Machine Head (album) Information & Machine Head (album) Links at HealthHaven.com

Machine Head
Studio album by Deep Purple
Released	March, 1972
Recorded	6 December - 21 December 1971; Montreux, Switzerland
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length	37:47
Label	EMI
Producer	Deep Purple
Professional reviews
	Allmusic ; Rolling Stone (favorable); Metallized [1]; Truemetal [2];
Deep Purple chronology
Alternate cover
	25th anniversary CD slipcase

Machine Head is the sixth Deep Purple studio album. It was recorded at the Grand Hotel Montreux, Switzerland in December 1971 with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, and released in March 1972.

The album is often cited as being very influential in the development of the heavy metal music genre. It is Deep Purple's most successful recording, topping the charts in several countries following its release. In 2001, Q magazine named it as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time.

Machine Head is the subject of one of the Classic Albums series of documentaries about the making of famous albums. Machine Head was released on the multichannel formats Super Audio CD (2003) and DVD-Audio (2001).

[edit] Original Recording

Hiring the Rolling Stones Mobile One equipment and studios, the band recorded the entirety of the tracks in a Montreux hotel facility, with no overdubs. The "Smoke on the Water" lyrics' citation "Frank Zappa and the Mothers" refers to Zappa's show at a nearby casino. The casino burned down a few days before the start of scheduled Machine Head recording sessions.

A song entitled "When a Blind Man Cries" was recorded during these sessions, but not included on the album. Instead, it was used as a the B-side on the "Never Before" single. The song appears as a bonus track on the album's 25th anniversary edition.

The supporting tour for Machine Head included a trip to Japan that would later become the double-live Made in Japan album.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.

[edit] Original release on vinyl

[edit] Side one

"Highway Star" – 6:05
"Maybe I'm a Leo" – 4:51
"Pictures of Home" – 5:03
"Never Before" – 3:56

[edit] Side two

"Smoke on the Water" – 5:40
"Lazy" – 7:19
"Space Truckin'" – 4:31

[edit] 25th anniversary reissue (2CD)

[edit] Disc one: The 1997 Remixes

"Highway Star" – 6:39
"Maybe I'm a Leo" – 5:25
"Pictures of Home" – 5:21
"Never Before" – 3:59
"Smoke on the Water" – 6:18
"Lazy" – 7:33
"Space Truckin'" – 4:52
"When a Blind Man Cries" – 3:33

[edit] Disc two: The Remasters

"Highway Star" – 6:08
"Maybe I'm a Leo" – 4:52
"Pictures of Home" – 5:08
"Never Before" – 4:00
"Smoke on the Water" – 5:42
"Lazy" – 7:24
"Space Truckin'" – 4:35

[edit] 25th anniversary bonus tracks

"When a Blind Man Cries" (original B-side) – 3:32
"Maybe I'm a Leo" (Quadrophonic mix) – 5:00
"Lazy" (Quadrophonic mix) – 6:57

[edit] Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1972	UK Albums Chart	1
1972	Australian Albums Chart	1
1972	Norwegian Record Charts	3

[edit] Personnel

Ian Gillan – vocals, harmonica
Ritchie Blackmore – guitars
Roger Glover – bass
Jon Lord – hammond organ, piano, keyboards
Ian Paice – drums

[edit] Additional personnel

Martin Birch – engineering
Jeremy (Bear) Gee – assistant
Nick Watterton – technician
Ian Hansford, Rob Cooksey, Colin Hart – equipment
Martin Birch and Deep Purple – mixing
Shephard Sherbell – photography
Roger Glover, John Coletta – cover design
Peter Denenberg, Roger Glover – remixing
Peter Mew – remastering

[edit] Sales accomplishments

RIAA certification^[3] (United States)

Date	Designation	Total Sales
November 6, 1972	Gold	500,000
October 13, 1986	Platinum	1,000,000
October 13, 1986	Double Platinum	2,000,000

BPI certification (United Kingdom)

Date	Designation	Total Sales
1 January 1974	Silver^[4]	60,000
1 January 1974	Gold^[5]	100,000

[edit] References

^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Review Machine Head". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fifexqr5ldke~T1. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
^ Bangs, Lester (25 May 1972). "Album review Machine Head". Rolling Stone. Jann S. Wenner. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/deeppurple/albums/album/238402/review/6068232/machine_head. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
^ "RIAA Gold & Platinum database". http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=deep%20purple&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
^ "BPI certified awards Silver". http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=22332. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
^ "BPI certified awards Gold". http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=22333. Retrieved February 21, 2009.

[edit] External links

Overview of Machine Head

Machine Head Myspace


Preceded by Fog on the Tyne by Lindisfarne	UK number one album 22 April 1972 – 20 May 1972	Succeeded by Bolan Boogie by T.Rex
Preceded by Harvest by Neil Young	Australian number-one album 26 June – 9 July 1972	Succeeded by Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull

[0] Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Review Machine Head". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fifexqr5ldke~T1. Retrieved 26 August 2009.

[1] Bangs, Lester (25 May 1972). "Album review Machine Head". Rolling Stone. Jann S. Wenner. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/deeppurple/albums/album/238402/review/6068232/machine_head. Retrieved 2009-08-26.

[2] "RIAA Gold & Platinum database". http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=deep%20purple&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved February 19, 2009.

[3] "BPI certified awards Silver". http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=22332. Retrieved February 21, 2009.

[4] "BPI certified awards Gold". http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=22333. Retrieved February 21, 2009.

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