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Smoke This Contest
Fire It Up With The Legendary Voice Of Deep Purple

Do you have what it takes to rock with the legendary Ian Gillan?
Do you have the vocal range, the hot guitar riffs, or the most kick ass band that can do the best version of Smoke On The Water? Let's hear it then!

Smoking Chance

Enter the SMOKE THIS Smoke On The Water contest! To enter, download the track from the category you want to participate in and record your vocals/guitar over it or record a new take of your band’s version of Smoke On The Water and submit it to us. Visitors will then vote on which submissions they like the best in each category (make sure to tell your friends to vote for you). Every week, 1 submission will move on to the finals based on the average votes of visitors. At the end of the contest, Ian Gillan will chose one winner from each category. Click here for more info.

Smoking Prizes
  • The winners of the Vocal and the Lead Guitar categories will win a TRIP TO VEGAS TO PERFORM LIVE WITH IAN GILLAN AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES.
  • The winner of the band category will receive GEAR FOR THEIR BAND. Click here for more info.

Vocals
Download Smoke On The Water without Vocals (right click and "save as")
Lead Guitar
Download Smoke On The Water without Lead Guitar (right click and "save as")
Band Version
No Download needed because it's all you, just upload your version.

Submit Your Music
Check out the Free-FM Smoke This contest winner join Ian on stage in NYC!
Check out the
tour section
for more videos and pics from the Gillan's Inn Tour!
Vocals - Wanted: Killer Vocalists
Smoke This Winners
Winner
Steven Levesque
Rate It: 
1288 votes
3.2 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Pretty good. Like the Highway Star scream on the intro. Full of confidence. Understands the song. Great attitude. I Like the cut of his jib. Strong sense of timing. He’s a singer.
Michael: Strong singer…I’d recommend working on the transition between the power voice, which sounds a little forced, and the subtle parts. Nice vibrato.
John: Good beginning – not too early.
Your kind of bluesy approach to the song works - I wish it wasn’t so panned to the right speaker
I like the lower mixed vocals at the beginning of the outro – a bit over the top at the end though
Pretty impressive
Top Contestants
Week 1 Winner
Silvio Mazzei
Rate It: 
1530 votes
3.6 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Uncanny, or maybe canny… Sounds like me. Tasty. Understands the song. Understands story with lyrics and not trying to force it. Like this approach.
Michael: Great approach. Great voice, vibrato, energy.
John: Love the unplugged approach – great playing
Interesting interpretation of the song – I like the overall feel
Very brave of you to do this without being massively plugged in
Good ending – you have at least a couple of fans :-)
Week 2 Winner
myspace/justmedan
Rate It: 
1654 votes
3.4 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Michael: Nice effort, but it sounds like he’s trying too hard, straining his voice a bit. Would have preferred an entirely different approach, rather than trying to match the way IG sings it.
John: Brilliant rock vocal – you have a good voice – I like the
Feels as though you are trying a bit too hard - might be better if you relaxed into the song
Watch the ends of phrases and the beginning of the next – there’s a couple of timing issues with your vocal against the background vocals and the rhythm section
I like your vocal ad lib at the end of the third verse before the guitars kick in – pity it wasn’t louder – it deserves to be heard
Week 3 Winner
SilvioM
Rate It: 
1626 votes
3.8 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: First verse was great. A little loose after that. Powerful voice.
Michael: Great approach. He gets it.
John: Good series of intros over the riff
Your vocal should be louder in the verses – the chorus effect is a bit distracting.
Crank it up man – no need to be shy – you can sing
I really like your ad lib and screams on the outro but I wish you’d ended four bars before you did
Week 4 Winner
Chris Heaven
Rate It: 
1047 votes
3.1 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Overselling the song. Good singer, but too much going into it.
Michael: Too affected for my very subjective taste. The improvised bits at the beginning sounded clichéd to my ear, as well as the ‘sing it out’ before the first chorus, and the repeated ‘baby’ chants. The harmonies were cool, but not enough to make me love this track. Still however, considering this guy probably isn’t singing in his native language, and considering that, it’s quite impressive.
John: You have a great voice
The “baby”’s between the verses are a bit disconcerting
I think you repeated the words of the first verse instead of singing those of the third
