Deep Purple » Tracks

Smoke On The Water (10:18)

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Smoke on the Water is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked #426 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed “Smoke on the Water” at number 12 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

This song is known for and recognisable by its central theme, a four-note “blues scale” melody harmonised in parallel fourths. The riff, played on a Gibson ES-335 electric guitar by Ritchie Blackmore, is later joined by hi-hat, then drums, then electric bass parts before the start of Ian Gillan’s vocal. Jon Lord doubles the guitar part on a Hammond B3 organ played through a distorted Marshall amp creating a very similar tone to the guitar. Blackmore uses two fingers to pluck so the pairs of notes can be played exactly simultaneously to match the organ’s timing more closely. “Smoke on the Water” is the only song on Machine Head that is not played on his famous Fender Stratocaster. Blackmore cited that the reason for using the Stratocaster on the other tracks was, that it was harder to play than the Gibson. From then and on he always plays on the Fender Stratocaster. The song order is riff-verse-chorus-riff-verse-chorus-riff-solo-riff-verse-chorus-riff-solo. The first solo is performed on guitar by Ritchie Blackmore, whereas, the second and final solo is performed on an organ by Jon Lord until the song fades out.


The lyrics of the song tell a true story: on December 4, 1971, Deep Purple had set up camp in Montreux
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classic rock, hard rock, rock, deep purple, 70s
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Added by DavidSinRocks

Reprise de Smoke on the water de Deep Purple à la basse avec pas mal d'improvisation!

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Smoke on the water bass cover originally done by Deep Purple with a lot of improvisation

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