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 UK-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.
“It’s been an honour 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.” - Dan Gibling & Luke McDonnell, Directors, Chiba Film.
The video utilizes the 6-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.
The video will premiere on the band’s official YouTube at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET TODAY, March 1, and enjoy its FAST and CTV Television premiere exclusively with XITE at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET today.
Warner Records and Rhino Entertainment honor Machine Head, the album which featured “Smoke on the Water” 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 and available digitally for streaming and download.
In addition to the newly remixed original album, which is included on LP and CD, 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, before the events depicted in “Smoke on the Water.” The set is available for pre-order here.
