When it comes to heavy rock music, both Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin helped define the genre with their iconic, powerful riffs. Though both bands formed in 1968, Led Zeppelin quickly soared to superstardom, while Deep Purple’s breakthrough came a bit later, with their fourth album, In Rock, in 1970.
This gap between their rise to fame—around 18 months—felt like an eternity in the competitive music industry, and it didn’t take long for some jealousy to brew within Deep Purple. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, in particular, began to feel the sting of Zeppelin’s rapid success. One evening, after a few drinks, he couldn’t help but take a jab at Bonham, leading to a memorable exchange.
Though the two bands were friends and often shared laughs, their relationship was also marked by some playful ribbing, which sometimes had a sharp edge. Blackmore recalled one such evening with Bonham at the Rainbow Bar in Los Angeles.
“We’d be sitting there, with Bonzo either drunk or depressed, and he’d say, ‘It must be really hard to stand there and go: ‘der-der-derr, der-der, de-derr’ [referring to ‘Smoke on the Water’]. ‘Yeah, it’s nearly as difficult as going: ‘duh-der duh-der dum’ [mocking ‘Whole Lotta Love’]. At least we don’t copy anybody!’”
Bonham, clearly taken aback by the dig, wasn’t about to let it slide. The exchange soon turned into a playful but pointed confrontation, with Blackmore bringing up his thoughts on where Zeppelin’s famous riffs came from.
“I know exactly where you got ‘duh-der duh-der dum’ from. You got it from ‘Hey Joe,’ you just put it to a rhythm,” Blackmore said. “And ‘Immigrant Song’ was ‘Little Miss Lover.’”
Bonham, initially stunned, processed the remarks before attempting to de-escalate. “What are you talking about?” he responded, visibly upset. But Blackmore wasn’t backing down. “I’m just saying, Pagey, you bastard. Now I know!”
The tension lightened when Bonham later asked, half-jokingly, if Blackmore had meant what he said. “Not really,” Blackmore replied. “I was just having a go back at you.” Bonham, ever the good sport, replied, “I didn’t mean it either. There’s room at the top for everybody.”
The two finished their banter with a visit to the toilet, laughing off the confrontation. Despite the fiery debate, Bonham secretly enjoyed these exchanges, and Blackmore was quick to point out how much Bonham loved a good confrontation. As he put it, “He was the kind of guy who liked confrontation, and I always gave it to him.”
Though Blackmore’s jibes were playful, there was no denying the massive talent on both sides. Led Zeppelin’s monumental success was a result of their unparalleled skill, as was Deep Purple’s rise to fame. Ultimately, their rivalry was built on mutual respect and a shared love for rock and roll, and it didn’t stop them from partying together after a good laugh.
