Mistreated (song)
Encyclopedia
"Mistreated" is a song by the British
hard rock band Deep Purple
taken from their 1974 album Burn. Unlike most of Deep Purple's material (hard rock, heavy metal
) "Mistreated" is a blues rock song. The song was written by the band's guitarist Ritchie Blackmore
and new vocalist David Coverdale
, who, along with new bassist Glenn Hughes, brought new blues and funk elements to the band.
At live performances Glenn Hughes would introduce "Mistreated" as a song that Blackmore had written a few years earlier to Burn. The song was actually been considered for the bands previous album Who Do We Think We Are
, but Ritchie held it back. When work on Burn started, Coverdale wrote the lyrics to "Mistreated", and it is actually the only song on Burn where he sings the lyrics entirely himself. In the booklet of the 30th Anniversary Edition of Burn, Coverdale commented on the recording of the vocals on "Mistreated":
The longest track on the album, the song shifts gear and builds to a climax, Blackmore launching into a rapid solo, with Coverdale and Hughes building a wall of multi-tracked backing vocals before the song's end.
The song stayed in the band's set-list until late 1975. After Deep Purple broke-up in 1976, David Coverdale would continue performing "Mistreated" with his band Whitesnake
(which has also included former Purple-bandmates Jon Lord
and Ian Paice
) until the early-80's and briefly again in 1997. Live versions of the song are featured on the bands albums Live at Hammersmith
and Live...in the Heart of the City
Ritchie Blackmore also performed the song with his band Rainbow
in the late-70's and mid-90's. A live version can be heard on the groups albums On Stage
, Live in Germany and Live in Munich 1977
with Ronnie James Dio on vocals. And, more recently, Glenn Hughes has rolled the song out at gigs with his latest band Black Country Communion
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hard rock band Deep Purple
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...
taken from their 1974 album Burn. Unlike most of Deep Purple's material (hard rock, heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
) "Mistreated" is a blues rock song. The song was written by the band's guitarist 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...
and new vocalist David Coverdale
David Coverdale
David 'Jack' Coverdale is an English rock singer, most famous for his work with the his own hard rock band Whitesnake which achieved massive commercial success.-Early life:...
, who, along with new bassist Glenn Hughes, brought new blues and funk elements to the band.
At live performances Glenn Hughes would introduce "Mistreated" as a song that Blackmore had written a few years earlier to Burn. The song was actually been considered for the bands previous album Who Do We Think We Are
Who Do We Think We Are
-Side two:-Bonus tracks on the Remastered edition CD re-issue:-Personnel:* Ian Gillan - vocals, harmonica* Ritchie Blackmore - guitar* Roger Glover - bass* Jon Lord - keyboards* Ian Paice - drums-Additional personnel:* Produced by Deep Purple...
, but Ritchie held it back. When work on Burn started, Coverdale wrote the lyrics to "Mistreated", and it is actually the only song on Burn where he sings the lyrics entirely himself. In the booklet of the 30th Anniversary Edition of Burn, Coverdale commented on the recording of the vocals on "Mistreated":
"We recorded "Mistreated" from 11pm to 7:30 in the morning. I heard the first playbacks and thought it was terrible. It was so bad I just sat down and cried because I wanted it to be so good. Then the next night we had another session and I did it on the second take. It's like progressive blues. It wasn't raised in a shack by the railroad tracks but I've still had emotional hassles and that's the only kind of blues i can interpret. I tried very hard because I knew it was essential to get the strong emotive quality the song needs. The thing I wanted was for somebody listening to the song to think: 'I know what he's talking about' and get the feeling, then the song would be worth it. It's essentially a physical feeling. The reason it didn't come off straight away was simply that I was trying too hard."
The longest track on the album, the song shifts gear and builds to a climax, Blackmore launching into a rapid solo, with Coverdale and Hughes building a wall of multi-tracked backing vocals before the song's end.
The song stayed in the band's set-list until late 1975. After Deep Purple broke-up in 1976, David Coverdale would continue performing "Mistreated" with his band Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
(which has also included former Purple-bandmates Jon Lord
Jon Lord
Jonathan 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...
and Ian Paice
Ian Paice
Ian 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...
) until the early-80's and briefly again in 1997. Live versions of the song are featured on the bands albums Live at Hammersmith
Live at Hammersmith (Whitesnake album)
Live at Hammersmith is a live album released by hard rock band Whitesnake. It was released in Japan only, although these recordings would become sides 3 and 4 of the international double-vinyl release, Live...In the Heart of the City, which was released in 1980.-Track listing:# "Come on" - 4:06#...
and Live...in the Heart of the City
Live...In the Heart of the City
Live...in the Heart Of The City is a 1980 live album by Whitesnake. Originally released as a double-vinyl album, and double-play cassette, it utilises recordings made in 1978 and 1980...
Ritchie Blackmore also performed the song with his band Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
in the late-70's and mid-90's. A live version can be heard on the groups albums On Stage
On Stage (Rainbow album)
On Stage is a live album originally released by Rainbow in 1977 on Oyster - Polydor SPDLP6B . The album features a cover of a song from Blackmore's previous band Deep Purple: "Mistreated"....
, Live in Germany and Live in Munich 1977
Live in Munich 1977
Live in Munich 1977 is a live album and DVD released by Rainbow in 2006.The concert was recorded in Munich on October 20, 1977, originally filmed to air on the German Rockpalast TV show. Repeated airings have led to numerous bootleg video and audio tapes of the show being available through the 80's...
with Ronnie James Dio on vocals. And, more recently, Glenn Hughes has rolled the song out at gigs with his latest band Black Country Communion
Black Country Communion
Black Country Communion is an English-American rock supergroup featuring Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, Derek Sherinian, and Joe Bonamassa.-Formation and Black Country :...
.
Personnel
- 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... - David CoverdaleDavid CoverdaleDavid 'Jack' Coverdale is an English rock singer, most famous for his work with the his own hard rock band Whitesnake which achieved massive commercial success.-Early life:...
- lead vocals - Glenn Hughes - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - 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...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - 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 ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...