Good interpretation of the song and great ending
Week 5 Winner
michelle
Rate It: 
1437 votes
3.3 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Not sitting in the groove tightly enough. I’ve sung this with many well known singers and they all find it difficult to get this as a narrative and doesn’t need to be pushed. A lot of drummers do the same thing. Needs to be more laid back.
Michael: Good voice, and creative approach. But working too hard.
John: I like the subtle intro of your voice in the beginning of the song
The timing of your vocal feels a bit off in the verses – consider not slurring the words together
Good screaming before the guitar solo
I like your interpretation and feel of the third verse
Great ending :-)
Week 6 Winner
Steven Levesque
Rate It: 
1288 votes
3.2 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Pretty good. Like the Highway Star scream on the intro. Full of confidence. Understands the song. Great attitude. I Like the cut of his jib. Strong sense of timing. He’s a singer.
Michael: Strong singer…I’d recommend working on the transition between the power voice, which sounds a little forced, and the subtle parts. Nice vibrato.
John: Good beginning – not too early.
Your kind of bluesy approach to the song works - I wish it wasn’t so panned to the right speaker
I like the lower mixed vocals at the beginning of the outro – a bit over the top at the end though
Pretty impressive
Week 7 Winner
Brian Jones
Rate It: 
772 votes
3.1 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Michael: Didn’t even get the lyrics right. Screams not strong enough, and a bit over done.
John: Great intro
You have a fantastic voice - I wish you’d put a bit more interpretation into the delivery of the song. I’m missing the emotion in the first two verses – third one makes up for it though
You nailed the choruses
 Lead Guitar - Wanted: Shredding Guitarists
Top Contestants
Winner
Blackmore's Blitzkrieg
Rate It: 
909 votes
3.3 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Great attitude for the song and the solo. Great sense of rhythm. Fresh interpretation. Personality seems to come through. Very good.
Michael: I thought the intro panning was a little gratuitous, as were the extra chords behind the intro. Once the song started, main rhythm was pretty solid, though the adlibs in the background were distracting for me. The sixteenth notes and trills in the solo were a little over done to my ears, though they displayed a solid guitar playing ability.
John: The panning on the intro is quite disconcerting – sounds like you have
drop-outs on the audio – check your levels or put in a limiter
Once you kick in before Ian’s verse it’s good
The sliding feels as though you are trying too hard to be noticed
I like what you are doing on the second verse but again be careful of the panning – if you’d keep it in the center or slightly left I would have enjoyed you a lot more
Same thing with the solo and with in the third verse You can play but please stop wobbling between the speakers
Top Contestants
Week 1 Winner
Stallion Twister
Rate It: 
722 votes
2.6 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Good sound. Stuck religiously to the original solo and not enough interpretation for my tastes. Spot on intro.
Michael: A little too loose for my tastes. Tone processed. Some timing issues in the solo. But otherwise very close to the original, at least until the end.
John: Not bad on the intro – consider pulling back on the reverb
I don’t think this is Ian’s voice on the vocal – did you enter in the right category?
I liked the lead guitar playing under the third verse better than I liked the solo
Great overall feel to the song
Week 2 Winner
Celtic Legacy
Rate It: 
715 votes
2.9 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Nice tone.
Michael: Sounded very much like Ritchie, sonically…but the interpretation was uninspiring.
John: Good solo – a little bit too staccato for my liking though
Good ending
Week 3 Winner
Alex Berget
Rate It: 
1317 votes
3.5 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Sypatico to the original, but interpretive. We like this guy.
Michael: F*king great!
John: I found the lead intro to be overpowering – after the shock of the first two bars I relaxed and liked it
Please don’t do the lead at the beginning of the second verse ever again – let the rhythm guitar take it
Good solo – especially at the end of the first section
Oh my god – stop whatever you are doing in the third verse – never step on the lead vocal
Overall I think you have level problems on the mix – your lead should be dialed back.
Bloody great ending
Week 4 Winner
Blackmore's Blitzkrieg
Rate It: 
909 votes
3.3 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Great attitude for the song and the solo. Great sense of rhythm. Fresh interpretation. Personality seems to come through. Very good.
