The 1970 song so good it almost made Ritchie Blackmore faint: “We both went white”
Ritchie Blackmore has recalled how Mountain's 1970 debut single "Mississippi Queen" left him and Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice stunned when they first heard it in Germany, describing the moment as "we both went white." The anecdote highlights how the raw, heavy sound of American bands such as Mountain and The Allman Brothers pushed Deep Purple towards a heavier direction after their earlier psychedelic-tinged albums had underperformed, a shift that would prove pivotal to the band's success.
That heavier approach, adopted for 1970's "Deep Purple In Rock" with the band's "Mark II" line-up, reached number four in the UK charts, with follow-ups "Fireball" and "Machine Head" both hitting number one. Leslie West's guitar work on "Mississippi Queen," including its distinctive cowbell intro and "pig squeal" solos, made a lasting impression on Blackmore, and the two bands later toured together, with West known for spontaneously joining Deep Purple's sets uninvited. Decades later, their paths crossed again when Joe Lynn Turner, Blackmore's former Rainbow and Deep Purple vocalist, began collaborating with West himself.
- Blackmore says Mountain's 1970 hit "Mississippi Queen" stunned him and Ian Paice
- The song helped push Deep Purple towards a heavier rock sound
- Deep Purple's heavier albums later topped the UK charts
New here? Start with this
Deep Purple are one of the pioneering bands of hard rock, formed in England in the late 1960s. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and drummer Ian Paice were founding members whose sound shifted from the psychedelic style of the band's early albums towards the heavier, riff-driven rock they became known for. That change coincided with the arrival of what fans call the "Mark II" line-up in 1969-70.
Mountain were an American rock band fronted by guitarist Leslie West, best known for their 1970 single "Mississippi Queen," a track built around a distinctive cowbell intro and a raw, heavy guitar sound. Alongside acts such as The Allman Brothers, Mountain were part of a wave of American rock that influenced British bands of the era, including Deep Purple.
This background matters because Deep Purple's shift towards heavier material produced the albums "Deep Purple In Rock," "Fireball" and "Machine Head," which became commercial and critical successes and helped shape the sound of hard rock more broadly. The two bands' paths crossed again in later years through shared touring history and mutual musical collaborators.