Episode 170: 1000 guitars on the beach. A world record.
Deep Purple’s classic hit Smoke on the Water, one of the best known guitar sounds, was recreated by 1000 amateur guitarists on a small beach in a quiet British seaside town. Louise tells us of her adventure.
1000 guitars on the beach. Smoke on the Water.
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YouTubeWelcome back to English-Podcasts. In this episode we talk about a world record for guitars playing Smoke on the Water. What a great song !
Notes
Guitars on the beach with Ian Gillan of Deep Purple
DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan joined thousands of guitarists at the Guitars On The Beach event in Lyme Regis, United Kingdom to perform the band’s classic song “Smoke On The Water”.
Organizers were hoping to draw more than the 2,267 guitarists that appeared at last year’s record-breaking event.
As of mid-June, more than 3,000 guitarists had already signed up for the event.
The musicians were given the chance to play along to a number of songs, with the three main ones being Buddy Holly‘s “Rave On”, STATUS QUO‘s “Rocking All Over the World”, and “Smoke On The Water”.
Gillan contacted the organizers and asked them if he could to appear at the gig. He wrote in a letter: “I hear you might be doing ‘Smoke’ with the massed guitars, and if that is the case, I thought I’d offer my services if you need a singer.”
Geoff Baker, who has organized the event, told the Dorset Echo back in June: “My jaw hit the floor.
“This is sensational news. Ian‘s involvement will take Guitars On The Beach to an entirely different level. Everybody involved is thrilled and blown away by his hugely generous offer.”
He added: “Clearly ‘Smoke On The Water’ will now be the main event for many.
“It’s the classic guitar riff and not difficult to play. Massed guitar bands in America, Germany, Canada and Poland have all had a crack at the world record playing ‘Smoke’ — but none of them has ever been led by Ian Gillan before.
“This is going to be amazing, and many more people will now want to take part.
“It’s quite something to write home about, that you once played with Ian Gillan in a band with thousands of guitarists.
“‘Smoke On The Water’ was recently voted the greatest guitar riff ever written, it is universally popular and it is anybody’s guess how many will join the band now.”
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Recap & Takeaways
In this podcast Louise explains how she accidentally landed on a beach with 1000 guitars playing Smoke on the Water.
Listen in carefully:
Where exactly is the beach?
Who is the famous resident of this seaside town?
Why did she and her partner take the canoe to the beach?
Was she surprised by the distance?
What does she say about the flares?
What does she say about the music?
What were her final impressions?
