In a new interview with Absolute Radio, Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan reveals the true story behind the band's classic Smoke On The Water.
From the Montreux Casino fire to how the song was originally just a filler track.
Watch the video below:,Deep Purple will release their new studio album Splat! on July 3 via earMUSIC.
The band has once again teamed up with renowned producer Bob Ezrin and together, they have crafted an album that draws on the sound and attitude that has always set Deep Purple apart from the rest.,Ian Gillan sat down with Planet Rock to discuss the new album and why the band's songwriting process has remained unchanged since 1969.
In the video below, Gillan talks about working with guitarist Simon McBride, the chemistry between Don Airey, Roger Glover, and Ian Paice, and recording live in the studio to capture feel and spontaneity.
He also reflects on the influence of producer Bob Ezrin and what continues to keep Deep Purple creative after decades together.,Splat! is the heaviest Deep Purple album in many years, with the band playing together in the studio – the way Deep Purple have always recorded.
“I have to say, now we are very much back in with material that is compatible with ‘Highway Star,’ ‘Smoke On The Water,’ and ‘Lazy,’ the dynamics, the balance, and the fun of the music we made from ’69 to ’73,” says Ian Gillan.
He adds: “Where we are now with this incarnation of Deep Purple feels very much like a very ‘now’ version of Deep Purple as it was in the seventies.”,At the heart of Splat! is an idea conceived by Gillan.
Rather than treating the end as destruction, the album imagines it as transformation: Splat! explores the end of humanity not in any crude apocalyptic sense but as a metamorphosis beyond physical existence.,Additional details about the album concept will be revealed in the weeks leading up to its July 3 release.
New music from Splat! is on the way.,Deep Purple has also announced an extensive world tour in support of their new album, with dates running throughout Europe and North America this summer.
The tour will kick off on August 4 in Raleigh, NC, and make stops in cities including Memphis, TN; Wantagh, NY; Halifax, NS; Toronto, ON; Ottawa, ON; Detroit, MI; Indianapolis, IN; Highland Park, IL; Winnipeg, MB; Calgary, AB; Abbotsford, BC; Lincoln, CA; Mountain View, CA; Long Beach, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Phoenix, AZ; Sofia, Bulgaria; Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Budapest, Hungary; Bratislava, Slovakia; Vienna, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; Lodz, Poland; Belgrade, Serbia; Skopje, Macedonia; Athens, Greece; Zurich Switzerland; Milan Italy; Barcelona Spain; Paris France; Antwerp Belgium; Copenhagen Denmark; Stockholm Sweden; Oslo Norway; Gothenburg Sweden; Leipzig Germany; Hamburg Germany; Dortmund Germany; Berlin Germany; Frankfurt Germany; Nuremberg Germany; Amsterdam Netherlands; Strasbourg France; Bordeaux France; Lyon France; Newcastle UK; Glasgow UK; Birmingham UK; Manchester UK; London UK; Sao Paulo Brazil; Santiago Chile; Buenos Aires Argentina; Monterrey Mexico; Guadalajara Mexico; Mexico City Mexico.
For a full list of tour dates and cities, visit their official website at deeppurple.com.