Why “Smoke on the Water” Should’ve Never Been Written

Author Colin Newby

January 26th, 2023 1:31 PM

Sometimes, the best things in life happen by accident. Roger Glover and Deep Purple hit it big thank to one the most foolish accidents you could ever imagine at a concert venue.

The lyrics to “Smoke on the Water” don’t leave much to interpretation. The opening verse of the story tells the story of how a fan fired a flare gun and burnt down a venue before Deep Purple had a chance to perform in Montreux, Switzerland in 1971.

We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile, yeah
We didn’t have much time now

Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground

The story happened just like it’s told in the song’s opening. Deep Purple needed to wait for Frank Zappa and the Mothers to finish at Montreux Casino, but they ultimately just watched smoke over the waters of Lake Geneva and fire in the sky.

What’s the point of shooting off a flare gun in the middle of a crowded venue? People in Philadelphia have heard that question asked after an incident when a crazed Eagles fan fired a flare during a game at Veterans Stadium against the 49ers in 1997.

If the fire never happened, we might never have heard the legendary “Smoke on the Water” guitar riff, one of the best of all time. The song quickly became Deep Purple’s biggest and most recognizable hit. It made Machine Head their highest-grossing album by a longshot and created the opportunity for a lasting legacy. The song even came in a #42 on MGK’s Philly 500 in 2022.

It all happened because of the butterfly effect of some mindless decision to fire a flare gun indoors.

Listen to the John DeBella Show on 102.9 MGK for the “Get a Riff of This” segment in honor of “Smoke on the Water” the week of Jan. 30-Feb. 3. You’ll have a chance to win tickets at 8:35 am Monday-Friday to see Deep Purple at the Xcite Center at Parx Casino in Bensalem on Feb. 10. 

25 Rock Stars Who Celebrate January Birthdays

• Bernard Fowler (Jan. 2)

  Bernard Fowler has sung vocals for the ageless Rolling Stones since the 1980s. He has also performed with Yoko Ono, Alice Cooper, and Steve Lukather.

• John Paul Jones (Jan. 3)

  John Richard Baldwin, aka John Paul Jones, reached stardom at the height of Led Zeppelin’s fame during the 1970s. While Jimmy Page and Robert Plant took the bulk of the attention for the band’s success, Jones was the bassist and keyboardist as well as a talented songwriter.

  John Paul Jones is credited as a major contributor in writing some of the biggest hits from Led Zeppelin, including “Fool in the Rain,” “All My Love,” “D’Yer Maker,” and “Black Dog.”

  He entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Led Zeppelin in 1995.

• Stephen Stills (Jan. 3)

  Stephen Stills has found success wherever he’s landed at different points throughout his career. His work as a singer for Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash earned him inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of each group.

  Stills and Neil Young performed together as original members of Buffalo Springfield. Young also crashed the party to form Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for just over a year’s span in 1969 and 1970.

  Some of Stills’ most memorable songs, including “For What it’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield and “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, involved Vietnam War protests.

• Michael Stipe (Jan.4)

  Michael Stipe starred as the lead singer of R.E.M. during the height of their popularity in the 1980s. His crafty vocal work for “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” still makes listeners wonder how he pulled off the tongue twister.

• Robby Krieger (Jan. 8)

  Robby Krieger became one of the original members of the Doors in 1965 along with Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek. He was a contributing writer for “Light My Fire” and “Touch Me” along with many more of the Doors’ greatest hits.

• Elvis Presley (Jan. 8)

  The King of Rock & Roll was gone too soon.

   

• David Bowie (Jan. 8)

  Beyond his incredible work as a musician, David Bowie revolutionized the importance of stage presence and a persona that fed his popularity. He created his alter ego Ziggy Stardust in 1972. The attraction to this character helped his album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars fly off the shelves.

  Bowie passed away on Jan. 10, 2016 after a battle with liver cancer. He is remembered for timeless hits like “Changes,” “Space Oddity,” and “Heroes,” among many others.

• Jimmy Page (Jan. 9)

  Six days after John Paul Jones celebrates, Jimmy Page will follow. The founder and lead guitarist of Led Zeppelin also played with the Yardbirds during the 1960s. Despite confusion about the origins of the song, Page helped make “Stairway to Heaven” one of the most famous rock songs of all time.

