Smoke On The Water Deep Purple

Behind The Lyrics: Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water”

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Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water” sounds like a pleasant track, but the song was born out of a tragic incident.

On December 4 1971, the band was in Montreux, Switzerland, to record their next album in the Rolling Stones’ mobile studio, held on the lot of the Montreux Casino. A day before recording was about to begin, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were going to perform at the adjacent theatre. This was the last scheduled show before renovations were to take place, allowing Deep Purple the opportunity to record.

Montreux

It was then that somebody with a flare gun shot it at the ceiling, and the whole complex went up in flames. Luckily, there were no major injuries–but the Mothers of Invention’s equipment was completely destroyed.

The “smoke on the water” refers to the smoke that spread across Lake Geneva as the fire raged, and Deep Purple watched from their hotel. “Funky Claude” refers to Claude Nobs, the director of the Montreux Jazz Festival, who helped audience members escape the blaze.

The new casino that was built in Montreux displays notes from the riff serving as decoration in its gambling hall.

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Rolling Stones James Bay

James Bay Joins The Rolling Stones On-Stage At London Concert

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The Rolling Stones brought out James Bay to perform at a London concert.

The group performed the 1978 classic “Beast of Burden”. Watch the footage below:

Bay opened the London performance before joining the Stones for a surprise appearance on the last stop of the UK Stadium Tour. (more…)

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Elisabeth Moss Max Richter

Max Richter Releases “On The Nature Of Daylight” Video Starring Elisabeth Moss

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Contemporary classical composer Max Richter has released a hauntingly beautiful new video for his song, “On The Nature Of Daylight.”

Although the track was released almost 15 years ago as a part of Richter’s 2004 album The Blue Notebooks, the project was recently re-released, with an expanded edition arriving on July 27.

The George Belfield-directed video stars Emmy-award winning actress Elisabeth Moss, known for roles in The West Wing, Mad Men, and The Handmaid’s Tale. The clip sees Moss’ emotional state gradually heighten until she reaches her boiling point. It was filmed in Toronto in March of this year.

“When I was asked to do this project it was a dream come true,” said Moss in a statement. “My work has been inspired by his music for so many years and not a day goes by on set where I don’t have Max’s music playing in my ears before a take. His music and my acting have gone hand in hand for a long time. So for me the opportunity to act to one of his most prolific pieces was such an incredible honour. Working with George and this entire team was so artistically fulfilling and an experience I will never forget.”

“Lizzie perfectly understood what I was trying to communicate,” said Belfield, “and brought a lot more to the role besides. She and I spent a lot of time developing her character together before the shoot, building her backstory and writing inner monologues for what she would be feeling at different points of her journey. Despite being incredibly busy on The Handmaid’s Tale and her upcoming feature projects, she invested a lot of herself into her character. It was amazing to work with her.”

Watch the “On The Nature Of Daylight” video below:

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Paul McCartney Egypt Station

Paul McCartney Reveals New Album ‘Egypt Station’

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The eagerly-awaited details of the new studio album by Paul McCartney are confirmed, with the announcement of the release of Egypt Station by Capitol on September 7, on CD, LP, coloured vinyl editions. The artist has also been talking to the BBC about upcoming plans for live work, his views on gun control, retirement and more.

McCartney’s first release of all-new material since 2013’s New, Egypt Station was recorded in Los Angeles, London and Sussex and produced by Greg Kurstin, known for his work with Adele, Beck and Foo Fighters. That’s with the exception of one track produced by Ryan Tedder, the in-demand writer, producer and frontman with One Republic.

As reported yesterday, the album is previewed by the release of the double A-sided single featuring the ballad ‘I Don’t Know’ and the rocking ‘Come On To Me.’

The album title shares its name with one of McCartney’s own paintings. “I liked the words ‘Egypt Station’,” he says. “It reminded me of the ‘album’ albums we used to make… Egypt Station starts off at the station on the first song and then each song is like a different station. So it gave us some idea to base all the songs around that. I think of it as a dream location that the music emanates from.”

The 14 songs on Egypt Station create a travelogue feel, bookended by the opening and closing instrumentals ‘Station I’ and ‘Station II.’ As the album press release states, each song “finds Paul capturing a place or moment before transporting the listener seamlessly to the next destination.”

Tracks include ‘Happy With You,’ described as “an acoustic meditation on present-day contentedness,” the anthemic ‘People Want Peace’ and the seven-minute epic ‘Despite Repeated Warnings’, which features several movements and has, we’re told, “a song suite structure harkening back to the days of Paul’s previous combos.”

Paul McCartney recording ‘Egypt Station’ at Henson Studios, Los Angeles, February 2016. Photo: MJ Kim (more…)

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James Corden Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney Announces Double A-Side Single Coming Tomorrow

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Paul McCartney season is upon us.

The rocker will release two new songs tomorrow: “I Don’t Know” and “Come on to Me.” According to a press release, McCartney will be releasing an album this fall, his first since NEW came out in 2013.

Take a look at the announcement, including the single artwork, below:

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