Over Lake Geneva

On 4 December 1971, the day before Deep Purple began recording the Machine Head album in Switzerland, Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Ian Paice and Jon Lord attended a morning concert by Frank Zappa at the Montreux casino, which ended with a huge fire caused by a spectator shooting a flare. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, only a few injuries and property damage valued at $13 million.

 

 The members of Deep Purple fled in panic to their hotel and watched as firefighters battled the blaze and smoke billowed over Lake Geneva, giving the place an ominous appearance and inspiring them to a new song.

 

 

 "Smoke On The Water" would come to bassist Roger Glover as a result of a nightmare a couple of nights later. Although the band didn't bet much on the song at first, it would soon reach number 4 in the US charts and in time its riff, composed by Ritchie Blackmore, would become one of the most famous and iconic in rock history.