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Guinness confirms SOTW record
Guinness World Records has officially confirmed the new record for the Largest Guitar Ensemble with 1,802 players. The record was set on June 23, 2007 in Leinfelden, Germany (near Stuttgart). That event was organised by Guitar World Record. The previous record of 1,721 players was rather short lived as it was set just three weeks before on June 3, 2007 in Kansas City, Kansas, United States. As you might remember, Smoke On The Water was performed on both occasions and we’ve covered both events.
Guinness people said that they are considering an entry in the next Book of Records, but there’s no guarantee.
The CD and DVD from the current (German) World Record will be released on January 25, 2008 on Zounds/CMS and will contain live recording of the World Record version, the original from Deep Purple, plus other SOTW covers from Pat Boone, Mungo Jerry, Michael Gaedt (Die kleine Tierschau), DJ Toastie, and a playback track for practice. Official release party will be held on February 23 during the Born2befree Festival. A special Kombiticket will get you the CD and admission to the festival for 12 Euros. The CD can be also ordered directly from Zounds.
The World Record certificate and the CD will be presented on December 17 at 17:30, at the Palm Beach Club in Stuttgart.
Thanks to Andreas Vockrodt for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Congratulations to Stuttgart/Leinfelden for the new world record.
These events bring good publicity to our favorite band, despite the fact that they practically ignored them, especially the one here in America. Purple could have capitalized on the event and brought much needed attention to themselves in the States. The recent comment by Glover was almost condescending.
I participated in the Kansas City, Kansas event. DP is NOT very well known in America outside of classic rock radio and almost unheard of in Kansas City. Don’t worry…I am constantly explaining to people who they are, and as a teacher, I am indoctrinating–er, I mean informing young people about them.
The last concert here took place at Verizon Wireless Sandstone in a 6,700 seat venue. It did not appear to be sold out, but there were people in the grass in the back. The Scorpions were the co-headliners with Joe Satriani as the opener (in the rain), and the Scorpions t-shirt wearing fans were very large in number. It was obvious many came only to see Satriani.
The same could be said for the concert previous to that one, which also featured Dio and Thin Lizzy. Based on the t-shirts, most people were there to see the other acts. Deep Purple shirts were few and far between. Purple would NEVER be able to sell out the large indoor venues in the city.
The point is: The fact that the record-breaking took place in Kansas City and attracted 1,721 guitarists and budding guitarists in this Purple-unfriendly country (we are not, after all, Germany or France) is nothing short of a small miracle. Outside of town, there is NOTHING…for miles and miles and miles. Flat, treeless farmland. Country music is the genre of choice here.
I am proud of the fact that we broke the record, even if for a short time. I used my Gillan-signed Stratocaster, which held obvious meaning to me. Germany (and the nearby countries) only produced a mere 81 more official guitarists! That is also nothing short of a small miracle (for us). I’m so relieved it wasn’t a blowout!
I know the Stuttgart area from when I grew up in the 70’s (my family lives in Holzgerlingen) and even then the metro area was large and growing quickly. In those days, the Autobahn stopped suddenly at Sindelfingen.
Anyway, this coupled with the fact that the European event was much more heavily publicized and organized and is much more into Purple than here makes the short-lived American record sweet indeed.
I think that these events were more about the record for the most people playing “Smoke on the Water” than it was about breaking the record for the biggest guitar ensemble!
Once again, congratulations to Germany for the new record. I never had any doubt it would be broken. The moment I heard that Stuttgart would be going for it, I knew it was all over! The European plans came over the radio soon before the American event, and I remember thinking, “Aw, son of a–…”
December 15th, 2007 at 03:44it all makes sense to me now….
December 15th, 2007 at 04:11stupid!!
December 15th, 2007 at 08:38That’s good. BUT!!! WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD DEEP PURPLE’S NEW STUDIO ALBUM. can’t wait. We love Rapture, we love Bananas, we love Abandon and of course we love Purpendicular BUT!!! WE NEED MORE ALBUMS TO LOVE, WE NEED NEW STUDIO ALBUM IN 2008!!!
Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
December 15th, 2007 at 10:06Even this man, who is not quite a fan of Stevey(“Not so loud, Stevie, mark my words!!!!”) Morse could settle for a Purpendicular/Bananas II work out……….
THIS TIME :
No stupid creations like the Aviator and so on, please………
I rather prefer a great INSTRUMENTAL like “difficult To Cure”. Don already showed he can play the ORGAN.
After 14 bloody years in Purple YOU should be able to make a great classical music based song like that. Or not?
No more FIDDLING please….?
It’s get’s on my nerves………
Some more “Smooth Dancer II songs” like “I m NOT your lover”….
We LOVE to hear that you are still not over the divorce, Ian…..
Some fast rock songs like Cascades, Bananas, Kiss tomorrow Goodbye….. and great ORGAN songs like Hush II : “Rosa’s Cantina”.
Is the bar still open, Ian?
Ian : Burp???
What about Blackers bar???? Does it still serve???
As long as the REAL THING does not come to it’s senses we might as well subdue ourselves some time further to MASOCHISM…….
So bring it on : 2008 Purple………..
But without to much social correct blabbering a la ROTH and NO TRASH like Abandon mainly was.
Rather make us “7th Heaven II” instead………
REFRAIN FROM RAP, Ian!!!!!! I hate talk radio………
Sighhhhhhhhhhhhh
“I f I said I d still believe in it. I d lie…”
RIverside: “Behind the eyelids”(Rapid Eye Movement)
December 15th, 2007 at 10:46DEEP PURPLE FAMILY REUNION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 15th, 2007 at 11:21AND ONLY FAST AND HEAVY NEW SONG FOR A NEW RECORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How about this one:
LET THE BOYS SURPRISE US.
With some fresh, new and exciting work.
December 15th, 2007 at 23:15Twaddling Purplepriest 65,
We left a reply for you in blog ‘a light in the sky’.
December 16th, 2007 at 12:18I can only agree 101% that the new Purple album should be a DEEP PURPLE album. Fast, hard, havy (like “House of Pain”) and with one or two slow songs. All the different tunes and song project is OK, but only for solo albums.
December 16th, 2007 at 20:41So hit it hard anf fast in 2008.
WELL DONE TECH. ATHENAEUM !!!
December 16th, 2007 at 21:39WE accompany you there.
Although nothing to do with the topic of this post–but that hasn’t stopped anyone…
Jon Lord mentioned in a recent interview that within the next couple of years, with the 40th anniversary of DP and by ’09, the anniversary of the formation with Gillan and Glover, that “something” will be done–he just doesn’t know what or when, exactly.
So they’re thinking about it, the idea is being tossed around, and we’ll just have to wait and see about the details.
December 17th, 2007 at 04:03The only Guinness that matters is a pint of the ‘black stuff’………………
December 17th, 2007 at 17:21Unless you were there.
December 18th, 2007 at 03:38Not entirely convinced about the point of ‘SOTW world record’.
Take a pint any day
December 18th, 2007 at 10:26The point was the break the record for the largest guitar ensemble. Why? For the same reason people climb mountains. Because it’s there.
The choice of “Smoke on the Water” was used because of its simplicity and the probability the song choice would attract more guitarists. It did, in fact, get people to learn the song who otherwise did not play guitar!
As far as a Purple fan is concerned, it was great to see the band get some much needed recognition, not to mention the opportunity to hang out with like-minded people. I even met a former student from years back that I hadn’t seen in a long time.
December 19th, 2007 at 00:08Dont get me wrong ‘T’. If people get something out of it then thats just fine.
December 19th, 2007 at 08:41Lots of fun. But very, very cold that day–with a chilly wind. It warmed up by the time of the main event.
December 19th, 2007 at 22:22