Deep Purple: The Life Story Behind the Smoke on the Water Band
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Deep Purple are one of the loudest and longest-lived bands in rock history, and their story is a story of change. They have had many singers, many guitar players, and many different sounds, but they have always been Deep Purple. Their most famous song, Smoke on the Water, is one of the most recognised guitar riffs in the world, played by beginners in music shops and by professionals on huge stages. Their album Machine Head, released in 1972, is one of the great rock albums of all time, and it contains songs that are still played on radio today.
The band formed in Hertford, England, in 1968, and they began as a band that mixed rock with classical music and with psychedelic sounds. They changed quickly, and by 1970 they had become a hard rock band, with Ian Gillan singing, Ritchie Blackmore playing guitar, Jon Lord playing organ, Roger Glover playing bass, and Ian Paice playing drums. That line-up, known as Mark Two, made the band famous, and it made the music that most people remember.
Since then, Deep Purple have split up, reformed, changed members again and again, and kept going. Jon Lord, the organ player who gave the band its deep, classical sound, died in 2012. Ritchie Blackmore left in 1993. Ian Gillan and Ian Paice are still there, and the band still tours the world, playing to crowds who know every word of Smoke on the Water. This is the story of a band that refused to stop, even when its members changed, its fortunes changed, and the music world changed around it.
Hertford, 1968, and a Band Looking for a Sound
Deep Purple formed in Hertford, England, in 1968, when a group of musicians came together to form a new band. The first members were Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Jon Lord on keyboards, Ian Paice on drums, Rod Evans on vocals, and Nick Simper on bass. Blackmore was a skilled guitarist who had played as a session musician. Lord was a classically trained keyboard player who loved the organ. Paice was a young drummer with speed and power. Evans had a smooth voice, and Simper played bass with a steady style.
The band’s first sound was a mix of rock, classical music, and psychedelic pop. They recorded a version of the Joe South song Hush in 1968, and it became a hit in America, reaching number four on the charts. The song showed that the band could make a catchy record, but it did not show the hard rock sound that would later make them famous. The band toured America, they recorded albums, and they tried to find a sound that was truly their own.
The early albums, Shades of Deep Purple, The Book of Taliesyn, and Deep Purple, all released in 1968 and 1969, showed a band that was still searching. They mixed rock with classical pieces, they played long songs, and they experimented with different styles. The music was interesting, but it was not yet the hard, direct rock that would define them. The band knew that they needed to change, and they knew that the change would mean new members and a new direction.
In 1969 Rod Evans and Nick Simper left the band, and they were replaced by Ian Gillan on vocals and Roger Glover on bass. Gillan had a powerful voice that could sing high notes with strength, and Glover was a skilled bass player and songwriter. With Gillan and Glover, the band became Mark Two, the line-up that would make them famous. The change was not easy, but it was necessary. The band had found the voices and the sound that it needed, and the next few years would be the most successful of its life.
In Rock, Fireball, and the Mark Two Sound
With Ian Gillan and Roger Glover in place, Deep Purple recorded the album Deep Purple in Rock in 1970. The album was loud, fast, and direct, and it showed a band that had found its sound. Songs like Speed King and Child in Time became favourites with fans. Child in Time was a long song, with a quiet beginning and a powerful ending, and it showed Gillan’s voice at its best, rising from a whisper to a scream. The album did well in Britain, and it marked the start of the band’s hard rock period.
The band followed it with Fireball in 1971, another loud and fast album, and then with Machine Head in 1972, which became their most famous record. Machine Head was recorded in Montreux, Switzerland, after a fire at a concert by Frank Zappa burned down a casino where the band had planned to record. The fire became the subject of Smoke on the Water, a song about watching the casino burn from across the lake. The song’s guitar riff, played by Ritchie Blackmore, is one of the most famous riffs in rock history, and it is still learned by guitar players today.
Machine Head also included Highway Star, a fast song about driving and about speed, and Space Truckin’, a loud song about travelling through space. The album was a huge success, and it made Deep Purple one of the biggest rock bands in the world. They toured constantly, they played large venues, and they built a reputation as a live band that could play louder and faster than almost anyone else. Their live album, Made in Japan, released in 1972, captured that energy, and it became one of the most loved live albums in rock.
The band were now at the top, but the pressure was high. They toured for long periods, they recorded quickly, and they argued about music and about money. Gillan and Blackmore, in particular, had a difficult relationship. They were both strong characters, and they disagreed about the direction of the band. The arguments grew worse, and in 1973 Gillan and Glover left the band. Mark Two was over, and the band would have to change again if it was to survive.
Burn, Stormbringer, and the Coverdale Years
After Gillan and Glover left, Deep Purple found new members. David Coverdale became the singer, and Glenn Hughes joined on bass and vocals. Coverdale had a deep, soulful voice, and Hughes had a high, powerful voice, and together they gave the band a new sound. The new line-up, known as Mark Three, recorded the album Burn in 1974, which was a success, with the title song becoming a favourite with fans. The album showed that Deep Purple could change singers and still make good music.
The band followed Burn with Stormbringer in 1974, an album that mixed hard rock with funk and soul. The album did well, but it also showed that the band was moving away from the hard rock sound that had made them famous. Ritchie Blackmore, in particular, was unhappy with the new direction, and he felt that the band was losing its edge. He left in 1975, and he formed his own band, Rainbow, where he could play the music he wanted to play.
Blackmore was replaced by Tommy Bolin, an American guitarist, and the band became Mark Four. They recorded the album Come Taste the Band in 1975, which had a different sound again, with more funk and more soul. The album did not sell as well as earlier records, and the band were tired. Bolin had problems with drugs, and the band’s live shows suffered. In 1976 Deep Purple split up, after eight years of constant work, constant change, and constant touring. It seemed as if the band was finished.
Tommy Bolin died later in 1976, at the age of twenty-five, from a drug overdose. His death was a sad end to a short career, and it reminded people of the dangers of the rock life in the 1970s. David Coverdale went on to form Whitesnake, which became a successful band in its own right. Glenn Hughes worked as a solo artist and with other bands. The members of Deep Purple went their separate ways, and for eight years there was no Deep Purple at all.
Perfect Strangers and the Great Reunion
In 1984 Deep Purple reunited. The Mark Two line-up, Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Roger Glover, and Ian Paice, came back together, and they recorded the album Perfect Strangers. The album was a success, with the title song becoming a favourite, and it showed that the band could still play together after eight years apart. The reunion tour was also a success, with large crowds coming to see the band that had made Machine Head.
The reunion did not last in peace for long. Gillan and Blackmore continued to argue, and the old tensions returned. Gillan left again in 1989, and he was replaced by Joe Lynn Turner, who had sung with Blackmore in Rainbow. The band recorded the album Slaves and Masters in 1990 with Turner, but the album was not well received by fans, who wanted Gillan back. In 1992 Gillan returned, and the band recorded The Battle Rages On in 1993, but Blackmore left again during the tour that followed, and he never returned.
Blackmore was replaced by Joe Satriani for a time, and then by Steve Morse, an American guitarist who joined in 1994 and stayed for almost thirty years. Morse brought a new style to the band, with a cleaner, more melodic guitar sound, and he helped the band to make a series of well-received albums, including Purpendicular in 1996 and Now What?! in 2013. The band toured the world with Morse, and they built a new audience of younger fans who had not been born when Machine Head was released.
Jon Lord, the organ player who had been with the band from the start, left in 2002, and he was replaced by Don Airey. Lord continued to work on classical music and on other projects, and he remained a respected figure in music. He died in 2012, at the age of seventy-one, from cancer. His death was mourned by fans and by fellow musicians, who remembered his organ playing as the heart of Deep Purple’s sound. The band continued without him, but his loss was felt deeply.
Still Playing, Still Loud, After Fifty Years
Today Deep Purple are still a working band, more than fifty years after they formed. Ian Gillan and Ian Paice, the singer and the drummer from Mark Two, are still there, along with Roger Glover on bass, Don Airey on keyboards, and Simon McBride on guitar, who replaced Steve Morse in 2022. The band tours the world, playing to crowds who know their songs by heart, and they continue to record new music, including the album =1, released in 2024.
Their concerts are a mix of old and new. They play Smoke on the Water, Highway Star, and Child in Time, and the crowds sing along. They also play newer songs, showing that they are not only a band from the past. They are a band that is still alive, still working, and still enjoying what they do. That is a remarkable achievement for a group that has changed members so many times and that has survived so many splits and reunions.
Deep Purple were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, which was a formal recognition of their importance. The induction honoured the Mark One, Mark Two, and Mark Three line-ups, and it reminded people that the band had been a major force in rock for almost fifty years. The honour was long overdue, and it was welcomed by fans who had waited many years to see the band recognised in that way.
The legacy of Deep Purple is the sound of hard rock itself. They helped to invent heavy metal, they helped to define the sound of the 1970s, and they made records that are still played today. Smoke on the Water is not just a song. It is a piece of music that every guitar player knows, and it is a reminder of a night in Montreux when a casino burned down and a band turned a disaster into a classic. That is the kind of story that only rock music can produce, and Deep Purple produced it.
The Organ, the Voice, and the Riff That Everyone Knows
Jon Lord’s organ was the heart of Deep Purple’s sound, and it deserves to be talked about as much as Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar. Lord was classically trained, and he brought a depth and a richness to the band’s music that other rock bands lacked. His organ playing on Child in Time, Highway Star, and Smoke on the Water is beautiful and powerful, and it gives Deep Purple a sound that is different from other hard rock bands. He did not just play chords. He played melodies, he played solos, and he played with a feeling that came from his classical training. His death in 2012 was a sad loss, and it reminded fans of how important he had been.
Ian Gillan’s voice was another central part of their sound, and it is one of the great voices in rock. He can sing quietly, he can sing loudly, and he can hit high notes that most singers cannot reach. In Child in Time, he starts softly and builds to a scream that sounds like a cry of pain, and that performance is still regarded as one of the greatest vocal performances in rock. Gillan’s voice gave the band its emotional power, and it made their songs feel alive. He is still singing today, in his seventies, and his voice is still strong, which is a remarkable achievement.
Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar riff on Smoke on the Water is probably the most famous riff in the world, and it is worth thinking about why it works so well. It is simple, it is slow, and it is heavy, and it is easy to learn, which means that beginners can play it and feel like rock stars. At the same time, it is powerful enough to fill a stadium, and it is instantly recognisable to millions of people. That combination of simplicity and power is rare, and it is why the riff has lasted for more than fifty years. Blackmore wrote it, but it belongs to everyone now, to every guitar player who has ever learned it.
Roger Glover’s bass playing and songwriting were also important, because he gave the band a steady rhythm and he helped to write many of their songs. He was a skilled musician, and his work on Machine Head and on later albums showed his talent. Ian Paice’s drumming, with its speed and its precision, drove the band forward, and he is the only member who has been in the band for its entire history, from 1968 to today. That longevity is remarkable, and it shows his dedication to the band.
The band’s live album, Made in Japan, is another part of their story that deserves mention, because it captured their live energy in a way that few live albums do. Recorded in Japan in 1972, it includes long versions of Child in Time, Smoke on the Water, and Highway Star, with solos and improvisations that show the band at its best. It became one of the most loved live albums in rock, and it is still played today by fans who want to hear what Deep Purple sounded like on stage at their peak.
In the end, the organ, the voice, and the riff are all part of the same story, a story about a band that made music that was loud, melodic, and lasting. Deep Purple’s sound is still recognised today, their songs are still played, and their influence is still felt in the work of younger bands. That is a legacy that few bands achieve, and it is one that Deep Purple earned through talent, through hard work, and through a refusal to stop.
Deep Purple also made a mark with their live performances, because they were known as one of the loudest and most exciting live bands in the world. Their concerts in the 1970s were famous for their volume, for their long solos, and for the energy of Ian Gillan’s voice and Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar. Fans who saw them live often said that the band sounded even better on stage than on record, and that is a high compliment. Their live album Made in Japan captured that energy, and it is still regarded as one of the greatest live albums ever made, because it shows a band at its peak, playing with power and with skill.
The band’s later work with Steve Morse also deserves mention, because Morse brought a new style to the band and helped them to make a series of well-received albums over almost thirty years. He was not Blackmore, and he did not try to be, but he was a skilled guitarist in his own right, and his playing gave the band a cleaner, more melodic sound. His longevity, from 1994 to 2022, is a testament to his talent and to his dedication, and his work helped Deep Purple to stay relevant long after many bands from the 1970s had stopped. That is a remarkable achievement, and it deserves to be celebrated.
The band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 was also a proud moment, because it recognised their role in inventing hard rock and heavy metal, and it came after many years of being overlooked. The induction honoured the Mark One, Mark Two, and Mark Three line-ups, and it reminded people that Deep Purple had been a major force in rock for almost fifty years. It was a fitting tribute to a band that had never given up, even when its members changed and its fortunes changed.
Deep Purple’s music also influenced the way rock bands thought about classical music, because Jon Lord brought his classical training into a hard rock band, and he showed that the two worlds could work together. His organ playing on albums like Deep Purple in Rock and Machine Head gave the band a depth that other rock bands lacked, and it inspired other keyboard players to try classical ideas in rock. That fusion of classical and rock is a key part of Deep Purple’s identity, and it is one of the reasons why their music still sounds distinctive today, more than fifty years after they formed.
My Take:
When I think about Deep Purple, I think about a riff. Not just any riff, but the riff from Smoke on the Water, which is probably the most famous guitar riff in the world. I have heard it in music shops, on radio, at concerts, and in films, and it always sounds the same, simple and powerful. Four notes, played slowly, with a heavy sound, and everyone knows what it is. That is a remarkable achievement for a piece of music. It is simple enough for a beginner to learn, and strong enough to fill a stadium. I admire that kind of simplicity, because it is much harder to write a simple riff that lasts than it is to write a complicated one that is forgotten.
I also think about the story behind the song, because it is a true story. The band were in Montreux, Switzerland, to record an album, and they watched a casino burn down during a Frank Zappa concert. They wrote a song about what they saw, about the smoke on the water and the fire in the sky. That is a very human way to write a song. They did not invent a story. They wrote about something that happened in front of them, and they turned it into music. That honesty is part of why the song works. It is not a fantasy. It is a memory.
Machine Head is an album that I admire a great deal, because it is a complete record. Every song on it has a purpose, and every song is played with energy and with skill. Highway Star is fast and exciting, Child in Time is long and emotional, Smoke on the Water is famous, and Space Truckin’ is loud and fun. The album does not have a weak song on it, and that is rare. Many albums have one or two good songs and the rest are filler. Machine Head does not. It is a record that was made by a band at the top of its powers, and it shows.
I think about Ian Gillan’s voice, because it is a very special voice. He can sing quietly, and he can sing loudly, and he can hit high notes that most singers cannot reach. In Child in Time, he starts softly and builds to a scream that sounds like a cry of pain. That is not easy to do, and it takes both skill and courage. He puts his whole body into the singing, and you can hear it. I admire singers who sing like that, who do not hold back, and who give everything to a song. Gillan is one of those singers.
Jon Lord is another member who deserves more credit than he usually gets. People talk about Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar, and they forget that Jon Lord’s organ was just as important to the band’s sound. Lord was classically trained, and he brought a depth and a richness to the music that other rock bands lacked. His organ playing on Child in Time and on Highway Star is beautiful and powerful, and it gives Deep Purple a sound that is different from other hard rock bands. He was not just a keyboard player. He was a composer, and his music made the band complete.
Ritchie Blackmore is a difficult character, and I do not pretend to understand him fully. He was a great guitarist, and his playing on Smoke on the Water, Highway Star, and Burn is superb. But he was also a difficult person to work with, and his arguments with Ian Gillan caused the band to split more than once. I feel sad about that, because the band was at its best when Blackmore and Gillan were working together, even when they were arguing. Their tension made the music better, but it also made the band unstable. That is a painful truth, and it is one that many bands live with.
I also think about the many changes in the band, because Deep Purple have had more line-ups than almost any other major band. They have had many singers, many guitarists, and many bass players, and yet they have always been Deep Purple. That is a strange and interesting fact. It suggests that the band is more than its members. It is a sound, an idea, and a name that carries on even when the people change. I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand, it means that the music can live on. On the other hand, it means that the band is never quite the same from one year to the next. But Deep Purple have made it work, and they have kept going for more than fifty years, which is a remarkable achievement.
Steve Morse deserves credit too, because he joined the band in 1994 and stayed for almost thirty years. He was not Ritchie Blackmore, and he did not try to be. He brought his own style, a cleaner and more melodic guitar sound, and he helped the band to make good records and to tour the world. That takes humility and skill. It is not easy to join a famous band and to replace a legend, but Morse did it with grace, and he earned the respect of the fans. I admire him for that.
The death of Jon Lord in 2012 was a sad moment, because he was the last of the original members who had been there from the start, along with Ian Paice. Lord’s organ was the heart of the band, and his loss was felt by everyone who loved Deep Purple. I think about how much he gave to music, not only in Deep Purple but in his classical work as well, and I feel grateful that his music is still played. He was a quiet, thoughtful man, and his playing reflected that. He did not show off. He played with feeling, and that is the best kind of playing.
If I have a criticism, it is that Deep Purple were sometimes treated as a second-rank band, behind Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, even though they were just as important. They helped to invent heavy metal, they made one of the great rock albums, and they have lasted longer than almost any other band from their time. That deserves more respect than they sometimes received. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2016 was long overdue, and it was a small correction to a long injustice. I am glad that it happened while Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, and Roger Glover were still alive to enjoy it.
In the end, I will remember Deep Purple as a band that refused to stop. They split, they reformed, they changed members, they argued, they lost friends, and they kept going. They are still touring today, still playing Smoke on the Water, and still filling venues with people who love their music. That is a story about persistence, about the love of playing, and about the power of a good song. A riff, a voice, and an organ can last for fifty years, and Deep Purple prove that every time they step on stage.
I also think about David Coverdale, because he took on a very difficult job when he replaced Ian Gillan in 1973. Gillan’s voice was the sound of Deep Purple, and Coverdale had to sing the old songs and the new ones with his own voice. He did it well, with a deep, soulful style that gave the band a new sound. His work on Burn is strong, and his later success with Whitesnake shows that he was a talented singer in his own right. I respect him for taking on that challenge, and for the music he made with the band.
Glenn Hughes is another member I think about, because he joined with Coverdale and brought a high, powerful voice and a funk influence that changed the band’s sound. His singing on Burn and Stormbringer is impressive, and his bass playing gave the band a new groove. He had problems with drugs in the 1970s, and his life was difficult for a time, but he recovered and he continued to make music for many years. I admire him for his recovery, and for the way he kept singing with power and with feeling.
Tommy Bolin is a sad part of the story, because he was a talented guitarist who joined the band in 1975, and he died in 1976 at the age of twenty-five. His time with Deep Purple was short, and his album Come Taste the Band did not sell well, but his playing showed promise. His death from a drug overdose was a tragedy, and it reminded people of the dangers of the rock life in the 1970s. I feel sad for him, and for his family, because he was young and talented, and he had more music to make.
I think about the album In Rock, because it was the record that made Deep Purple a hard rock band. Before In Rock, they were a band that mixed rock with classical music. After In Rock, they were a loud, fast, hard rock band, and that change defined their career. The album includes Speed King and Child in Time, and it is a powerful record that still sounds fresh today. I admire the band for making that change, because it took courage to leave behind a sound that had given them a hit with Hush, and to try something new and harder.
The song Highway Star is another favourite of mine, because it is a fast song about driving, about speed, and about freedom. It has a driving beat, a powerful vocal, and a guitar solo that is exciting and melodic. When I hear it, I think about the open road, about the feeling of going fast, and about the joy of rock music. It is a song that captures the excitement of being young and free, and it is one that still makes me want to turn up the volume.
I also think about the band’s time in Montreux, because the story of Smoke on the Water is a true story about a fire, about a casino burning down, and about a band watching it from across a lake. That is a very human way to write a song, to take something that happened in front of you and turn it into music. I admire the band for that honesty, and for the way they turned a disaster into a classic. It is a reminder that the best songs often come from real life, not from imagination alone.
In the end, I come back to persistence, because that is what Deep Purple are about. They have split, they have reformed, they have changed members, they have lost friends, and they have kept going for more than fifty years. They are still touring today, still playing Smoke on the Water, and still filling venues with people who love their music. That is a story about the love of playing, and about the power of a good song. A riff, a voice, and an organ can last for fifty years, and Deep Purple prove that every time they step on stage.
I also think about Don Airey, who replaced Jon Lord on keyboards in 2002, because he took on a very difficult job, replacing a legend, and he did it with skill and with grace. Airey had played with Rainbow and with Ozzy Osbourne, and he brought experience and talent to the band. His playing on later albums is strong, and his work helped Deep Purple to continue after Lord’s departure. I respect him for that, and for the way he honoured Lord’s memory while also bringing his own style to the band.
Simon McBride, who replaced Steve Morse on guitar in 2022, also deserves credit, because he joined a famous band and had to fill a role that had been held by two legends, Blackmore and Morse. He plays with power and with melody, and his work on the album =1, released in 2024, shows that he belongs in Deep Purple. That takes courage, and it takes talent, and McBride has both. I admire him for taking on such a difficult job and for doing it well.
In the end, I think about the future of Deep Purple, because they are still touring, still recording, and still playing to crowds who love their music. They are in their seventies, but they play with the same energy as they did in the 1970s, and that is a remarkable thing. Their music will keep playing, their songs will keep being learned by young guitarists, and their story will keep inspiring new bands. That is a legacy worth celebrating, and it is one that Deep Purple earned through more than fifty years of hard work.
Frequently Asked Questions
When were Deep Purple formed and where?
Deep Purple were formed in Hertford, England, in 1968, with Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Jon Lord on keyboards, Ian Paice on drums, Rod Evans on vocals, and Nick Simper on bass. The band began with a mix of rock and classical music before becoming a hard rock band.
What is the story behind Smoke on the Water?
Smoke on the Water was written about a fire that burned down a casino in Montreux, Switzerland, during a Frank Zappa concert in December 1971. Deep Purple watched the fire from across Lake Geneva, and the song’s famous guitar riff was written by Ritchie Blackmore.
Who sang on Machine Head?
Ian Gillan sang on Machine Head, released in 1972, with Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Jon Lord on organ, Roger Glover on bass, and Ian Paice on drums. That line-up, known as Mark Two, is regarded as the band’s classic line-up.
Why did Deep Purple change singers so often?
Deep Purple changed singers and other members many times because of arguments, tiredness, and different musical directions. Ian Gillan left in 1973 and again in 1989, David Coverdale sang from 1973 to 1976, and Joe Lynn Turner sang briefly, before Gillan returned in 1992.
Are Deep Purple still touring today?
Yes, Deep Purple are still touring and recording more than fifty years after they formed, with Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, and Roger Glover still in the band. They released the album =1 in 2024, and they continue to play their classic songs around the world.
When were Deep Purple inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Deep Purple were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, honouring the Mark One, Mark Two, and Mark Three line-ups. The induction recognised their role in inventing hard rock and heavy metal.
