(TV) Smoke on the TV?

[Jesse Hochstadt <Jesse_Hochstadt@brown.edu>]

Philip posted this link to an interview with RL:

> http://www.cosmik.com/aa-august04/rocket_from_the_tombs.html

When I read this quote:

> I went to see Claude Nobs, the founder of the Montreaux Jazz Festival, who 
> was in New York at the time, and asked him about my songs and Tom's band. 
> He's the one who convinced me that I should join them.

I found myself saying, "Claude Nobs, Claude Nobs - now where do I know that 
name from?" Then it hit me: he's thanked in the liner notes to Deep 
Purple's "Machine Head"! Indeed, he is none other than the "Funky Claude" 
in the lyrics to "Smoke on the Water":

> They burned down the gambling house
> It died with an awful sound
> Funky Claude was running in and out
> Pulling kids out the ground

The lyrics refer to the titular event in which a fire broke out at the 
Casino in Montreux during a Frank Zappa show, just a day before Deep Purple 
were supposed to begin recording there. Whoda thunk it: this one man was 
instrumental both in one of the most famous rock (or at least heavy metal) 
songs of all time and (at least according to RL) in forming the "classic" 
Television lineup. I'd presume DP was among the "pomp rock" that bands like 
Television were trying not to be like. (I found a nice little article by 
Roger Glover on the making of "Machine Head" at 
http://www.thehighwaystar.com/rosas/mh25/machmak.html. )

Incidentally, "Machine Head" was one of the very first LPs I bought for 
myself. A friend at camp had had it, and I came back to Brooklyn at the end 
of the summer still wanting to hear "Pictures of Home." Can't say I listen 
to the album anymore (though I've held on to it out of sentiment), unlike 
one my other first purchases, the Band's eponymous "brown" album, which I 
love to this day.

- Jesse
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