Deep Purple's video for Dweezil Zappa's remix of Smoke On The Water contains dragons

A screengrab from Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water showing the band playing live — (Image credit: Rhino)

Deep Purple have released a new video for the 1972 classic Smoke On The Water. The animated clip tells the familiar story behind the song – chronicling the fire at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland that occurred during the recording sessions for Purple's Machine Head the previous year – as the band gear up to release a 50th anniversary edition of the album.

The video uses the recent six-minute remix of Smoke On The Water produced by Dweezil Zappa, son of Frank Zappa, who was playing a show in the casino's theatre at the time of the conflagration.

The animated clip was produced by London-based agency Chiba Film, who've previously worked on Deep Purple's videos for their covers of Fleetwood Mac's Oh Well, Love's 7 & 7 Is, and Huey 'Piano' Smith's Rockin' Pneumonia & the Boogie Woogie Flu.

“It’s been an honour to put visuals to this song, undeniably one of the greatest rock tracks of all time," says Chiba Films' Dan Gibling and Luke McDonnell. "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 a turntable 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.”

The Super Deluxe Edition of Machine Head will be available on March 29 as a 3-CD/LP/Blu-ray set. It will include new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes by Dweezil Zappa, while owners of quadrophonic equipment will be delighted to learn that the package will also include the original 1974 quadraphonic mix. The package is completed by two live albums, one recorded at the Paris Theatre in London in March 1972 (previously available as In Concert '72), and the second a previously unreleased set recorded at the casino in Montreux the previous year.

The album is released on March 29. Full tracklist below. Deep Purple head to Australia next month for a series of festival shows alongside Blondie, Alice Cooper, Placebo, Wolfmother and many more, and have European dates lined up throughout the summer. For dates and ticket links, visit Deep Purple's website.

LP: Dweezil Zappa 2024 Remix
Highway Star
Maybe I’m A Leo
Pictures Of Home
Never Before

Smoke On The Water
Lazy
When A Blind Man Cries – B-side
Space Truckin’

CD: Dweezil Zappa 2024 Remix
Highway Star
Maybe I’m A Leo
Pictures Of Home
Never Before
Smoke On The Water
Lazy
Space Truckin’
When A Blind Man Cries – B-side

2024 Remaster
Highway Star
Maybe I’m A Leo
Pictures Of Home
Never Before
Smoke On The Water
Lazy
Space Truckin’

CD: In Concert ’72
Introduction
Highway Star
Strange Kind Of Woman
Maybe I’m A Leo
Smoke On The Water
Never Before
Lazy
Space Truckin’
Lucille
Maybe I’m A Leo – soundcheck

CD: Montreux ’71
Swiss Yodel
Speed King
Strange Kind Of Woman
Into The Fire
Child In Time
Paint It Black
Wring That Neck (Hard Road)
Black Night
Lucille

Blu-ray: Dweezil Zappa 2024 Atmos Remix
Highway Star
Maybe I’m A Leo
Pictures Of Home
Never Before
Smoke On The Water
Lazy
Space Truckin’
When A Blind Man Cries – B-side

Blu-ray: 1974 U.S. Quad Mix
Highway Star
Maybe I’m A Leo
Pictures Of Home
Never Before
Smoke On The Water
Lazy
Space Truckin’
Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound Mixes
When A Blind Man Cries – B-side
Maybe I’m A Leo
Lazy

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.