Michael: I thought the intro panning was a little gratuitous, as were the extra chords behind the intro. Once the song started, main rhythm was pretty solid, though the adlibs in the background were distracting for me. The sixteenth notes and trills in the solo were a little over done to my ears, though they displayed a solid guitar playing ability.
John: The panning on the intro is quite disconcerting – sounds like you have
drop-outs on the audio – check your levels or put in a limiter
Once you kick in before Ian’s verse it’s good
The sliding feels as though you are trying too hard to be noticed
I like what you are doing on the second verse but again be careful of the panning – if you’d keep it in the center or slightly left I would have enjoyed you a lot more
Same thing with the solo and with in the third verse You can play but please stop wobbling between the speakers
Week 5 Winner
Joe Hart
Rate It: 
1060 votes
3.4 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Pretty good.
Michael: Intro rhythm was dead on. Nicely played. Slight deviation in the verses from the original, but it was interesting. Nice playing in the solo, but I was left feeling like I was hearing his bag of tricks more than something really digging into that track and trying to take it somewhere...
John: Blistering solo – man you can play!
I wish you’d have come in at the end
Week 6 Winner
Bitchie Rackmore (Speed Corrected!)
Rate It: 
596 votes
2.9 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Almost note for note. I’d prefer to hear something new paying a healthy dose of respect to the old.
Michael: Very heavy and not bad at all. Good band too. This should have been in the band category.
John: Too fucking fast
Who’s the lead vocalist ? – He should have been in the first category
Love the solo – relaxed and competent – you’ve obviously done this before
Awesome keyboards after v3 – Jon Lord would be proud
Even better key and guitar dual at the end – very impressive
I realized at the end it was live – great job
Well done – I wish it were about 10 bps slower
Damn I wish you had put this into the band category
Week 7 Winner
Chowder
Rate It: 
427 votes
2.9 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Michael: All the soloing at the intro misses the point of laying down the groove there. Nice job of copping Ritchie’s original solo, but I guess I’d rather hear it interpreted. Good playing though.
John: WOW – best lead intro I have heard on this song
The guitar solo doesn’t match up to what I was hoping for after the intro – you’d set me up with something of an expectation and it didn’t rise to the occasion
Good ending
You’re talented - I really wish you had let rip
 Band Version - Wanted: Kick Ass Bands
Top Contestants
Winner
Johnny Helbo
Rate It: 
1671 votes
3.1 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Interesting. F#(king Great! I love it. Total disrespect, it’s great. Brilliant.
Michael: What a radical and fun interpretation. It’s fresh, brave, different and I loved it.
John: Another original interpretation
I really like the heavy feel
The lo-fi of the lead vocals felt a little odd at first but once I got used to to it I quite liked the approach – you can sing – on balance I think I’d rather hear you without the effect.
Same goes for the lead guitar – you should have been in the guitar section – lose the reverb and get up front
Great band and a good mix – hats off to the engineer
Top Contestants
Week 1 Winner
Programme Three
Rate It: 
1261 votes
2.9 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Very interpretive.
Michael: Interesting interpretation. Some pitch issues on the vocals. So much echo in there on the guitars, the mix was distracting. The substituted chords at the end of the solo didn’t seem to improve it for me.
John: I think there is a problem with the upload – things sound more than a little slow
At this speed even I can hit Ian’s high notes and play the lead
Week 2 Winner
Deep Burple (tribute)
Rate It: 
1171 votes
2.9 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Michael: Why play nearly the exact Made In Japan into to Smoke? Purple probably only did that once. Having said that, it was well played. Wicked guitar solo. Vocals solid too.
John: Good feel
I missed the bass in the second part of the intro but when it kicked in it was worth waiting for – great job!
Very tight rhythm section
Great lead guitar solo - I would have liked it to be front and center and a lot louder – if that were in the solo guitar section of the contest it would have been a front runner
Drummer is very impressive
The ending feels a little abrupt – with this playing talent you could have milked it.
Week 3 Winner
The REACH (live)
Rate It: 
1005 votes
