Smoke on the Water was released on Deep Purple's 1972 album "Machine Head" and was written by the band members themselves, Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillian, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice. The opening riff is possibly one of the most recognizable themes known and is based on a four-note G minor blues scale played in parallel 4ths. The song lyrics tell a story based on real events that occurred at the time of the recordings, when on the eve of the sessions a fire broke out during a Frank Zappa concert in the theatre at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland, where the sessions were to have taken place.
The rock song has been covered and re-recorded by numerous other artists such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Pat Boone, Carlos Santana and even Rolf Harris.
