Deep Purple - Highway Star May 2026

The recording features the classic "Mark II" lineup: Ian Gillan (vocals), Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Jon Lord (organ), Roger Glover (bass), and Ian Paice (drums).

It was reportedly written on a tour bus in 1971 while the band was traveling to Portsmouth. When a journalist asked guitarist Ritchie Blackmore how they composed music, he began riffing on an acoustic guitar, the band joined in, and the skeleton of the song was finished by the end of the journey. Deep Purple - Highway Star

While originally conceived on the road, the final studio version was recorded in December 1971 at the Grand Hotel in Montreux, Switzerland, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. 2. Technical Composition & Performance The recording features the classic "Mark II" lineup:

The track is famous for its structure, which emphasizes individual and collective technical prowess: While originally conceived on the road, the final