Whitesnake are an English
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
band formed in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer
David Coverdale
David Coverdale (born 22 September 1951) is an English singer who is best known as the lead vocalist of Whitesnake, a hard rock band he founded in 1978. Before Whitesnake, Coverdale was the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976, after wh ...
, who had recently left
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
. Though the band quickly developed into their own entity, Coverdale is the only constant member throughout their history.
Whitesnake enjoyed much success in the UK, Europe and Japan through their early years. Their albums ''
Ready an' Willing
''Ready an' Willing'' is the third studio album by English hard rock band Whitesnake, released in May 1980. It was the group's first album to feature singer David Coverdale and keyboard player Jon Lord's former Deep Purple colleague Ian Paice o ...
'', ''
Come an' Get It
''Come an' Get It'' is the fourth studio album by English hard rock band Whitesnake, released in 1981. It was, at the time, Whitesnake's highest-charting release in the UK, hitting No. 2 and being kept off the top spot by Adam and the Ants' ...
'' and ''
Saints & Sinners'' all reached the top ten on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
. By the mid-1980s, however, Coverdale had set his sights on breaking through in North America, where Whitesnake remained largely unknown. With the backing of American label
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint.
Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
, Whitesnake released their
eponymous album in 1987, which became their biggest success to date, selling over eight million copies in the US and spawning the hit singles "
Here I Go Again
"Here I Go Again" is a song by British rock band Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, '' Saints & Sinners'', the power ballad was re-recorded for their 1987 self-titled album. The song was re-recorded again the same year in a ...
" and "
Is This Love Is This Love may refer to:
* "Is This Love" (Daryl Braithwaite song)
* "Is This Love?" (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah song)
* "Is This Love?" (The Fireman song)
* "Is This Love" (Aiden Grimshaw song)
* "Is This Love" (Bob Marley & The Wailers song) ...
". Whitesnake also adopted a more contemporary look, akin to the Los Angeles
glam metal
Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...
scene. After releasing ''
Slip of the Tongue
''Slip of the Tongue'' is the eighth studio album by the British band Whitesnake, released in 1989. The album peaked at number 10 on both the UK Album Chart and US ''Billboard'' 200. Three singles were released from the album: " Fool for Your ...
'' in 1989, Coverdale decided to put Whitesnake on hold to take a break from the music industry. Aside from a few short-lived reunions in the 1990s, Whitesnake remained mostly inactive until 2003, when Coverdale put together a new line-up to celebrate the band's 25th anniversary. Since then Whitesnake have released four more studio albums and toured extensively around the world.
Whitesnake's early sound has been characterized by critics as
blues rock
Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...
, but by the mid-1980s the band slowly began moving toward a more commercially accessible hard rock style. Topics such as love and sex are common in Whitesnake's lyrics, which have been criticized for their excessive use of sexual innuendos and double entendres. Whitesnake have been nominated for several awards during their career, including Best British Group at the
1988 Brit Awards
Brit Awards 1988 was the 8th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. It was organised by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 8 February 1988 at Royal Albert Hall in London. This ...
. They have also been featured on lists of the greatest hard rock bands of all time by several media outlets, while their songs and albums have appeared on many "best of" lists by outlets, such as
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
and ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''.
History
Formation, ''Snakebite'' and ''Trouble'' (1976–1978)
In March 1976, singer
David Coverdale
David Coverdale (born 22 September 1951) is an English singer who is best known as the lead vocalist of Whitesnake, a hard rock band he founded in 1978. Before Whitesnake, Coverdale was the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976, after wh ...
left the English hard rock group
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
. He had joined the band three years prior and recorded three successful albums with them. After leaving Deep Purple, Coverdale released his solo album ''
White Snake'' in May 1977. His second solo album ''
Northwinds
''Northwinds'' is the second solo album by former Deep Purple singer David Coverdale, released in March 1978.
Background
Originally entitled ''North Winds'', the album leans more towards blues-based rock. Coverdale also touched on the genre ...
