According to Deep Purple bass player Roger Glover, the band wrote "Highway Star" on their tour bus on the way to a gig at the Portsmouth Guildhall (in the UK) on September 13, 1971, where they debuted the song. They were giving an interview on their tour bus and the interviewer asked how they came up with their music. Ritchie picked up his guitar and started playing a riff and Ian started improvising the words. They cleaned it up and played it that night in concert. Highway Star became their opener from that point on. The song evolved through live performances, and was recorded for the Machine Head album in December 1971. Ritchie Blackmore's guitar solo on this track was ranked #15 on Guitar World magazine's 2008 list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos. In the issue, Blackmore explained how he did it: "I wrote that out note for note about a week before we recorded it. I wanted it to sound like someone driving in a fast car, for it to be one of those songs you would listen to while speeding. And I wanted a very definite Bach sound, which is why I wrote it out - and why I played those very rigid arpeggios across that very familiar Bach progression - Dm, Gm, Cmaj, Amaj."
The original text from the journalist in New Musical Express September 18 1971: ""On the coach on the way down from London, Ian Gillan asked for suggestions for titles for a rock number. Roger Glover suggested Highway Star and Ian set to writing it. It was finished during rehearsals and performed for the first time three hours later".
My favorite Deep Purple song. A song about the love of his muscle car. I especially like the the keyboard and guitar solo. Be sure NOT to play while driving, a speeding ticket might ensue.
40 Years? That would mean the MkII reunion? ..... Me too - I discovered Deep Purple a couple of years earlier when my best friend found a copy in his brother's record collection - and I couldn't believe it when just a couple of years later they announced their reunion. I saw them at their only UK show on that tour, at Knebworth. 33 years later I took my then 11 year old daughter to see them on their farewell tour at Atlanta, GA
Great Reaction Sarah I saw these guys perform this 50 years ago at THe World Famous: Royal Albert Hall in West London with 5,000 others and the cost of the ticket???,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 25 PENCE or 34 CENTS :)
@@SarahDengler Indeed Sarah and it was the same deal in the following week with Creedence Clearwater Revival. Then aff the World's greatest Rick Group: Led Zeppelin at Wembley North West London for 75 Pence or $1 (One Dollar) and Pink Floyd debuting "Dark Side Of The Moon" ( which was in The USA Charts for 761 successive weeks) for £1 or $1.34 Cents and you have all 4 Concerts featuring World famous Groups at World Famous Venues for a grand total of:.... £2.25 or $3 and to think 10 years ago Led Zeppelin's 3 surviving members played a series of Re-Union Concerts for £200 or $250 Sollars for 1 Concert:)
These guys are arguably the Godfathers of Metal. It's battle between them and Black Sabbath As always great reaction, you really got the song most people mistake what he's talking about is a woman, though most of the line can apply to a woman but they really are talking about his Hot Rod.
You must listen to the MADE IN JAPAN live version of this song. Deep Purple sounds much better live than in the studio, it's a completely different experience. The energy, the power, the adrenaline is superb. Try it. And in the future try live versions of DEEP PURPLE songs, then go toi the stydio versions. Thanks for your reaction
Hi Sarah! "Highway Star" It is the opening track on the band´s sixth studio album Machine Head (1972). The most famous live version is featured on the 1972 live album "Made in Japan". For me is Deep purple the number one rock band from the first half of the 1970s, and number two the Scottish rock band Nazareth.
Terrific, Sarah! I searched for your channel and Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water during this video. Did not find it. This one was great, Smoke on the Water, both music and story, will blow you away. You have to find the live version everyone else is using though. Thanks for Highway Star. Good to see you enjoy it so much.
This is one of the few hard rock groups I enjoyed in the 60's-70's. My favorites are their covers of Joe South's "Hush" & Neil Diamond's "Kentucky Woman". Also like "Smoke On The Water", "Lazy", "Child In Time", "Woman From Tokyo", "Fireball", Speed King", "Space Truckin'", etc.
Deep Purple was my favorite band...until I discovered Rush. Deep Purple's drummer, Ian Paice (pronounced like 'pace'), was the inspiration for me to take up drumming when I was a young lad. They have so many great songs, mostly from their 'Mk II' years with Ian Gillan on vocals and Roger Glover on bass. Keep going down this rabbit hole. :)
The audio here is the studio version recorded in Montreux in November '71 and included on Machine Head. Visuals are footage from the TV show Beat Club (Radio Bremen, Sept. '71) and footage shot by Danmarks Radio (DR) at the KB Hallen in Copenhagen in March '72, of which the latter is the black-and-white one. Like others have posted here, please check out their Made In Japan live album (if you haven't allready). Hearing the version of Highway Star on there, after having heard this one first, is akin to seeing a great movie on a small television set first, and then seeing it in a proper cinema. Highly recommended.
Another great band best live.Did you do a reaction to Deep Purple - Child In Time - Live (1970) ? it is a must cheers young lady. we did have some great bands back in the 70's, stay safe young lady and all the best from England.
Linda reacción!! Adoro a Deep Purple. Ian Gillan es el hombre más hermoso del mundo!!! He estado enamorada de él desde hace 50 años!! 🤣🤣 Gracias por tu alegría!!! 💜💜💜💜💜
Another great DP song I personally like just a tiny bit better than this one is "Smoke On The Water", I had to look it up and play it while writing this.
i Saw these guys perform this 50 years ago at THe World Famous: Royal Albert Hall in West London with 5,000 others and the cost of the ticket???,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 25 PENCE or 34 CENTS :)
@@SarahDengler I guess for the most part it is. I used to play guitar so it's probably the couple parts where the guitar playing matches very badly that catch my attention. This is the studio version audio, and they tried to match it with various live performance cuts, so it's no big deal obviously. 😸