  He entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds in 1992 and as a member of Led Zeppelin in 1995.

• Pat Benetar (Jan. 10)

  Pat Benetar entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022. She climbed toward the top of the charts with “Heartbreaker” in 1979 and “Love Is a Battlefield” in 1983.

• Rod Stewart (Jan. 10)

  Rod Stewart achieved success through his solo career and as the lead singer of Faces. His solo album Every Picture Tells a Story included some of his biggest hits like “Maggie May” and “Reason to Believe.”

• Donald Fagen (Jan. 10)

  Steely Dan lead singer and keyboardist Donald Fagen still tours solo even after the unfortunate passing of Walter Becker in 2017.

• Jim Croce (Jan. 10)

  South Philly native and Upper Darby High School alum Jim Croce passed away in 1973. He died tragically during the prime years of his music career in 1973. One of his biggest hits, “I Got a Name,” was released the day after he died.

   

• Tommy Conwell (Jan. 14)

  While Andre Gardner and Tony Harris might grab all the attention at MGK on Jan. 14, three rock stars will also celebrate their birthdays.

  Local legend Tommy Conwell also turns 61.

• Dave Grohl (Jan. 14)

  Dave Grohl played in two of the most influential rock bands of the 1990s. He helped Nirvana spearhead the popularity of grunge rock in the early 1990s before forming Foo Fighters in 1994.

• Zakk Wylde (Jan. 14)

  Zakk Wylde has played guitar in Ozzy Osbourne’s band after the Black Sabbath era. He has also performed with Black Label Society and more recently with Pantera.

• Mick Taylor (Jan. 17)

  Mick Taylor played with the Rolling Stones from 1969-1974, appearing on six albums before pursuing a solo career that lasted through five decades.

• Susanna Hoffs (Jan. 17)

  Susanna Hoffs sang hits like “Manic Monday” and “Walk Like an Egyptian” for the Bangles during the 1980s. She began a solo career during the 1990s.

• Paul Stanley (Jan. 20)

  Paul Stanley has mastered a role as the “driving force and unwavering voice of KISS” since the 1970s. The band’s unique sense of fashion reserved them a spot in history on top of their excellent music.

  Stanley wrote KISS’s most widely-recognized song “Rock and Roll All Nite” in 1975.

• Steve Perry (Jan. 22)

  Steve Perry entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey in 2017 after two stints as the band’s lead singer. Odds are that you’ve heard “Don’t Stop Believin'” at least once or twice.

• Steven Adler (Jan. 22)

  Drummer Steven Adler helped Guns ‘N Roses become a prominent band in the hard rock scene of the 1980s. He entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the band in 2012.

• Robin Zander (Jan. 23)

  Robin Zander sang lead vocals for Cheap Trick. “Surrender” and “I Want You to Want Me” became two of their most popular hits during the 1970s.

  However, their adaptation of “That ’70s Song” brought them back into the public eye in the late 1990s and early 2000s when it was used as the theme song for the final seven seasons of That ’70s Show.

• Tom Keifer (Jan. 26)

  Delaware County’s own Tom Keifer became the lead singer and guitarist for Cinderella in the 1980s.

• Eddie Van Halen (Jan. 26)

  Eddie Van Halen and his brother Alex co-founded Van Halen in 1982. Eddie is remembered as one of the greatest and most innovative guitar players in history.

  He passed away in 2020 at age 65.

• Nick Mason (Jan. 27)

  Nick Mason played drums for Pink Floyd at the height of their popularity during 1970s. He enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the band in 1996.

  One of the Pink Floyd’s most impressive strengths was creating concept albums, including Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Mason is credited as a contributing writer to “Speak to Me” and “Time” from Dark Side of the Moon.

• Phil Collins (Jan. 30)

  Phil Collins reached stardom as the drummer and lead singer of Genesis during the 1970s. Genesis made a major impact on the ’70s progressive rock scene with hits like “That’s All” and “Follow You, Follow Me.”

  Collins also put together a successful solo career beginning in the 1980s, most famously through “In The Air Tonight.”

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Author Colin Newby

Category:

• WMGK Audio
• Classic Rock News
• Music

Tags:

Deep Purple,roger glover,Smoke on the Water