The band: ” ‘Highway Star’ was one of, if not the first cover song we learned
as a band when we started. It had everything a band needed to be able to do,
packed into one song. The solos, the rhythms, the vocals, it’s all there, and it’s
all on 11. It is quite a tough song to play, and we saw it as a challenge for
ourselves. It has become the staple song we always cover live when time
allows for it.”
I’m pretty sure that Deep Purple would dig this superheated version.
It has all the Purple characteristics. hair-raising guitar riffs and solos,
relentless drum/bass puissance, sky-scraping vocals, and the volume
to the max. Hell bloody highway hell!
Holly came from Miami, F.L.A.
Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A.
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
She says, “Hey, babe
Take a walk on the wild side”
Said, “Hey, honey
Take a walk on the wild side”
Give Ireland back to the Irish
Don’t make them have to get it
Give Ireland back to the Irish
Still makes Ireland Irish today
Great Britain, you are enormous
And nobody knows that better than me.
But really, what are you doing there?
In that land over the sea?
Tell me how you think
When you on your way to work
Would you be stopped by Irish soldiers?
Would you lie down and do nothing?
Would you give in or go mad?
Golden Nose Slim Golden Nose Slim
I know’s where you’ve been
Purple Pie Pete Purple Pie Pete
Your lips are like lightning
Girls melt in the heat
Telegram Sam
You’re my main man
It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled
It’s been a long time since I did the stroll
Ooh let me get it back, let me get it back
Let me get it back, baby, where I come from
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’d like to come and meet us
But he thinks he’d blow our minds
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’s told us not to blow it
‘Cause he knows it’s all worthwhile
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn’t have much time
Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground
Smoke on the water
A fire in the sky
Smoke on the water
I don’t want to drink my whisky like you do
I don’t need to spend my money but still do
Don’t stop now a c-‘mon
Another drop now c-‘mon
I wanna lot now so c-‘mon
That’s right, that’s right
I said Mama but we’re all crazy now
I said Mama but we’re all crazy now
Mmm yeah!
Women think I’m tasty, but they’re always tryin’ to waste me
Make me burn the candle right down
But, baby, baby, don’t need no jewels in my crown
In the mornin’ you go gunnin’ for the man who stole your water
And you fire ’til he is done in but they catch you at the border
And the mourners are all singin’ as they drag you by your feet
But the hangman isn’t hangin’ and they put you on the street
You go back, Jack, do it again, wheel turnin’ ’round and ’round
You go back, Jack, do it again
Band: DEEP PUPRLE Active: 1968–1976, 1984–present
21 studio albums (so far)
Album: FIREBALL – 5th LP Released: 9 July 1971 in the US, 1 Sept 1971 in the UK – 50 years ago Score: #1 in the UK and several European countries, #4 in the US
AllMusic / Eduardo Rivadavia: “One of Deep Purple’s four indispensable
albums (the others being In Rock, Machine Head, and Burn), 1971’s Fireball
saw the band broadening out from the no-holds-barred hard rock direction
of the previous year’s cacophonous In Rock… Sure, the following year’s Machine
Head would provide Deep Purple with their commercial peak, but on Fireball,
the formidable quintet was already firing on all cylinders.”
Full review here. Score: 4.5/5.
Band: DEEP PURPLE Formed: in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England Active: 1968–1976, 1984–present / 20 studio LPs so far
The most recent –Woosh – released last year
Album: DEEP PURPLE IN ROCK – 4th LP Released: 3 June 1970 – 41 years ago today Line-up: Ritchie Blackmore (guitar) / Ian Gillan (vocals)
Roger Glover (bass) / Jon Lord (organ) / Ian Paice (drums) Score: #1 in Australia and Germany, #4 in the UK, #143 in America
AllMusic / Eduardo Rivadavia:” Deep Purple’s soon to be classic Mark II version
made its proper debut and established the sonic blueprint that would immortalize this
lineup of the band on 1970’s awesome In Rock… “Child in Time.” In what still stands as
arguably his single greatest performance, singer Ian Gillan led his bandmates on a series
of hypnotizing crescendos, from the song’s gentle beginning through to its ear-shattering
climax and then back again for an even more intense encore that brought the original
vinyl album’s seismic first side to a close… One of heavy metal’s defining albums.”
Full review here. Score: 4.5/5.
TUTV: Their best line-up, their best LP, their best single. 3 x classic!
NME wrote: “This is music for the car stereo next time you’re stuck in traffic. And we mean that as a heartfelt compliment… A full 48 years since the release of their stone-cold classic hit ‘Smoke On The Water’ and with enough line-up changes to put The Fall to everlasting shame, Deep Purple have managed to wade through the rocky waters of the entire history of heavy metal and always come up smiling… Packed full of decadent riffs, haunted house keyboards and frontman Ian Gillan’s gloriously hammy vocals, ‘Whoosh!’ isn’t just a testament to their staying power, but perhaps one of the most stupidly fun and outrageously silly albums of the year – and goodness, we’re all in need of a bit of fun right now, aren’t we?… ‘Whoosh!’ might not sound like it was created in 2020, but considering the last few months we’ve had, maybe that’s a good thing.” Score: 3/5
BBC Music said: “Their collective chutzpah was captured via the album sleeve.
Rarely has a cover so presciently reflected the monumental influence its contents
would have in the years that followed. Reaching number 2 in the UK charts in 1970,
it made the band and pretty much carved out the template for heavy rock.”
Legendary hard rockers DEEP PURPLE reached the top spot of the UK albums
chart – for the second time – on 22 April 1972, 47 years ago, with their sixth LP MACHINE HEAD. The album was also a bestseller all over Europe and peaked
at #7 in the USA. The success of its lead single SMOKE ON THE WATER issued
in December of the previous year was a big factor for the longplayer’s triumph.
Oh yeah, whether you were/are a hard rock fan or not you just can’t ignore the
booming power of this timeless, head-banging riff. Press the button here…
TURN UP THE VOLUME 