'' was released in March 1978. Both combined elements of blues, soul and funk, as Coverdale had wanted to distance himself from the hard rock sound synonymous with Deep Purple. Both records featured former
Snafu
SNAFU is an acronym that is widely used to stand for the sarcastic expression Situation normal: all fucked up. It is a well-known example of military acronym slang. It is sometimes bowdlerized to "all fouled up" or similar. It means that the s ...
guitarist
Micky Moody
Michael Joseph "Micky" Moody (born 30 August 1950) is an English guitarist, and a former member of the rock bands Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake. He was also a founder-member of Snafu. Together with his former Whitesnake colleague Bernie Marsden h ...
, whom Coverdale had known since the late 1960s. As Coverdale began assembling a backing band in London, Moody was the first to join.
Among the other early candidates for the group were drummers
Dave Holland
David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years.
His extensive discography r ...
and
Cozy Powell
Cozy Powell (born Colin Trevor Flooks; 29 December 1947 – 5 April 1998) was an English rock drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Robert Plant, ...
, as well as guitarist
Mel Galley
Melville John Galley (8 March 1948 – 1 July 2008) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his work with Whitesnake, Trapeze, Finders Keepers and Phenomena.
Galley was born in Cannock, Staffordshire, England. While a ...
. The decision to recruit a second guitarist was made at Moody's suggestion.
Bernie Marsden
Bernard John Marsden (born 7 May 1951) is an English rock and blues guitarist. He is primarily known for his work with Whitesnake, having written or co-written with David Coverdale many of the group's hit songs, such as "Fool for Your Loving", ...
, formerly of
UFO
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
and
Paice Ashton Lord
Paice Ashton Lord was a short-lived British rock band featuring Deep Purple band members Ian Paice and Jon Lord with singer Tony Ashton. The band was formed in 1976, released its only album in 1977 and broke up in 1978.
History
After Deep Pur ...
, agreed to join.
Through Marsden, they were also able to recruit bassist
Neil Murray, as the two had played together in Cozy Powell's Hammer. The band's initial line-up was rounded out by drummer
Dave "Duck" Dowle and keyboardist Brian Johnson, who had played together in
Streetwalkers
Streetwalkers were an English rock band formed in late 1973 by two former members of rock band Family, vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist John "Charlie" Whitney. They were a five piece band which evolved from the Chapman Whitney Band.
The ba ...
.
The band, dubbed David Coverdale's Whitesnake, played their first show at
Lincoln Technical College on 3 March 1978.
Their live debut had originally been scheduled for 23 February at the Sky Bird Club in Nottingham, but the show was cancelled.
Coverdale had originally wanted the group to be simply called Whitesnake, but was forced to use his own name as it still carried some clout as the former lead singer of Deep Purple.
In a 2009 interview with
''Metro'', Coverdale jokingly stated that the name "Whitesnake" was a euphemism for his penis: "If I had been from Africa it would have been Blacksnake". In fact, it came from the song of the same name found on his first solo album. After completing a small UK club tour, the band adjourned to a rehearsal place in London's West End to begin writing new songs.
They soon caught the attention of
EMI International
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
's Robbie Dennis, who wanted to sign the group. According to Bernie Marsden, however, his higher-ups were not ready to commit to a full album. Thus, the band entered London's Central Recorders Studio in April 1978 to record an EP. By this point, original keyboardist Brian Johnston had been replaced by Pete Solley.
Martin Birch
Martin Birch (27 December 19489 August 2020) was a British music producer and sound engineer. He became renowned for engineering and producing albums recorded predominantly by British rock bands, including Deep Purple, Rainbow, Fleetwood Mac, W ...
, who had worked with Coverdale during his time in Deep Purple, was chosen to produce. The resulting record, ''
Snakebite
A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may occu ...
'', was released in June 1978.
In Europe, the EP was combined with four tracks from Coverdale's album ''Northwinds'' to make up a full-length album.
''Snakebite'' also contained a slowed down cover of
Bobby Bland
Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer.
Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was descr ...
's "
Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
"Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" is a 1974 R&B song written by Michael Price and Dan Walsh, and first recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland for the ABC Dunhill album '' Dreamer''.
Background
While it is ostensibly a love song, some critics and ...
", which had originally been used by the band to audition bass players. While the song was only included because the group were short on songs, the track would later become a popular live staple at Whitesnake concerts, with Coverdale calling it "the national anthem of the Whitesnake choir", referring to the band's audience.
When ''Snakebite'' reached number 61 on the UK Singles Chart, the band were duly signed to EMI proper.
