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Ritchie Blackmore playing an electric guitar on stage in front of Marshall amplifiers during a live rock performance.

Music

The Night a Flare Burned Down Montreux and Lit Up Deep Purple Forever

In 1971 the Montreux Casino burned during a Frank Zappa show. Deep Purple lost their studio, then turned disaster into “Smoke on the Water.”

Deep Purple band standing together in flamboyant 1970s fashion, emphasizing the style and attitude of early hard rock culture.

Music

How Deep Purple Made Machine Head in a Silent Hotel (with a Truck Outside)

After the Montreux casino burned, Deep Purple recorded Machine Head in a closed hotel with a mobile studio, battling noise, nerves, and bad luck.

Deep Purple band members posing together in a classic group portrait.

Music

When Organ Fought Voice: How Jon Lord and Ian Gillan Built Deep Purple’s Hard-Rock Blueprint

Deep Purple’s Mark II secret weapon was not just guitar heroics-it was Lord’s raging Hammond trading blows with Gillan’s voice.

Deep Purple members relaxing outdoors, seated casually around stone stools in a black-and-white photo.

Music

Fire, Flares, and Fate: The Night Deep Purple Wrote “Smoke on the Water”

In 1971 a flare lit up Montreux Casino during Frank Zappa’s set – and Deep Purple turned the disaster into rock’s most famous riff.

A Deep Blue band stands together against a studio backdrop, dressed in dark clothing and leather jackets.

Music

Ian Gillan: The Screaming Soul Who Rewired Rock Vocals

From Child in Time to Pavarotti duets, discover how Ian Gillan turned a nuclear scream and fearless range into one of the most influential voices in rock.