "... our favourite 3rd division football side"

[edit] Cover versions

• The song was notably covered by the American progressive metal band Dream Theater in their 1995 album A Change of Seasons. The band also regularly performed the song as "Nightmare Cinema" (with the band members switching instruments) as an encore during their 1997 tour.
• The song was covered by Japanese band nil in their album The Covering Inferno.
• The song was covered by Pretty Maids on their 2006 album Wake Up to the Real World
• The song was covered by Jorn on their 2007 album Unlocking the Past.
• The song was covered by Turkish rock guitarist Cem Köksal with Joe Lynn Turner in their 2007 live album LIVE!!

[edit] Other media

• The song was used by Shane Douglas as his theme song in ECW. In WCW and TNA he used an instrumental version of the song due to copyright issues.
• In ECW Tammy Sytch aka Sunny from WWE used this for her theme, as part of the group Triple Threat.
• This song was also used by Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko after they joined Shane Douglas' stable, the Triple Threat.

[edit] Personnel

• Ritchie Blackmore - guitar
• Ian Gillan - vocals
• Roger Glover - bass
• Jon Lord - organ
• Ian Paice - drums

[edit] References