What does this song mean to me? Well, it marked a whole new era in Deep Purple was all! And what a helluva debut! Right from the killer opening riff (based - accidentally, according to Blackmore - on "Fascinating Rythym", to Paice's energetic drumming (he drops fills in all over the place) throughout, to Jon Lord's 'signature' Hammond song - this track absolutely lit up the old turntable back in '74!
Lyrically, it's a bit silly in retrospect, but no more or no less silly than what had been being churned out for years already at that point by any # of other artists, and what's been churned out since. Blackmore was looking for castles & damsels/ dungeons & dragons/devil's daughters & demons type lyrics for the track anyway (like the majority of DP's music back then, the music was usaully created first, then the lyrics would get written) and Coverdale, being brand new in the band & eager to please, provided 4 different sets of lyrics. The alternative that finished 2nd in the selection process was titled "The Road".
What does this song mean to me? Well, it marked a whole new era in Deep Purple was all! And what a helluva debut! Right from the killer opening riff (based - accidentally, according to Blackmore - on "Fascinating Rythym", to Paice's energetic drumming (he drops fills in all over the place) throughout, to Jon Lord's 'signature' Hammond song - this track absolutely lit up the old turntable back in '74! Lyrically, it's a bit silly in retrospect, but no more or no less silly than what had been being churned out for years already at that point by any # of other artists, and what's been churned out since. Blackmore was looking for castles & damsels/ dungeons & dragons/devil's daughters & demons type lyrics for the track anyway (like the majority of DP's music back then, the music was usaully created first, then the lyrics would get written) and Coverdale, being brand new in the band & eager to please, provided 4 different sets of lyrics. The alternative that finished 2nd in the selection process was titled "The Road".