Deep purple smoke on the water
until more than a year after the March 1972 release of Machine Head (May 1973), where it peaked at number four on the charts. Strangely, the band was not impressed initially with the song, and it was not issued as a single in the U.S. The quintet immediately moved to the Pavillion, where recording finally commenced - and "Smoke on the Water" was soon penned. But the plan was not to be - on the same night the band arrived to begin recording, Frank Zappa was playing the venue, when a fire destroyed the Casino (due to an overzealous fan shooting a flare gun at the roof). The song's lyrics contain a true story within: In December of 1971, the band was planning on recording their next album (Machine Head) at the Casino in Montreux, Switzerland, utilizing the Rolling Stones' Mobile Studio. We just need to get this one out of the way right at the top. Just about every guitarist in the world past and present has at some point plucked Blackmore's world-famous chromatic riff, which turned out to be the band's best-selling and most enduring single of their career. It was this team of musicians who made Deep Purple a household name. Orchestral arrangements aren't necessarily supposed to rock, but backed by strings, Deep Purple virtually demolished the stage with their performance.It's near impossible to mention Deep Purple's 1972 classic "Smoke on the Water" and not immediately think of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's trademark guitar riff. Nearly 40 years on, Deep Purple gave the familiar classic a turbo-charged update, performing it during their orchestral tour last year, which was captured on a recent live DVD release recorded at, whaddya know, Montreux. Just about every guitarist in the world past and present has at some point plucked Blackmore's world-famous chromatic riff, which turned out to be the band's best-selling and most. Grace under pressure and good use of clock management helped Purple to deliver both a classic album and what would become one of classic rock’s most memorable and enduring songs. It's near impossible to mention Deep Purple's 1972 classic 'Smoke on the Water' and not immediately think of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's trademark guitar riff. The harried set of events - both the fire and Gillan’s illness - left the band strapped for time, and Glover says as a result, a good amount of ‘Machine Head’ was written “on the spot." 'Smoke On The Water’ is evidence that perhaps the spontaneity was a very good thing.įrom Blackmore’s cataclysmic riffing to Gillan’s stormy vocals, seemingly pushing back against an unseen wind, the sounds of ‘Smoke’ put you in the flame-licking midst of a developing tragedy that would leave its imprint on all who were in the vicinity. The band would relocate to a hotel to complete the album, which Glover says was recorded under “dire circumstances.” Hence the title, ‘Smoke On The Water’ and also unfortunately, the need for a new recording location. And the smoke was just like a stage show and it was hanging on the water.” “The wind was coming down off the mountains and blowing the flames and the smoke over the lake. It was a scary vision, as Gillen remembers, telling syndicated radio host Redbeard that “it was an inferno.” Bassist Roger Glover came up with the title ‘Smoke On The Water,’ which provided the linchpin for Gillen to write the lyrics which would provide a scene by scene account of the Zappa-related debacle. Watching the fiery events inspired the immortal opening riff from guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, which would be painstakingly imitated by budding guitar players of many future generations. Their progress was further delayed when a concert-goer shot off a flare at a Frank Zappa show at the Casino that set the roof on fire and destroyed the building. Recording in a mobile studio owned by the Rolling Stones within the Montreux Casino complex, the band was in the midst of laying down basic tracks when lead singer Ian Gillan was sidelined with hepatitis. Purple had come to town in 1971 to record the album which would become ‘Machine Head.' the original full-length versions of the bands biggest hits, like Smoke on the Water.
When Deep Purple first visited however, the festival was in its early stages, lasting only a couple of days. Buy Deep Purples album titled Smoke on the Water: The Best Of.
For Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke On The Water,’ all you have to do is journey to the little town on the water called Montreux which for decades, has played host to the annual Montreux Jazz Festival.