Song:Smoke On The Water
Album:Machine Head: 25th Anniversary 2CD Edition
Though Deep Purple are categorized as a heavy metal band and were once listed by the Guinnss Book Of World Records as the world's loudest pop band, they started out as a progressive rock group and their sound changed due to personnel changes. Smoke On The Water is their biggest hit and best known song. Deep Purple began in 1967 as an attempt by Searchers drummer Chris Curtis to start the new band Roundabout. He hired organist Jon Lord of The Artwoods and then guitarist Ritchie Blackmore who had been playing sessions in Germany. Curtis left but Lord and Blackmore continued. They hired bassist Nick Simper, singer Rod Evans and drummer Ian Paice and Deep Purple was born. They signed with Polydor in England and Tetragrammaton in the US. Believe it or not, Tetragrammaton was owned by Bill Cosby. Though the group had some success, the financial state of the label soon became a problem and Warner Bros. bought Deep Purple's contract when Tetragrammaton closed in 1970. Meanwhile, Evans and Simper were fired and replaced by Ian Gillan and Roger Glover of Episode Six. Though the album Concerto For Group and Orchestra was critically acclaimed, Blackmore and Gillan wanted to go in a hard rock direction. The plan in Dec. 1971 was to record Machine Head in at a casino in Montreux using the Rolling Stones mobile studio. But the night before they were to begin recording, the casino burned down during a Frank Zappa concert. Deep Purple went to another hotel to record Machine Head and Smoke On The Water is about that fire. Smoke On The Water reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Machine Head reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 200 and was certified 2XPlatinum. This 2CD edition was remastered by Roger Glover. Of course Smoke On The Water has one of the most popular guitar riffs in history. Soon after, Gillan and Glover left and were replaced by Glenn Hughes and new lead singer David Coverdale. They continued to tour and record but Blackmore left in 1975 to form Rainbow and Tommy Bolin was hired to replace him. That ultimately did not work out and Deep Purple split up in Mar. 1976. Of course David Coverdale had success with Whitesnake. Deep Purple reformed with the original lineup in 1984 and stuck with it until Blackmore left again in 1994. He was replaced by Steve Morse and Deep Purple still tours tday and Paice, Glover and Gillan are still in the band. Here's Deep Purple performing Smoke On The Water in New York 1973.
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