Remember When the World’s Biggest Short-Lived Rock Supergroup Recorded Just One Song for Charity?

Supergroups have popped up in the rock genre countless times through the years. Some of those bands stuck around for a bit and found major success, like Cream. Others produced very little music together, such as Smokin’ Mojo Filters. Another rock supergroup that only got together for just one song doesn’t have a name, but they definitely existed for a short amount of time. 

That supergroup was made up of a laundry list of rock band members from Deep Purple, Yes!, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, Rush, Black Sabbath, and Queen. And they produced an absolutely amazing version of Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water”. You can check out the song and a video clip of their performance below.

Members of Countless Classic Rock Bands Contributed to This Cover of “Smoke On The Water”

The unnamed rock supergroup composed of over a dozen famous rock stars got together back in 1989. Their only objective was to record and sell a cover of Deep Purple’s 1972 signature song, “Smoke On The Water”. The song’s production was the product of charity, too. The track was released to raise money to help provide relief to those affected by the Armenian earthquake in 1988.

So, who exactly made up this supergroup? Get ready for a long list. Bryan Adams, Bruce Dickinson, Ritchie Blackmore, Keith Emerson, Geoff Downes, David Gilmour, Ian Gillan, Alex Lifeson, Tony Iommi, Paul Rodgers, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and Chris Squire were all part of the temporary rock supergroup. Plus, John Paul Jones and Jon Lord got a couple of credits on the song for helping with the filming and recording process.

And what a meeting of talent it was. You’d think having these many famous rock icons on one track would cause pandemonium, or at least some head-butting. On the contrary, the song ended up being an incredible project. The riff of “Smoke On The Water” is memorable enough, but implementing the talents of rotating famous guitarists made it even better. And as each singer took their turn at the verses, listeners could pick apart who each voice belonged to.

The track was recorded in London at Metropolis Studios via five total sessions. The whole process took about two and a half months. It was all worth it, and the song would later appear on The Earthquake Album, which featured additional songs from each band involved.

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