Editing Jon Lord (section)

==Later work, 1984–2006==
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2014}}
Lord's re-emergence with Deep Purple in 1984 resulted in huge audiences for the reformed Mk II line-up, including 1985's second largest grossing tour in the US and an appearance in front of 80,000 rain-soaked fans headlining [[Concerts at Knebworth House|Knebworth]] on 22 June 1985, all to support the ''[[Perfect Strangers (album)|Perfect Strangers]]'' album. Playing with a rejuvenated Mk. II Purple line-up (including spells at a health farm to get the band including Lord into shape) and being onstage and in the studio with Blackmore, gave Lord the chance to push himself once again.  His '[[rubato]]' classical opening sequence to the album's opener, "[[Knocking at Your Back Door]]" (complete with F-Minor to G polychordal harmony sequence), gave Lord the chance to do his most powerful work for years, including the song "[[Perfect Strangers (Deep Purple song)|Perfect Strangers]]". Further Deep Purple albums followed, often of varying quality, and by the late-1990s, Lord was clearly keen to explore new avenues for his musical career.

[[File:Jon sunflower 2007.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Lord performing for [[The Sunflower Jam]], London, 2007]]
In 1997, he created perhaps his most personal work to date, ''[[Pictured Within]]'', released in 1998 with a European tour to support it. Lord's mother Miriam had died in August 1995 and the album is inflected at all stages by Lord's sense of grief. Recorded largely in Lord's home-away-from-home, the city of [[Cologne]], the album's themes are [[Edward Elgar|Elgarian]] and alpine in equal measure. Lord signed to [[Virgin Classics]] to release it, and perhaps saw it as the first stage in his eventual departure from Purple to embark on a low-key and altogether more gentle solo career. One song from ''Pictured Within'', entitled "Wait A While" was later covered by [[Norwegian people|Norwegian]] singer [[Sissel Kyrkjebø]] on her 2003/2004 album ''My Heart''.

Lord finally retired from Deep Purple amicably after their UK tour in February 2002, preceded by a knee injury that eventually resolved itself without surgery and which brought keyboardist [[Don Airey]] into the band, initially as his temporary replacement. He said subsequently, "Leaving Deep Purple was just as traumatic as I had always suspected it would be and more so – if you see what I mean". He even dedicated a song to it on 2004's solo effort, ''Beyond the Notes'', called "De Profundis". The album was recorded in [[Bonn]] with producer {{ill|Mario Argandoña|es}} between June and July 2004.

[[File:Tony jon1990.jpg|thumb|[[Tony Ashton]] (right) with Lord at a gig at the Hotel Post, March 1990]]
''Pictured Within'' and ''Beyond the Notes'' provide the most personal work by Lord. He collaborated with former [[ABBA]] superstar and family friend Frida ([[Anni-Frid Lyngstad]]) on the 2004 track, "The Sun Will Shine Again" (with lyrics by [[Sam Brown (singer)|Sam Brown]]), and performed with her across Europe. He subsequently also performed European concerts to première the 2007-scheduled orchestral piece ''Boom of the Tingling Strings''.

In 2003 he also returned to his beloved R&B and blues heritage to record an album of standards in Sydney, with Australia's [[Jimmy Barnes]], entitled ''Live in the Basement'', by Jon Lord and the [[Hoochie Coochie Men]]. Lord was also happy to support the Sam Buxton Sunflower Jam Healing Trust and in September 2006, performed at a star-studded event to support the charity led by Ian Paice's wife, Jacky (twin sister of Lord's wife Vicky). Featured artists on stage with Lord included [[Paul Weller (singer)|Paul Weller]], [[Robert Plant]], [[Phil Manzanera]], Ian Paice and Bernie Marsden.