1971 Concert Fire Inspired One of Rock's Greatest Songs

For most musicians, a recording studio burning down is the worst possible thing that could happen while working on a new record, but for Deep Purple, a reckless act of arson helped the group create their signature, most successful song.

"Smoke on the Water" was born from a 1971 fire that broke out at Montreux Casino in Montreux, Switzerland, during a concert by Frank Zappa and his band, the Mothers of Invention. The incident began during the song "King Kong," when a concertgoer set off a flare gun aimed at the ceiling, starting a fire that would ultimately burn down the entire venue.

"I was in the hall during the performance, particularly enthralled with the contributions of Flo and Eddie [ex-Turtles members and Mothers Of Invention backing vocalists], who were sounding just wonderful, when I heard two pops over my shoulder as a flare gun was fired high into the wall on stage left," Deep Purple's lead singer, Ian Gillan, told Total Guitar magazine in 2012 (via Music Radar).

"There was a lot of fizzing and sparks as the fire took hold in the wooden service trunking. Frank stopped the show and got everyone to leave."

Miraculously, no one was hurt in the blaze. The members of Deep Purple, however, were temporarily displaced by the event. The band was staying at a nearby hotel and had planned to use the casino as a recording studio during its hiatus for renovations after Zappa's concert. Immediately, a title for a song was born.

"We all moved away from the scene to the Eden Palace au Lac Hotel, where we stood in the bar and watched the place going up in flames. The downdraft from the mountains caused the smoke to blow across Lake Geneva, like a film set or dry ice on a stage show. At this point, Roger [Glover, bassist] wrote the words ‘smoke on the water' on a napkin."

The subsequent recording process wasn't so quick, however. The rock band had to set up in a mobile recording studio. Recordings were attempted at the nearby Pavillion Theatre, but noise complaints from locals meant much of the work was completed at the Grand Hotel.

"We had to make it up as we went along," Gillan continued. "I remember equipment being set up all over the place to get some separation without us turning down. It was surreal when I think back but normal at the time. You did what you had to do.'"

The awkward recording process, however, may have played a role in the final product, according to the singer. "The truck was too far away and it was bloody cold so no-one was keen to listen to anything until we felt it was right."

"Smoke on the Water," released the following year, is now one of the most famous guitar riffs of all time, in addition to one of the first songs a guitar player learns when they get to grips with the instrument, becoming a standard of the genre. Later ranked #434 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the song's unusual circumstances and inspiration proved that creative flow and working out of your comfort zone can help deliver some of your best work.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 27, 2026 at 2:45 PM.