The Government were a British cover band of the late '60s and early '70s that would be totally forgotten if their lead singer had not been David Coverdale, who would eventually replace Ian Gillan in Deep Purple. In 1971 they recorded a four-track EP as a vanity pressing for themselves, just before they split up. Only 25 acetates were made, but the four tracks were used for Pre Purple People, a compilation of assorted rarities that future members of Deep Purple recorded in other contexts in the mid-'60s to early '70s. The four songs are unmemorable, horn-heavy rock covers of Chicago's Does Anybody Know (I'm Here), the Boxtops' The Letter, Cher's Bang Bang, and the Valentinos/Rolling Stones' It's All Over Now. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi