When I was in fourth grade in 1976, there was a talent show at my elementary school. A classmate named Greg brought in a bass guitar and an amp, and he played the intro from Smoke On the Water. G-Bb-C, G-Bb-Db-C. One of the greatest rock riffs of all time. I didn't know what the song was, but when I eventually became familiar with it, I remembered the talent show.
I grew up in northern Illinois. The only Lake Geneva I knew was in Wisconsin; it was where I went to church camp for a few days in the summer. I had no idea what Montreux was, or how to spell it. I didn't know who Frank Zappa was, or why he was with a bunch of mothers. I just knew there was some stupid with a flare gun who started the fire.
Of course, I now know that the song is Deep Purple's musical news report about what happened - the band were planning to record some songs at the Montreux Casino, using the Rolling Stones mobile recording studio. Frank Zappa was playing a show there when someone fired a flare gun and started a fire. Claude Nobs, Funky Claude, founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival, helped people escape from the burning building. The band ended up recording at the Grand Hotel in Montreux, which was mostly empty, since it was the end of the tourist season.
Ian Gillan sounds fairly pissed off and disgusted, I love the way his voice rises up after We ended up at the Grand Hotel...Ritchie Blackmore plays a nice guitar solo in the middle. The live version from the Made In Japan album is pretty close to the studio version, although it allows a bit more space for Jon Lord to show off his chops on the organ.
Thanks Mark! I never listened to the lyrics and wondered what they were about.
ReplyDeleteI too have a vivid memory of playing this song in pep band in high school, about 20 brass and percussion players who played during the breaks in basketball games, in case you don't know what pep band is. Anyhoo, we used to play 'Smoke on the water' and Doobie Brothers 'Long train runnin'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4tJSn0QtME
as fast as we could to watch the cheerleaders trying to keep up with their dance routine, it was VASTLY entertaining, to us band nerds in the bleachers. :) Thanks for the memories mate!
You're welcome, Kate! Damn cheerleaders, make em sweat! I remember my high school pep band. Also my high school marching band. They had to wear these ridiculously hot wool outfits and tall marge simpson hair headpieces, even in the summer!
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