In July 1978, the band (now known simply as Whitesnake) entered Central Recorders in London to begin work on their first proper studio album with Martin Birch again producing. The recording and mixing only took ten days. Towards the end of the sessions, Pete Solley's keyboard parts were completely replaced by Coverdale's former Deep Purple bandmate
Jon Lord
John Douglas Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English orchestral and rock composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with the British rock band Deep ...
, who agreed to join Whitesnake after much coaxing from Coverdale.
Colin Towns
Colin William Towns (born 13 May 1948 in West Ham, London) is an English composer and keyboardist. He was noted for playing in bands formed by ex-Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan, and later worked extensively in composing soundtracks for film, telev ...
and
Tony Ashton
Edward Anthony Ashton (1 March 1946 – 28 May 2001) was an English rock pianist, keyboardist, singer, composer, producer and artist.
Biography
Born in Blackburn, Lancashire, Ashton spent his formative years in the seaside town of Blackpool whe ...
were also approached, having previously played with fellow Deep Purple offshoots the
Ian Gillan Band
The Ian Gillan Band were an English progressive jazz-rock band formed by singer Ian Gillan of Deep Purple in 1975.
History
After leaving Deep Purple in June 1973, Ian Gillan had retired from the music business to pursue other business ventures ...
and Paice Ashton Lord, respectively. Whitesnake's debut album ''
Trouble
Trouble may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin
* ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film
* ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Trouble'' ...
'' was released in October 1978,
and it reached number 50 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
. In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Eduardo Rivadavia stated: "A few unexpected oddities throw the album off-balance here and there,
..but all things considered, it is easy to understand why ''Trouble'' turned out to be the first step in a long, and very successful career." The release of ''Trouble'' was followed by an 18-date UK tour, beginning on 26 October 1978. The final show at the
Hammersmith Odeon
The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ha ...
in London was recorded and released in Japan as ''Live at Hammersmith''. According to Coverdale, this was done to appease Japanese promoters who allegedly refused to book Whitesnake without some kind of a live recording.
''Lovehunter'' and ''Ready an' Willing'' (1979–1980)
![Whitesnakelogo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Whitesnakelogo.png)
Whitesnake began their first continental European tour on 9 February 1979 in Germany. They then began recording their second album in April 1979 at
Clearwell Castle
Clearwell Castle in Clearwell, the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, is a Gothic Revival house constructed from 1727. Built by Thomas Wyndham to the designs of Roger Morris, it is the earliest Georgian Gothic Revival castle in England predating b ...
in
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of Gl ...
, where Coverdale had previously worked with Deep Purple. Martin Birch returned to produce and the band employed the
Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio (also known as the RSM) is a mobile recording studio inside a DAF F1600 Turbo truck, once owned by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Numerous bands and artists have recorded music using the RSM, including ...
to record.
Bernie Marsden later described the resulting record as a "transition album", where the band really began to "blossom" and find their footing. Before the album's release though, drummer Dave "Duck" Dowle was replaced by
Ian Paice
Ian Anderson Paice (born 29 June 1948) is an English musician, best known as the drummer and last remaining original member of the rock band Deep Purple.
He is often cited as one of the greatest drummers of all-time. He remains the only member ...
, Coverdale and Lord's former Deep Purple bandmate.
There is some contention as to the nature of Dowle's departure. Coverdale maintains that Dowle's performance on the album was lacking and that he was "unable to take constructive criticism", which ultimately led to his firing.
Bernie Marsden, meanwhile, asserted that Dowle left because he didn't like being at Clearwell Castle and away from his family.
The idea of Paice re-recording Dowle's drum parts was considered, but ultimately rejected by the band's management allegedly due to cost. Paice's addition also spurred speculation from the British music press about Coverdale mounting a Deep Purple reunion, something he denied.
Coverdale later remarked how Paice joining the band felt like "truly the beginning of Whitesnake", where all the members were "performing at
heir
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Officiall ...
absolute best" and "inspiring the best out of each other".
''
Lovehunter
''Lovehunter'' is the second studio album by British band Whitesnake, released in 1979. It charted at No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart.
" Long Way from Home", the leading track on the album reached No. 55 on the UK charts.
It was the group's las ...
