Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan tells Absolute Radio's Leona Graham the crazy true story behind arguably the song with the most famous riff in rock - 'Smoke on the Water'.
The origins of the song are famously intertwined with a flare gun fire at a Frank Zappa gig in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva, but the added twist is that the song was nearly never recorded!
With one day of recording time left, the band's engineer Martin Birch realised that they needed a 7 minute song to complete the 'Machine Head' album, and balance the vinyl to 19 minutes per side.
Digging back through a tape of a jam they'd had to check the sound setup of their recording space, the band came across one labelled "The Dan Dan Song". On it was Ritchie Blackmore's famous opening riff. Quickly throwing together some lyrics about the events surrounding the album's recording, the band recorded it as a "filler" track!
Then, thanks to one record label staff member who witnessed its live appeal, the song was edited for radio and the rest is history!
You can hear loads of Deep Purple every day on Absolute Classic Rock - playing the biggest classic rock tunes 24/7.
#iangillan #deeppurple #smokeonthewater #classicrock
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You can listen to Absolute Radio across the UK on digital radio and on your smart speaker. Alternatively listen to any of our stations on the move by downloading the Rayo App
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Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan tells Absolute Radio's Leona Graham the crazy true story behind arguably the song with the most famous riff in rock - 'Smoke on the Water'.
The origins of the song are famously intertwined with a flare gun fire at a Frank Zappa gig in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva, but the added twist is that the song was nearly never recorded!
With one day of recording time left, the band's engineer Martin Birch realised that they needed a 7 minute song to complete the 'Machine Head' album, and balance the vinyl to 19 minutes per side.
Digging back through a tape of a jam they'd had to check the sound setup of their recording space, the band came across one labelled "The Dan Dan Song". On it was Ritchie Blackmore's famous opening riff. Quickly throwing together some lyrics about the events surrounding the album's recording, the band recorded it as a "filler" track!
Then, thanks to one record label staff member who witnessed its live appeal, the song was edited for radio and the rest is history!
You can hear loads of Deep Purple every day on Absolute Classic Rock - playing the biggest classic rock tunes 24/7.
#iangillan #deeppurple #smokeonthewater #classicrock
--------------------------------------------------
► Subscribe to Absolute Radio: absrad.io/21DmMuB
► Listen now: absrad.io/42IjSyL
► Instagram: instagram.com/absoluteradio
► TikTok: tiktok.com/@absoluteradio
► Facebook: facebook.com/absoluteradio
► Threads: threads.net/@absoluteradio
--------------------------------------------------
You can listen to Absolute Radio across the UK on digital radio and on your smart speaker. Alternatively listen to any of our stations on the move by downloading the Rayo App
► about.hellorayo.co.uk
