Deep Purple guitarist Simon McBride recently sat down with Guitar Player and talked about performing riffs that have become synonymous with Ritchie Blackmore. When asked if there was a secret to starting every show with the song ‘Smoke on the Water’, which has such a famous riff, the guitarist said:
“At the moment, no. But the first time I did it I was very nervous, because that was with Ian Gillan in front of about 10,000 people. But it’s such a simple riff. The main secret is just giving it the right tempo. Then Don [Airey] kicks in with the Hammond playing the same thing, Roger [Glover] kicks in with the bass, and it’s just a wall of power.”
Simon also explained that he tries not to over complicate the ‘smoke’ riff. He added:
“Some people overcomplicate the ‘Smoke’ riff by playing it like a guitar player – you know, they throw vibrato and other things into it – but then the riff loses its essence. You just have to keep it simple. There are plenty of other places in the set for me to try new things.”
Since Deep Purple tracks hold so much history, McBride shared that there are certain riffs that he chooses to play as Blackmore once did. The guitarist went on to reveal the ‘brilliant’ solo he wouldn’t dare to change. He said:
“People always ask me, ‘Do you have freedom to improvise in Deep Purple?’ The answer is yes. But there are certain things you just have to play as they were recorded, like Blackmore’s solo on ‘Highway Star.’ It would be very arrogant of me to think that I can do better than that. That’s a brilliant solo. It’s iconic.”
You can read Simon McBride’s interview with Guitar Player here and listen to ‘Smoke on the Water’ as well as ‘Highway Star’ below.
