Deep Purple have had several line-up changes and were broken up for eight years from 1976 to 1984, with drummer Ian Paice being the band's only constant member. The first four line-ups, which constituted the band's original 1968–1976 run, are officially indicated as Mark I (1968–1969), Mark II (1969–1973), Mark III (1973–1975) and Mark IV (1975–1976). Mark I comprised the founding members of Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Rod Evans (vocals), Jon Lord (keyboards), Paice (drums) and Nick Simper (bass), while Mark II was the most commercially successful line-up, with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover replacing Evans and Simper respectively. Mark III saw David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes replace Gillan and Glover respectively, while Mark IV featured Tommy Bolin replacing Blackmore. The band split in July 1976 and Bolin died from a drug overdose five months later. In 1984, Deep Purple reformed with the Mark II line-up, which remained in place until Joe Lynn Turner replaced Gillan in 1989. Gillan rejoined in 1992, with Blackmore leaving for the second and final time the following year. He was replaced temporarily by Joe Satriani and then permanently by Steve Morse. In 2002 Don Airey replaced Jon Lord, which saw Deep Purple settle into its longest running line-up, unchanged for the next twenty years, until Morse announced his departure from the band in 2022. His place was taken by Simon McBride. Paice, Glover, Gillan, Airey and McBride comprise the current line-up of Deep Purple.
Deep Purple were ranked number 22 on VH1's Greatest Artists of Hard Rock programme] and a poll on radio station Planet Rock ranked them 5th among the "most influential bands ever". The band received the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards. Deep Purple (specifically Blackmore, Lord, Paice, Gillan, Glover, Coverdale, Evans, and Hughes) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn't have much time
But 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
They burned down the gambling house
It died with an awful sound
Funky Claude was running in and out
Pulling kids out the ground
When it all was over
We had to find another place
But 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
We ended up at the Grand Hotel
It was empty cold and bare
But with the Rolling-truck-Stones-thing just outside, ha
Making our music there
With a few red lights, a few old beds, huh
We made a place to sweat
No matter what we get out of this, ha
I know, I know we'll never forget
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
Smoke on the water
The opening verse of "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple is a true story of the events that took place in Montreux, Switzerland in 1971. The band had gone there to record their album, "Machine Head," in the Montreux Casino complex, which had a mobile recording studio. They had been inspired to record in this location after watching a Frank Zappa concert in the casino on December 4th, 1971. However, during the concert, a spectator fired a flare gun into the ceiling, which set the building on fire.
The lyrics describe the chaos and destruction that ensued after the fire broke out. The first verse tells of how they had come to Montreux to record on the Lake Geneva shoreline, but their plans were thwarted by the fire. They had hoped to record in the casino, which was the best place around, but the fire destroyed it. The chorus of "Smoke on the Water" refers to the smoke from the fire and the fire itself, which created a fire in the sky with its bright flames.
The second verse tells of how the gambling house was burned down and how Funky Claude, who was in charge of security, helped evacuate people from the building. The band had to find somewhere else to record their album, so they ended up at the Grand Hotel. The band went on to make music, but they would never forget the events that occurred that night in Montreux.
Line by Line Meaning
We all came out to Montreux
We travelled to Montreux, a town in Switzerland, to make music.
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
Our location was next to Lake Geneva.
To make records with a mobile
We aimed to record using a mobile studio.
We didn't have much time
We were constrained with time for recording.
But Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Frank Zappa and his band were nearby.
Were at the best place around
They were situated at the perfect location for performance.
But some stupid with a flare gun
Someone foolish used a flare gun and caused trouble.
Burned the place to the ground
As a consequence, the location was burnt down.
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
Smoke and flames were clearly visible.
They burned down the gambling house
The incident resulted in the collapse of the gambling establishment.
It died with an awful sound
The collapse made a terrible noise.
Funky Claude was running in and out
Funky Claude was trying to help people escape.
Pulling kids out the ground
He was rescuing children buried under the rubble.
When it all was over
Once the incident had finished.
We had to find another place
We needed to move elsewhere to continue recording.
But Swiss time was running out
We were running out of time in Switzerland.
It seemed that we would lose the race
It felt like we were in danger of failing the objective.
We ended up at the Grand Hotel
We relocated to the Grand Hotel.
It was empty cold and bare
The provisions there were basic and sparse.
But with the Rolling-truck-Stones-thing just outside, ha
However, there was excitement due to the Rolling Stones' mobile truck being nearby.
Making our music there
We continued to record our music at the Grand Hotel.
With a few red lights, a few old beds, huh
Our setup was nothing fancy, with only a few lights and places to sleep.
We made a place to sweat
We worked hard and diligently in the recording room.
No matter what we get out of this, ha
Regardless of the outcome, we were going to put in all our effort.
I know, I know we'll never forget
We knew that this experience would always remain in our memories.
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
The incident and atmosphere left an impression.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger D Glover, Jon Lord, Ian Paice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind