DEEP PURPLE Releases New Music Video For 'Smoke On The Water'

DEEP PURPLE's "Smoke On The Water" has become a rite of passage for any guitar player who wants to pay homage to the gods of rock. It's instantly recognizable. For the first time ever as part of the campaign to celebrate the release of the super deluxe edition of "Machine Head", the album on which the track was first released, the track has received an official music video.

Conceived by U.K.-based Chiba Film, the animated production faithfully interprets the story of the song's inception. As the legend goes, DEEP PURPLE were in Montreux to record some tracks in a mobile recording studio rented from THE ROLLING STONES. They were due to record at the casino there after FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION played. However during the concert, a member of the audience shot a flare gun toward the roof which instantly caught fire. The entire building burned down, and the song recounts the events of that fateful evening.

Directors Dan Gibling and Luke McDonnell of Chiba Film commented: "It's been an honor to put visuals to this song, undeniably one of the greatest rock tracks of all time.

"The fact that the song is itself a story meant we had no shortage of inspiration for the scenes that accompany the music.

"Our idea for the video follows the fact that the band were under pressure to make this record on time after the events that unfolded at the casino. We wished to depict all these events and band members accurately, but also elevate the animated video into an exciting, action-packed chase that sees the band pursued by the stylus as they ride along the deep grooves of the record.

"On their journey, we visit the places and heroes mentioned in the song, as well as encounters with fire, water, smoke, police and even dragons as they strive to take control of the record stylus and cut their track into the vinyl.

"The writing of the album was an adventure summed up in the lyrics, and we hope we have created an accompanying adventure that existing and new fans will enjoy.".

The video utilizes the six-minute-plus 2024 remix of the hit, which reached the Top 5 of the Billboard Singles chart in 1973 and has since been enshrined as one of Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs Of All Time."

The 2024 remix was done by Dweezil Zappa, son of Frank Zappa, in a full-circle moment celebrating the inspiration for the lyrics.

Warner Records and Rhino Entertainment honor the album's enormous legacy with a comprehensive version introducing new mixes and previously unreleased live recordings. "Machine Head: Super Deluxe Edition" will be available on March 29 as a 3-CD/LP/Blu-ray.

Highlighting the collection are several different versions of the album, including new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes by Dweezil Zappa. The 1974 quadraphonic mix and a newly remastered version of the original album are also featured, adding depth to the extraordinary set.

The "Super Deluxe Edition" also contains two captivating live performances. The first, recorded on March 9, 1972, at the Paris Theatre in London, captures the group's unrivaled stage presence during the "Machine Head" tour. The second, previously unreleased, was recorded in April 1971 at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland. The band planned to record "Machine Head" there that December, but the venue burned down right before the sessions began, an event immortalized in "Smoke On The Water".

In the aftermath, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, keyboardist Jon Lord, singer Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice relocated to the nearby Grand Hotel (empty for the winter season) to record the album. Despite the chaos, the band managed to create its most successful album ever, topping the U.K. album chart and cracking the Top 10 in the U.S., earning a double platinum certification in 1986.

The previously unreleased Montreux concert promises to be a highlight for fans. The audience recording covers songs the band recorded prior to "Machine Head", including "Child In Time" (from 1969's "Concerto For Group And Orchestra"),"Speed King" (from 1970's "In Rock"),and "Strange Kind Of Woman" (from 1971's "Fireball").

The new Dolby Atmos and 2024 mixes provide fresh and immersive perspectives on this classic album and were made by Zappa using the original tapes. In the liner notes, Zappa says: "It's one of those records where I think, 'How did they come up with this?' It's got classical influences in the guitar and the keyboard, but then it's got the blues and there's little bits of funkiness. And you have this singer who has the most killer voice. All these things come together in a way where it doesn't sound like commercial music, yet people got really excited about it. It's a fascinating recipe."

"Machine Head: Super Deluxe Edition" LP track listing:

LP One: Dweezil Zappa 2024 Remix

Side One

01. Highway Star
02. Maybe I'm A Leo
03. Pictures Of Home
04. Never Before

Side Two

01. Smoke On The Water
02. Lazy
03. When A Blind Man Cries – B-side
04. Space Truckin'

CD Track Listing

CD One: Dweezil Zappa 2024 Remix

01. Highway Star
02. Maybe I'm A Leo
03. Pictures Of Home
04. Never Before
05. Smoke On The Water
06. Lazy
07. Space Truckin'
08. When A Blind Man Cries – B-side

2024 Remaster

09. Highway Star
10. Maybe I'm A Leo
11. Pictures Of Home
12. Never Before
13. Smoke On The Water
14. Lazy
15. Space Truckin'

CD Two: In Concert '72

01. Introduction
02. Highway Star
03. Strange Kind Of Woman
04. Maybe I'm A Leo
05. Smoke On The Water
06. Never Before
07. Lazy
08. Space Truckin'
09. Lucille
10. Maybe I'm A Leo – soundcheck

CD Three: Montreux '71

01. Swiss Yodel *
02. Speed King *
03. Strange Kind Of Woman *
04. Into The Fire *
05. Child In Time *
06. Paint It Black *
07. Wring That Neck (Hard Road) *
08. Black Night *
09. Lucille *

Blu-ray (Audio Only)

Dweezil Zappa 2024 Atmos Remix

01. Highway Star *
02. Maybe I'm A Leo *
03. Pictures Of Home *
04. Never Before *
05. Smoke On The Water *
06. Lazy *
07. Space Truckin' *
08. When A Blind Man Cries – B-side *

1974 U.S. Quad Mix

09. Highway Star
10. Maybe I'm A Leo
11. Pictures Of Home
12. Never Before
13. Smoke On The Water
14. Lazy
15. Space Truckin'

Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound Mixes

16. When A Blind Man Cries – B-side
17. Maybe I'm A Leo
18. Lazy

* previously unreleased