2.9 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Michael: Seemed a little slow to me. The guitar articulation in the verses was a little noisy for my tastes. The lead guitar tripped over itself a bit in the solo section. A solid effort but I didn’t find it too inspiring.
John: Great second half of the intro – I was a bit worried at first but you made it happen when your guitar kicked in
Good lead vocal quality – pity about the distortion – but that’s what happens sometimes in live recordings
I’d prefer not to hear so much of the background vocals in the mix and a lot more lead guitar
Definitely more lead in the solo - you can play – don’t hide it
An ok live rendition – more energy would have made it great – it feels as though you are playing the song to three people in a bar. You’re way better than that.
Week 4 Winner
BURN
Rate It: 
719 votes
2.6 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Michael: Band sounds very good. Good swing in the drums, and the rhythm guitar is right on. Vocals could have more color and interpretation on this, and the solo got a little clumsy at times. A little more restraint there, and I’d have liked the solo more, but that’s just me, of course. And what do I know?
John: I love the energy as the song builds out of the intro
Your lead vocalist has a good voice but it feels as though he is throwing the song away rather than really getting into it
The snare is rather loud in the solo section
Good first half of lead solo
The breaks in the rhythm in the third verse threw me off a little
Nice lead guitar after that
You’re a talented band – do something more on the commitment, I wasn’t feeling it as the end of a set
Week 5 Winner
MusiciansCollaboration.com
Rate It: 
932 votes
2.7 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Nice guitar, drums, keys. Band is hot.
Michael: Nice guitar playing in the intro. Not sure if I love the harmonies put into the verses, but big points for doing that, and their well done. Overall, good feel on the basic tracks. The chord change under the solo sounded like the wrong ones to me, a minor point, but the change wasn’t an improvement.
John: Oh my goodness what’s with the panning on the intro? – when the right kicks in it’s good
Awesome lead guitar player
Solid rhythm section
Good leads and background vocals (perhaps consider backing off the BG’s and let the lead go for it until later in the song)
Great lead guitar solos – feels a bit dry – you should buy some pedals
Third verse vocals are really good (this time you have the BG’s right)
Clear potential on this one
Week 6 Winner
Smoking Gun
Rate It: 
1306 votes
3.1 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Bizarre.
Michael: I hope it wasn’t a recording anomaly, but it seemed a bit fast to me. Felt pretty good though. Keyboardist did a nice job. In trying to do a true version of this song, the drummer’s got to swing more, and this just didn’t quite do it for me. Solo was pretty spot on with the original, but it all seemed a little rushed to me. Good effort though.
John: Lose the reverb on the intro – this song needs to be in your face
Rhythm guitar is panned way too hard to the left
Lead vocalist has a really good voice – I’m impressed!
Fucking great guitar solo – I’d like to hear more of it
Same goes for the keys – great player but he/she is pops out on the left in v1 and the guitar solo otherwise quiet and not present when it’s important
Good band energy
One of the best yet – I wish the mix were not so muddy
Week 6 Winner
Enema Bootcamp (Montreal)
Rate It: 
2689 votes
3.1 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Michael: I dug that intro because it was different, and it’s always brave to shake up a classic. Chord changes from the originals in the verses didn’t improve it, to my ears. Vocals didn’t really do it for me. Kind of a punk version of smoke, and for that, I think it’s cool.
John: I love your interpretation - this feels completely real
You’re doing your own thing and not worrying about the original version
Who is the lead guitar player? Like an earlier finalist he or she should have been in the guitar section of the contest.
I like the way the bass player weaves in and out but doesn’t overpower the lead
Well done!
Week 7 Winner
Johnny Helbo
Rate It: 
1671 votes
3.1 star avg.
Judges Comments:
Ian: Interesting. F#(king Great! I love it. Total disrespect, it’s great. Brilliant.
Michael: What a radical and fun interpretation. It’s fresh, brave, different and I loved it.
John: Another original interpretation
I really like the heavy feel
The lo-fi of the lead vocals felt a little odd at first but once I got used to to it I quite liked the approach – you can sing – on balance I think I’d rather hear you without the effect.
Same goes for the lead guitar – you should have been in the guitar section – lose the reverb and get up front
Great band and a good mix – hats off to the engineer

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