'', Whitesnake's second album, was released in October 1979,
and it reached number 29 on the UK Albums Chart. ''
Sounds
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
'' gave the record a positive review,
while AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia was more mixed, commending many of the songs, but criticizing the band's studio performance as "strangely tame". The album's cover art, depicting a naked woman straddling a giant serpent, caused some controversy when the record was released. Whitesnake had already received criticism from the British music press for their alleged sexist lyrics. The cover art for ''Lovehunter'', done by artist
Chris Achilleos
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common.
People with the given name
* Chris Abani (born 1966), N ...
, was reportedly commissioned to "just piss
he criticsoff even more".
In North America, a sticker was placed on the cover to hide the woman's buttocks, while in Argentina the cover art was modified so that the woman wore a chain-mail bikini.
Nevertheless, Whitesnake began a supporting tour for ''Lovehunter'' on 11 October 1979 in the UK, followed by dates in Europe.
![Whitesnake-1980](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Whitesnake-1980.jpg)
After completing the supporting tour for ''Lovehunter'', Whitesnake promptly started work on their third album at
Ridge Farm Studios
Ridge Farm Studio was one of the earliest residential recording studios in the United Kingdom. The studio operated for over twenty-five years and had artists, musicians, and producers from all over the world record and produce music there.
The ...
, with Martin Birch once again producing.
The resulting record, ''
Ready an' Willing
''Ready an' Willing'' is the third studio album by English hard rock band Whitesnake, released in May 1980. It was the group's first album to feature singer David Coverdale and keyboard player Jon Lord's former Deep Purple colleague Ian Paice o ...
'', was released on 31 May 1980, and it reached number six on the UK Albums Chart. It also became the band's first album to chart in the US, where it reached number 90 on the
''Billboard'' 200 chart. Its success was helped by the lead single "
Fool for Your Loving
"Fool for Your Loving" is a song recorded by British hard rock band Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1980 album ''Ready an' Willing'', it was re-recorded for their 1989 album ''Slip of the Tongue''.
Background and Recording
The song ...
", which reached number 13 and number 53 in the UK and the US, respectively.
Geoff Barton
Geoff Barton (born July 1955) is a British journalist who founded the heavy metal magazine ''Kerrang!'' and was an editor of ''Sounds'' music magazine.
He joined ''Sounds'' at the age of 19 after completing a journalism course at the London Col ...
, writing for ''Sounds'', gave ''Ready an' Willing'' a positive review, awarding it four stars out of five.
Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic commended the band's growing consistency, but still described the production as "flat". Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden later named ''Ready an' Willing'' their favourite Whitesnake album. In the UK, the record would later be certified
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
by the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
for sales of over 100,000 copies. In support of the album, Whitesnake toured the US for the first time supporting
Jethro Tull. Later that year, they supported
AC/DC
AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...
in Europe. With the benefit of a hit single, Whitesnake's audience in the UK began to grow.
Thus, the band recorded and released the double live album ''
Live... in the Heart of the City''. The record combined new material recorded in June 1980 at the Hammersmith Odeon with the previously released ''Live at Hammersmith'' album.
''Live... in the Heart of the City'' proved to be an even bigger success than ''Ready an' Willing'', reaching number five in the UK. It would later go
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Platinu ...
, with sales of over 300,000 copies. In North America, the album was released as a single record version, excluding the live material from 1978.
''Come an' Get It'' and ''Saints & Sinners'' (1981–1982)
In early 1981, Whitsnake began recording their fourth studio album with producer Martin Birch at
Ringo Starr
Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...
's
Startling Studios in Ascot, Berkshire. After the success of ''Ready an' Willing'' and ''Live... in the Heart of the City'', Whitesnake were riding high with the atmosphere in the studio being described by Coverdale as "great" and "positive". The resulting record, ''
Come an' Get It
''Come an' Get It'' is the fourth studio album by English hard rock band Whitesnake, released in 1981. It was, at the time, Whitesnake's highest-charting release in the UK, hitting No. 2 and being kept off the top spot by Adam and the Ants' ...
'', was released on 6 April 1981.
