The Deep Purple song that lifted from classic 1950s rock
Even the greats draw heavily on their influences. This is particularly true for the titans of the classic rock era, who were, by their own admission, deeply ensconced in the world of blues, R&B and the 1950s rock and roll that came before them. Whether it be Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple or even The Beatles, rock as we know it would be without its key players if it weren’t for the formative sounds of modern America.
Although they are most commonly tied to the hard rock and heavy metal genres, Deep Purple were never afraid to look into the foundational moments of music for inspiration. This was particularly true in their early, most scintillating chapter, when the classic lineup was still active, and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore was still very much a dominant creative force.
One of their best-loved tracks from this period pulled heavily on a collection of the most prominent rock ‘n’ roll pioneers. The indomitable ‘Speed King’ from 1970’s Deep Purple in Rock is consistently considered one of their best. While it might not seem readily apparent due to it commencing with a noisy, searing solo from Blackmore and tense drum rolls, it was helped into life by several of rock’s most lauded faces.
Taking great inspiration from early American rock, frontman Ian Gillan comprised the lyrics of songs by Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and Little Richard. Notably, the first verse pinches phrases from tracks such as ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’, ‘Tutti Frutti’, and ‘Lucille’. For the second verse, Gillan utilised words from the soul staple ‘Rip It Up’, as well as Presley’s ‘Hard Headed Woman’ and Berry’s ‘Some People’.
The band were so indebted to Little Richard that they named the 1987 album The House of Blue Light after a lyric from ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’.
One of Deep Purple’s most essential contemporaries also had a defining impact on the music of ‘Speed King’. Reportedly, the song emerged from a bass riff by Roger Glover as he attempted to imitate Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Fire’, which is crystal clear in the final product.
The track was initially dubbed ‘Kneel and Pray’ and was developed over several months as a live piece before the quintet recorded it. The first studio take even featured Jon Lord playing the piano instead of the organ, giving that version – which was later released as a B-side in the Netherlands – a completely different dimension.
For those wondering, the untitled instrumental that opens ‘Speed King’ was known as ‘Woffle’ by Deep Purple.
Listen to ‘Speed King’ below.
