Deep Purple Announces Super Deluxe Edition of Machine Head

You all know the tale about that time in Montreux when some stupid with a flare gun burned the place to the ground?

Well, the place was the Montreux Casino in Switzerland, where Deep Purple would play in April 1971 and make plans to record their next studio album Machine Head that December before the venue was destroyed in a fire. But up from its ashes arose one of the great guitar rock anthems of all time with “Smoke on the Water,” one of seven songs that would comprise the band’s biggest album – a work that continues to be taught in Schools of Rock all over the country.

On March 29, Rhino Entertainment in conjunction with Warner Records will be celebrating the belated 50th anniversary of Machine Head – originally released on March 25, 1972 – with a comprehensive super deluxe edition of the album as a 3-CD/LP/Blu-ray combo pack.

The big news surrounding this new edition are the new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes of the original LP crafted by Dweezil Zappa, whose famous father Frank was referenced in “Smoke On The Water.” Also included are the 1974 quadraphonic mix as well as a newly remastered version of the original LP for added historical value. 

“It’s one of those records where I think, ‘How did they come up with this?’” Zappa writes in his liner notes to the new box set. “It’s got classical influences in the guitar and the keyboard, but then it’s got the blues and there’s little bits of funkiness. And you have this singer who has the most killer voice. All these things come together in a way where it doesn’t sound like commercial music, yet people got really excited about it. It’s a fascinating recipe.”

The Super Deluxe Edition of Machine Head 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 show, meanwhile, is culled from that April ‘71 Montreux show mentioned earlier, bringing an element of contextual symbolism to this new set especially in relation to the album’s biggest song. 

The previously unreleased Montreux concert was sourced from an audience recording that’s not easy to track down online, so the fidelity of the capture remains in question at press time. However, it contains rare live versions of such pre-Machine Head nuggets as “Child In Time” (from 1969’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra), “Speed King” (from 1970’s Deep Purple in Rock) and “Strange Kind Of Woman” (from 1971’s Fireball), which will no doubt appeal to Purple completists. 

Machine Head, which was still recorded in Montreux at the Grand Hotel in late 1971, remains the most successful album for the classic combination of  guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, keyboardist Jon Lord, singer Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice. It topped the UK album chart shortly after its release, while peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Top 200 here in the States. By 1986, it would earn double platinum certification. 

Stay tuned to this space for more coverage of the Machine Head Super Deluxe Edition as the release date approaches. But in the meantime, you can check out the full tracklist plus the Zappa remix of “Smoke On The Water” below. 

 

MACHINE HEAD: SUPER DELUXE EDITION

LP Track Listing

LP One: Dweezil Zappa 2024 Remix

Side One

1. “Highway Star”
2. “Maybe I’m A Leo”
3. “Pictures Of Home”
4. “Never Before”

 

Side Two

1. “Smoke On The Water”
2. “Lazy”
3. “When A Blind Man Cries” – B-side 
4. “Space Truckin’”

 

CD Track Listing

CD One: Dweezil Zappa 2024 Remix

1. “Highway Star”
2. “Maybe I’m A Leo”
3. “Pictures Of Home”
4. “Never Before”
5. “Smoke On The Water”
6. “Lazy”
7. “Space Truckin’”
8. “When A Blind Man Cries” – B-side

 

2024 Remaster

9. “Highway Star”
10. “Maybe I’m A Leo”
11. “Pictures Of Home”
12. “Never Before”
13. “Smoke On The Water”
14. “Lazy”
15. “Space Truckin’”

 

CD Two: In Concert ’72

1. Introduction
2. “Highway Star”
3. “Strange Kind Of Woman”
4. “Maybe I’m A Leo”
5. “Smoke On The Water”
6. “Never Before”
7. “Lazy”
8. “Space Truckin’”
9. “Lucille”
10. “Maybe I’m A Leo” – soundcheck

 

CD Three: Montreux ’71

1. “Swiss Yodel” *
2. “Speed King” *
3. “Strange Kind Of Woman” *
4. “Into The Fire” *
5. “Child In Time” *
6. “Paint It Black” *
7. “Wring That Neck (Hard Road)” *
8. “Black Night” *
9. “Lucille” *

 

Blu-ray (Audio Only)

Dweezil Zappa 2024 Atmos Remix

1. “Highway Star” *
2. “Maybe I’m A Leo” *
3. “Pictures Of Home” *
4. “Never Before” *
5. “Smoke On The Water” *
6. “Lazy” *
7. “Space Truckin’” *
8. “When A Blind Man Cries” B-side *

1974 U.S. Quad Mix

9. “Highway Star”
10. “Maybe I’m A Leo”
11. “Pictures Of Home”
12. “Never Before”
13. “Smoke On The Water”
14. “Lazy”
15. “Space Truckin’”

Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound Mixes

16. “When A Blind Man Cries” – B-side
17. “Maybe I’m A Leo”
18. “Lazy” 

* previously unreleased

 

AUDIO: Deep Purple “Smoke On The Water (2024 mix)