“'Smoke On The Water' was ignored by everybody to begin with. We only did it in the shows because it was a filler track from 'Machine Head.' But then, one radio station picked up on it, and Warner Bros. edited it down to about three and a half minutes. It then started getting played by lots of different radio stations.”

English singer and lyricist

Ian Gillan is an English singer and lyricist, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Deep Purple. He has been closely associated with hard rock for much of his career. Gillan is noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and for the songs he wrote and performed with Deep Purple. His work is tied to the sound and legacy of the band, and he is widely recognized for his role at the microphone as well as his writing.