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Highway Star




  Cover Machine_Head_album_coverjpg
  Artist Deep Purple
  Album Machine Head
  Released March 1972
  Track No 1
  Recorded December 6 - 21 , 1971 <br/> Mountain Studios <br/> Montreux , Switzerland
  Genre Hard Rock <br> Heavy Metal <br> Speed Metal http://enallexpertscom/q/Heavy-Metal-2854/Speed-metal-Speedhtm
  Length 6:08
  Label EMI (UK)<br> Warner Bros Records (US)
  Writer Ian Gillan <br> Ritchie Blackmore <br> Roger Glover <br> Jon Lord <br> Ian Paice
  Producer Deep Purple
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"Highway Star" is one of British rock group claimed that the organ solo is based on a Bach -like sequence.


HISTORY

This song was born on a tour bus going to Portsmouth in 1971 when a reporter asked the band how they wrote songs. To demonstrate, guitarist . The track remains one of the band's staple live performances, and was the set opener for many years. These days the song is usually an encore.
Two live versions of this song can be heard on the Deep Purple-Extended Versions Live Compilation CD. The first version heard on the CD is fused with the song " Not Fade Away ".


STRUCTURE

The structure of the song consists of a 25 second guitar introduction, before the band launches into the thumping opening riff, which soon leads into the first vocals section (0.55). The first two verses are sung, then Jon Lord begins his organ solo (2.19). The organ solo lasts for about a minute, then Ian Gillan sings the third verse of the song (3.24). At the conclusion of the third verse, the Guitar Solo starts (4.07), and lasts for just under a minute and twenty seconds. Then, the fourth and final verse is sung, finishing around 6.10. Depending on the version you listen to, there may be a 15 second-long exit section before the end of the song.

COVERS


Being an early speed metal song, "Highway Star" is covered by numerous bands in the genre. Other bands (that do not fall under the "speed metal" description) have covered this song, as well.

  • Faith No More has covered at least one verse of the song, which can be heard on the second disc of their greatest hits album Who Cares A Lot? .

  • X-Cops , a GWAR side project, covered the song (with slightly different lyrics to better reflect the theme of the band and album) on their only album, '' You Have The Right To Remain Silent... ''.

  • Metal Church covered the song on their self-titled album.

  • Australian classical guitar band Saffire perform an equally fast but acoustic cover of Highway Star on their 2004 CD Nostalgica.

  • Alter Bridge covered the song several times on their concerts with Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy playing both the guitar solo and the organ solo together.

  • Type O Negative have a version of the track on their recently released 'Best Of'

  • Dream Theater performed the song as well as the rest of the Made In Japan album on January 13 2006. It was subsequently released as an official bootleg on Mike Portnoy's Ytse Jam Records.

  • Aerosmith will cover this song on their 15th studio album in 2007 or 2008.



APPEARANCES IN OTHER MEDIA



REFERENCES