Strange Kind of Woman
Encyclopedia
Strange Kind of Woman is a song by British rock band Deep Purple
that was originally released as a follow up single after "Black Night
" in early 1971. The song also became a hit, peaking at #8 on UK charts, and later appeared on the re-release of their 1971 album Fireball
. The track was also released on the US edition of Fireball, in lieu of the UK version's track Demon's Eye.
introduced the song on Deep Purple in Concert
: "It was about a friend of ours who got mixed up with a very evil woman and it was a sad story. They got married in the end. And a few days after they got married, the lady died." In Wordographys section Gillan gives slightly different version of the song's history:
When Deep Purple performed the song live, Gillan and guitarist
Ritchie Blackmore
would play a guitar-vocal duel in the middle. This would always end with an extremely long, high-pitched scream from Gillan before the band returned to playing the original song. An example can be heard on the live album Made In Japan
recorded in 1972.
During the song "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget," on Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force's album Trial by Fire, Yngwie Malmsteen and Joe Lynn Turner
, who replaced Gillan in Deep Purple around the same time the album was released, pay tribute to Gillan and Blackmore by incorporating this guitar-vocal battle into the song after the guitar solo
.
on their 2003 live/tribute album Deep Purple Tribute
.
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
that was originally released as a follow up single after "Black Night
Black Night
"Black Night" is a song by British hard rock band Deep Purple, first released as a single in June 1970 and later included on the 25th Year Anniversary version of their 1970 album, In Rock. The song became a hit following its release, peaking at #2 on UK charts, and to this day remains Deep Purple's...
" in early 1971. The song also became a hit, peaking at #8 on UK charts, and later appeared on the re-release of their 1971 album Fireball
Fireball (album)
-Side two:-Bonus tracks on the 25th anniversary CD re-issue:-side one:-Side two:-Personnel:* Ian Gillan - vocals* Ritchie Blackmore - guitar* Roger Glover - bass* Jon Lord - keyboards, Hammond organ* Ian Paice - drums-Additional personnel:...
. The track was also released on the US edition of Fireball, in lieu of the UK version's track Demon's Eye.
History
The song was originally called "Prostitute". Vocalist Ian GillanIan Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
introduced the song on Deep Purple in Concert
Deep Purple In Concert
Deep Purple in Concert is an album by British hard rock band Deep Purple, of two concerts recorded by the BBC for their "In Concert" live series, recorded in 1970 and 1972. First released in 1980 in the UK, with the current US edition being made available in 2001...
: "It was about a friend of ours who got mixed up with a very evil woman and it was a sad story. They got married in the end. And a few days after they got married, the lady died." In Wordographys section Gillan gives slightly different version of the song's history:
When Deep Purple performed the song live, Gillan and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
would play a guitar-vocal duel in the middle. This would always end with an extremely long, high-pitched scream from Gillan before the band returned to playing the original song. An example can be heard on the live album Made In Japan
Made in Japan (album)
Made in Japan is a double live album by English rock band Deep Purple, recorded during their first tour of Japan in August 1972. It was originally released in December 1972, with a U.S...
recorded in 1972.
During the song "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget," on Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force's album Trial by Fire, Yngwie Malmsteen and Joe Lynn Turner
Joe Lynn Turner
Joe Lynn Turner , is an American rock singer, known for his works with Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Deep Purple. From the late 1990s, he continued to perform in a large number of solo albums and other studio projects...
, who replaced Gillan in Deep Purple around the same time the album was released, pay tribute to Gillan and Blackmore by incorporating this guitar-vocal battle into the song after the guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
.
Cover versions
The song was covered by Serbian hard rock band Cactus JackCactus Jack (band)
-Band history:The band, originally named Caramba, was formed at the end of 1998 by Stevan Birak , Miodrag Krudulj , Vladimir Jezdimirović and Dušan Gnjidić ....
on their 2003 live/tribute album Deep Purple Tribute
Deep Purple Tribute (album)
Deep Purple Tribute is a tribute and the second live album by Serbian hard rock band Cactus Jack. Two discs feature twelve cover songs originally released by British hard rock band Deep Purple...
.
Personnel
- Ian GillanIan GillanIan Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
- vocals - Ritchie BlackmoreRitchie BlackmoreRichard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
- guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Roger GloverRoger GloverRoger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Jon LordJon LordJonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player.Jon Lord, also known as 'Hammond Lord', is a classically trained piano player. He is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms...
- organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with... - Ian PaiceIan PaiceIan Anderson Paice is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the English rock band Deep Purple. As of Jon Lord's departure in 2002, he is the only founding member of the band who never stopped performing with the group, and the only member to appear on every album the band has...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....