Puneet Varma (Editor)

Maybe I'm a Leo

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Released
  
March 1972

Length
  
4:52

Recorded
  
6–21 December 1971, Montreux, Switzerland

Genre
  
Hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock

Label
  
EMI (UK) Warner Bros. (US)

Writer(s)
  
Ritchie Blackmore Ian Gillan Roger Glover Jon Lord Ian Paice

"Maybe I'm a Leo" is a song by the British rock group Deep Purple, from their 1972 album Machine Head.

Contents

History

Roger Glover says: "I wrote the riff to "Maybe I’m a Leo" after hearing John Lennon’s "How Do You Sleep?". I liked the idea that the riff didn’t start on the down beat, like 99% of riffs do. Most of the songs on Machine Head were from the first take, or not long after."

Singer Ian Gillan is a Leo (born 19 August), the only group member at the time with that astrological sign.

The song was rarely played by the band live, but three live recordings of it have been released on albums, Deep Purple in Concert, recorded in 1972, Live at the Olympia '96, and Live at Montreux 2011.

The SACD version of Machine Head has an alternative guitar solo on "Maybe I'm a Leo".

Personnel

  • Ritchie Blackmore - guitar
  • Ian Gillan – vocals
  • Roger Glover – bass guitar
  • Jon Lord – keyboards
  • Ian Paice – drums

    • Cover versions

  • The Atomic Bitchwax on their album 3.
  • Gov't Mule on The Deep End, Volume 1 in which Roger Glover made a guest appearance.
  • Javier Malosetti Electrohope on Ten
  • Paul Gilbert on Smoke on the Water, a Tribute to Deep Purple
  • Van Halen used to perform the song during their early concerts.
  • Glenn Hughes, Luis Maldonado & Chad Smith on Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head

    • References

    Maybe I'm a Leo Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA