Soldier of Fortune (song)
| "Soldier of Fortune" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Deep Purple from the album Stormbringer | |
| Released | December 1974 |
| Recorded | August 1974 |
| Genre | Rock, blues rock |
| Length | 03:13 |
| Label |
EMI/Purple (UK) Warner Bros. (US) |
| Writer | David Coverdale |
| Composer | Ritchie Blackmore |
| Cover versions | |
| Whitesnake, Opeth, Black Majesty, Iris | |
| "Soldier of Fortune" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Opeth | |
| A-side | "Soldier of Fortune" |
| Released | 6 March 2007 |
| Recorded | 2005 |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 03:28 |
| Label | Roadrunner Records |
| Writer(s) | Coverdale, Blackmore |
"Soldier of Fortune" is a blues rock ballad written by David Coverdale and Ritchie Blackmore and originally released on Deep Purple's 1974 album Stormbringer. As of 30 May 2014, "Soldier of Fortune" is Deep Purple's 7th most "listened" song with over 15,000 hits on Last.fm,[1] and has been included in many rock ballad compilation albums. Though Deep Purple has never released the song as a single and it has never placed on the record charts, it has developed a cult following over the years, and cover versions have been released by Whitesnake, Opeth, Black Majesty and the Romanian band Iris.
The Opeth cover was included as a bonus track in the Special Edition release of Ghost Reveries (2006) and was subsequently released as a single in March 2007, which is available from iTunes.[2][3] Roadrunner Records lists Opeth's version among their 13 wildest covers, calling it a faithful cover while adding Mikael Åkerfeldt's "unexpectedly soulful vocals."[4]
Releases
"Soldier of Fortune" has been released on several albums since Stormbringer, both by Deep Purple and by other bands.
Deep Purple
- Stormbringer (1974)
- Last Concert in Japan (1977)
- This Time Around: Live in Tokyo (2001)
- The Platinum Collection (2005)
- Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple 30th Anniversary Edition (2010)
Whitesnake
- Starkers in Tokyo (1997)
- The Silver Anniversary Collection (2003)
- 30th Anniversary Collection (2008)
- Made In Britain/World Record (Live) (2013)
- The Purple Album (2015)
Opeth
- Ghost Reveries (2005) [Special Edition bonus track]
- "Soldier of Fortune" [Single] (6 March 2007)
Black Majesty
- Tomorrowland (2007)
Iris
- Iris Athenaeum - Vol. I (Live album, 2000)
- Iris Digital Athenaeum (DVD, 2001)
Bosquito
- "Soldier of Fortune" (Cocktail Molotov album) (2003)
Blackmore's Night
References
- ↑ "Deep Purple: Top Tracks". Last.fm. Retrieved 2013-05-10.
- ↑ "Opeth: Soldier of Fortune (Single)". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
- ↑ "Soldier of Fortune - Single". iTunes Preview. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
- ↑ "13 of Roadrunner's Wildest Covers". Roadrunner Records. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-08-17.