Buddy Rich 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert
The event took place on April 2 in 2012 and featured this stunning drummer line-up playing with the (UK) Buddy Rich Big Band: Gregg Potter, Elliot Henshaw, Clem Cattini, Gavin Harrison, Ian Paice & Bruce Dickinson, Ginger Baker, John Thomson, John Blackwell and Dave Weckl.

Ian Paice played three songs that evening, and of course those video's will be published as well in the future. Ian first played The Beatles' Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), next was Celebration, a Buddy Rich original, and of course Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water with Bruce Dickinson on vocals, which you find below.

Smoke on the Water
The song was first released on Deep Purple's 1972 album 'Machine Head'. The story behind the song is well known, but here is a small recap.

In 1971, Deep Purple were in Montreux in Switzerland to record an album at a location near the Montreux Casino. During one of their recording sessions, Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention were playing at the casino's theatre when someone in the audience fired a flare gun and the theatre went up in flames because of this rather stupid action. Roger Glover, Deep Purple's bass player, came up with the title Smoke on the Water because the band saw the smoke from the fire happening live over Lake Geneva from their hotel.

Ian Paice and Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) play Smoke on the Water
Live at the Buddy Rich 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert in London, on April 2, 2012. Including rehearsal footage and the full live performance.

Fun facts

• Deep Purple was recording their new album using a mobile recording studio the band rented from the Rolling Stones.
  
• The fire in the casino burned down all the equipment of Zappa's band (not a fun fact, really...)
  
• Ian Paice described Ritchie Blackmore's guitar riff for Smoke on the Water as "gloriously simple and wonderfully satisfying."
  
• The first live version of Smoke on the Water appeared on the band's 2nd live album 'Made in Japan'
  
• Ian Paice was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Buddy Rich Memorial Foundation
  
• On 7 August 2020, Deep Purple is releasing their 21st studio album called Whoosh!
  
• Neil Peart, the legendary Rush drummer who passed away on 1 January 2020, produced two albums in recognition of Buddy Rich. The two volumes called 'Burning for Buddy - A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich' features a range of big names, and are a perfect start if you want to start listening to Buddy Rich's music. The artists on the albums, and dvd are Bill Bruford, Billy Cobham, Buddy Rich, Dave Weckl, David Garibaldi, Ed Shaughnessy, Gregg Bissonette, Joe Morello, Kenny Aronoff, Manu Katché, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Matt Sorum, Max Roach, Mino Cinelu, Neil "S.S. The Professor" Peart, Omar Hakim, Rod Morgenstein, Simon Phillips, Steve Ferrone, Steve Gadd and Steve Smith.

More Buddy Rich Memorial videos on Drummerszone

Ginger Baker live at the Buddy Rich 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert
article: Ginger Baker: the drummer extraordinaire + unique Buddy Rich Memorial footage
Including rehearsal footage and the full live performance.


John Blackwell Jr | full show Buddy Rich 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert
article: Honoring the legendary John Blackwell Jr
John Blackwell Jr played

• Ruth (The Buddy Rich Big Band)
  
• Pick Up the Pieces (Average White Band)

Ian Paice's gear

• Pearl drums
  
• Remo drumheads
  
• Paiste cymbals
  
• Promark drumsticks