The classic Deep Purple riff Ritchie Blackmore based on the theme from ‘Batman’
‘Peace and love’ came to define the rock music of the late 1960s, but its hippie optimism seemed somewhat contrived when removed from the sun-soaked streets of San Francisco and plonked into the increasingly post-industrial landscape of the United Kingdom. Before too long, the British psychedelic outfits that sprang up in the wake of hippiedom started turning their attention elsewhere, and Deep Purple were among the forerunners of a subversive, dark new genre known as hard rock.
Originally formed in 1968, Deep Purple initially favoured psychedelic and progressive rock, but their eponymous third album, released in 1969, saw them tred the abrasive path towards hard rock. Alongside groups like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Deep Purple were essential in establishing the early sounds of hard rock, which would go on to influence the expansive world of heavy metal. Before too long, every aspect of the group reflected this dark new sound, much to the disdain of parents across the nation.
At the heart of Deep Purple’s hard rock sound was the guitar stylings of Ritchie Blackmore, whose awe-inspiring playing style was as revolutionary as it was loud. In more ways than one, Blackmore was the archetypal hard rock guitarist, with both his image and sound being echoed by virtually every rock and metal guitarist who followed in his footsteps.
Blackmore seemed to have an innate ability to create timeless riffs from the most unexpected sources of inspiration. While the likes of ‘Smoke On The Water’ were famously simple – yet effective – the vast majority of his work was incredibly complex and endearingly expansive. You might expect that the guitarist took inspiration from a wealth of profound artists and obscure jazz guitarists, but, at least in one case, he found inspiration for a riff in a classic television series.
Speaking to Classic Albums, the Deep Purple guitarist once recalled, “In those days, there was a show called Batman, and I thought that the theme song was so symmetrical.” Inspired by surf rock and the scores of spy films, the theme for Batman was originally penned by trumpeter and composer Neal Hefti. In addition to soundtracking the daring exploits of Adam West and Burt Ward, the theme has also provided musical inspiration to a wide range of artists, from The Jam to Sun Ra.
Despite the dark, hard rock leanings of Deep Purple, Blackmore was similarly enchanted by the kitsch campiness of the Adam West series. So much so that Hefti’s ‘Batman Theme’ formed the basis of Deep Purple’s 1972 track ‘Space Truckin’’. Blackmore shared that the song “originally began as a finger exercise, that I was using to play with my thumb,” which coincided with the prevalence of the superhero theme music.
After the guitarist requested Ian Gillan add some lyrics to proceedings, the song was born. While it is not one of Deep Purple’s most infamous offerings, it forms a definite highlight within the tracklisting of their 1972 album Machine Head.
Its rising sense of intensity and excitement parallel the mood of the ‘Batman Theme’, and the two compositions share a similar reliance on a 12-bar blues structure, which was a regular muse of Blackmore’s. So, not only do we have the 1966 Batman series to thank for launching the cinematic world of superheroes, but we also have it to thank for a classic Deep Purple cut.
