Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water & Other Hits (Compilation Album) (2001)
Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water & Other Hits (Compilation, 2001)
Essential riffs, concise classics, and the enduring power of Deep Purple
Released in 2001, Smoke on the Water & Other Hits is a budget-friendly compilation that distills the essence of Deep Purple into a short, high-impact set of tracks. Unlike exhaustive career-spanning collections or archival releases, this compilation is designed for casual listeners and newcomers who want to experience the band’s signature songs without navigating their sprawling catalog.
With a focus on the Mark II era — widely regarded as Deep Purple’s creative peak — this compilation serves as a quick entry point into the band’s catalog, highlighting the tracks that made Deep Purple a household name in hard rock and early heavy metal.
🎧 Mini Album Review
This album excels at delivering the biggest hits in a straightforward format. It’s concise, no-nonsense, and easy to digest — perfect for new fans or those who want a compact playlist of the band’s most recognizable material.
The tracklist emphasizes riff-driven songs like “Smoke on the Water” and “Black Night,” balanced with slightly deeper cuts to showcase the band’s musical range. Because it’s a compilation, there’s no narrative flow, but the sequencing is logical and satisfying for casual listening.
Sound quality is consistent with budget compilations of the era — remastered from original tapes, but without elaborate production or added liner notes. While it won’t replace The Very Best of Deep Purple for a serious collector, it does exactly what it promises: easy access to the essential tracks.
🎶 Tracklist – Smoke on the Water & Other Hits
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Smoke on the Water
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Highway Star
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Black Night
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Woman from Tokyo
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Child in Time
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Speed King
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Fireball
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Strange Kind of Woman
The compilation pulls from albums ranging from Deep Purple in Rock (1970) to Who Do We Think We Are (1973), ensuring listeners hear the band’s most influential phase.
📊 Commercial Performance
This compilation was primarily a budget release. Key points:
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Targeted casual buyers, gift purchases, and retail display racks
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Released across Europe, North America, and Japan
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Did not achieve major chart success, but performed steadily in catalog sales
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Popular for catalog visibility, keeping Deep Purple’s music available in a simplified format
Because it’s a low-cost, accessible compilation, its longevity and continued reissues are more significant than initial chart numbers.
👥 Personnel (Core Tracks)
Most tracks originate from the classic Mk II lineup, with some from Mk III:
Mark II (Most Tracks)
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Ian Gillan – Vocals
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Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar
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Jon Lord – Keyboards, Hammond organ
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Roger Glover – Bass
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Ian Paice – Drums
Mark III (Optional Tracks like “Woman from Tokyo”)
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David Coverdale – Vocals
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Glenn Hughes – Bass, vocals
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Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar
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Jon Lord – Keyboards
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Ian Paice – Drums
Producers vary per track, with Martin Birch responsible for much of the classic-era production.
🎸 Fun Facts & Trivia
🎸 “Smoke on the Water” Riff:
The opening guitar riff remains one of the most famous in rock history — often the first riff learned by beginner guitarists worldwide.
🎹 Jon Lord’s signature sound:
His Hammond organ is prominent on nearly every track, cementing the Deep Purple sound as riff-driven but keyboard-rich.
🔥 Budget compilation philosophy:
Released alongside other similar compilations, the album was intended as an accessible, no-frills introduction to the band.
📀 Repackaging strategy:
Tracks on this compilation have appeared in multiple other collections, reflecting the band’s enduring catalog demand.
🤔 Did You Know?
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Deep Purple’s Mk II lineup is often called the “classic lineup” due to the combination of songwriting, technical skill, and commercial success.
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“Child in Time,” included here, is known for its dramatic vocal range and anti-war themes, showcasing the band’s depth beyond hard rock.
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Compilations like this one helped maintain Deep Purple’s presence in retail music stores in the early 2000s, bridging the gap between older fans and new listeners.
🧠 Legacy & Final Thoughts
Smoke on the Water & Other Hits is not a collector’s item — it’s a practical, approachable gateway into Deep Purple’s music. For casual fans, it delivers the core experience of the band’s classic era in under 40 minutes. For serious listeners, it functions as a starter set, pointing the way toward deeper explorations of Machine Head, In Rock, or Made in Japan.
It may not capture the full depth of Deep Purple’s artistry, but it does its job perfectly: reminding everyone why Deep Purple remains one of hard rock’s most enduring names.