Charting in seven countries, it gave the group their highest ever UK chart position at number two. That same year, the album was certified gold. The single "
Don't Break My Heart Again
"Don't Break My Heart Again" is a song by the English hard rock band Whitesnake from their 1981 studio album ''Come an' Get It''. Written by vocalist David Coverdale, the song was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage. The guitar solo ...
" also charted at number seventeen in the UK. ''
Circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
'' magazine gave the album a positive review, which proclaimed: "
hitesnakehas made its claim to rock history with ''Come an' Get It'', which even stands ahead of classic hard rock in the
Free
Free may refer to:
Concept
* Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything
* Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism
* Emancipate, to procur ...
mold." Coverdale later named the record his favorite album of the band's early years, stating: "Even though we had some great songs on each album, I don't feel that we came as close as we did on
'Come an' Get It'' as far as consistency is concerned.
Whitesnake kicked off the supporting tour for ''Come an' Get It'' on 14 April 1981 in Germany. During the tour, the band played five nights at the Hammersmith Odeon and eight dates in Japan. They also played the US in July, supporting
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...
with
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
. At the 1981
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual hard rock and heavy metal music festival held in Castle Donington, England, from 1980 to 1996, taking place every year except 1989 and 1993. It later branched into other locations such as the Netherlands, Poland, ...
festival at Castle Donington, Whitesnake were direct support for headliners AC/DC.
The supporting tour for ''Come an' Get It'' lasted approximately five months.
![Whitesnake lineup 1981](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Whitesnake_lineup_1981.jpg)
In late 1981, Coverdale retreated to a small villa in southern Portugal to begin writing the band's next album. After returning to England, he and the rest of Whitesnake gathered at Nomis Studios in London to start rehearsals. However, as Coverdale would later explain: "There wasn't that 'spark' that was usually in attendance. It felt more of an effort to be there."
Micky Moody later stated that by the end of 1981, the band had become tired, partially from "too many late nights, too much partying".
In an effort to lift their collective spirits, Whitesnake returned to
Clearwell Castle
Clearwell Castle in Clearwell, the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, is a Gothic Revival house constructed from 1727. Built by Thomas Wyndham to the designs of Roger Morris, it is the earliest Georgian Gothic Revival castle in England predating b ...
in Gloucestershire, where they had recorded ''Lovehunter''. Though morale still remained low, the band were able to record the basic tracks for the new album. Guy Bidmead replaced producer Martin Birch, who was reportedly too ill to work at the time (Birch did eventually return when recording moved to
Britannia Row
Britannia Row Studios was a recording studio located in Islington, London N1 (1975–1995), and then in Fulham, London SW6, England (1995–2015). The original studio was built by the British rock band Pink Floyd in a three-story block at 35 Brita ...
.
). This exacerbated the band's ever worsening mental state.
To make matters worse, the band were experiencing financial troubles with Moody recalling: "We weren't making nowhere near the kind of money we should have been making. Whitesnake always seemed to be in debt, and I thought 'What is this?, we're playing in some of the biggest places and we're still being told we're in debt, where is all the money going?'."
Eventually, Moody became fed up with the band's situation and left Whitesnake in December 1981.
The remaining band members blamed the group's management company Seabreeze, headed by Deep Purple's former manager
John Coletta
John Coletta (1932 – 9 July 2006) was an English music manager and music producer. He managed Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Rainbow, Praying Mantis and others.
He started his career by taking the Teacher's Diploma in Art at Brighton College of ...
, for their financial state.
According to Bernie Marsden, the band set up a meeting to fire Coletta, but Coverdale failed to show. Instead, Marsden, Neil Murray and Ian Paice were informed that Whitesnake had been put on hold and that they were fired.
Marsden later remarked that "David
overdale
Overdale was a small residential district in downtown Montreal that became a famous symbol of the struggle between urban conservationists and land developers.
In the mid-1980s, two developers, Robert Landau and Douglas Cohen, operating under an a ...
decided he would be king of Whitesnake".
Coverdale asserted that he elected to put the band on hold when his daughter contracted bacterial meningitis.
He claimed that this gave him courage to cut ties with Coletta. Coverdale ended up buying himself out of his contracts, which reportedly cost him over a million dollars.
As for the firing of Marsden, Murray and Paice, Coverdale felt they lacked the needed enthusiasm to keep working in Whitesnake.
Coverdale later stated that it was "a business decision, not personal".
