WHERE THERE’S SMOKE…

Deep Purple has been my go-to rock band for as long as I can remember. I saw them perform live twice and am a devoted follower of both Deep Purple and their “spin-off” group, “Rainbow”. What better song for Jim’s prompt today than “Smoke On The Water”?!

The lyrics tell a true story: on December 4, 1971, Deep Purple was in Montreux, Switzerland to record the album “Machine Head”.

On the eve of the recording session, a concert with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention was held in the casino’s theatre. This was the theatre’s final concert before the complex closed down for its annual winter renovations, which would allow Deep Purple to record there.

At the beginning of the Mothers’ keyboardist Don Preston’s synthesizer solo on “King Kong”, the place suddenly caught fire when somebody in the audience fired a flare gun towards the rattan-covered ceiling. Although there were no major injuries, the resulting fire destroyed the entire casino complex, along with all the Mothers’ equipment.

The “smoke on the water” line that became the title of the song referred to the smoke from the fire spreading over Lake Geneva from the burning casino as the members of Deep Purple watched from their hotel. Deep Purple’s Bassist Roger Glover said “It was probably the biggest fire I’d ever seen up to that point and probably ever seen in my life. It was a huge building. I remember there was very little panic getting out because it didn’t seem like much of a fire at first. But when it caught, it went up like a fireworks display.”

What a phenomenal classic rock song this is! All the lyrics from the song explain the event vividly. Listen closely and follow along with the written lyrics as the musical story unfolds:

Lyrics

We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile, yeah
We didn’t have much time now

Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground

Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
(Smoke) on the water, you guys are great

They burned down the gambling house
It died with an awful sound
Funky Claude was running in and out
He was pulling kids out the ground now

When it all was over
Find another place
Swiss time was running out
It seemed that we would lose the race

Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
Smoke on the water

Burn it down

We ended up at the Grand Hotel
It was empty, cold and bare
The Rolling truck Stones thing just outside
Huh, making our music there now

With a few red lights and a few old beds
We made a place to sweat
No matter what we get out of this
I know, I know we’ll never forget

Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
Smoke on the water
(I can’t hear anything)

one more time
(Smoke on the water) hey!

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Ian Gillan / Jon Lord / Ritchie Blackmore / Roger Glover / Ian Paice

Smoke on the Water lyrics © Glenwood Music Corp.

NAR © 2023

Thursday Inspiration #221 The One I Love