After waiting for his daughter to recupurate and severing ties with the band's management, record companies and publishers, Coverdale began putting Whitesnake back together. Micky Moody and Jon Lord agreed to return, while guitarist
Mel Galley
Melville John Galley (8 March 1948 – 1 July 2008) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his work with Whitesnake, Trapeze, Finders Keepers and Phenomena.
Galley was born in Cannock, Staffordshire, England. While a ...
, bassist
Colin Hodgkinson
Colin Hodgkinson (born 14 October 1945, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England) is a British rock, jazz and blues bassist, who has been active since the 1960s.
Career
Hodgkinson played in several bands, but was even more prolific as a sessio ...
and drummer
Cozy Powell
Cozy Powell (born Colin Trevor Flooks; 29 December 1947 – 5 April 1998) was an English rock drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Robert Plant, ...
were brought in as new recruits.
Coverdale completed the band's new album with Martin Birch in October 1982 at Battery Studios in London.
''
Saints & Sinners'' was released on 15 November 1982.
It reached number nine in the UK and charted in eight additional countries. In the UK, the record was certified silver. Chas de Whalley, writing for ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'', gave the album a lukewarm review. Save for two tracks ("
Crying in the Rain
"Crying in the Rain" is a song composed by Carole King with lyrics by Howard Greenfield, originally recorded by American duo the Everly Brothers. The single peaked at number six on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1962.
The song was the only c ...
" and "
Here I Go Again
"Here I Go Again" is a song by British rock band Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, '' Saints & Sinners'', the power ballad was re-recorded for their 1987 self-titled album. The song was re-recorded again the same year in a ...
"), he characterized the rest of the record as generally mediocre. Conversely, AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia, in a retrospective review, hailed ''Saints & Sinners'' as Whitesnake's "best album yet". By the time the record was released, Coverdale had signed a new recording contract with American label
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint.
Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
, who would handle all of Whitesnake's future releases in North America. In Europe, the band remained with
Liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
(a subsidiary of EMI), while in Japan, they signed with
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
. A&R executive
John Kalodner
John David Kalodner is a retired American A&R (artists and repertoire) executive.
History
John David Kalodner was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was a writer and photographer at ''Concert'' magazine. He went on to be a photographer for v ...
, who had been a long-time fan of Coverdale's, convinced
David Geffen
David Lawrence Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American business magnate, producer and film studio executive. He co-created Asylum Records in 1971 with Elliot Roberts, Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1990, and DreamWorks SKG in 199 ...
to sign the band. Meeting Geffen and Kalodner had a major impact on Coverdale and his future vision for Whitesnake. He explained: "I'd been surrounded by a mentality if you make five pounds profit let's go to the pub. Whereas David Geffen said to me 'If you can make five dollars profit, why not 50? If 50, why not 500? Why not 50,000, why not five million?'" Coverdale soon set his sights on breaking through in North America with Kalodner advising him.
Meanwhile, Whitesnake began a supporting for ''Saints & Sinners'' on 10 December 1982 in the UK.
''Slide It In'' (1983–1984)
![Whitesnake1983](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Whitesnake1983.jpg)
Whitesnake toured across Europe and Japan in early 1983,
before starting rehearsals for their next album at Jon Lord's house in Oxfordshire.
Coverdale began steering Whitesnake's music more towards hard rock, which was emphasized by the additions of Mel Galley and Cozy Powell, whose past projects included
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...
and
Rainbow
A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
, respectively.
Majority of Whitesnake's next album was co-written by Coverdale and Galley, while Micky Moody contributed to only one song. Whitesnake began recording their sixth album at
Musicland Studios
Musicland Studios was a recording studio located in Munich, Germany. It was established by Italian record producer, songwriter and performer Giorgio Moroder in the early 1970s. in Munich with producer
Eddie Kramer
Edwin H. Kramer (born 19 April 1942) is a British recording producer and engineer. He has collaborated with several artists now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppel ...
, who had come recommended by John Kalodner.
In August 1983, Whitesnake headlined the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington, England. The show was filmed and later released as the band's first long-form video, titled ''Whitesnake Commandos''. The band also premiered the new single "
Guilty of Love", which was released to coincide with the festival. The entire album had originally been slated for release three weeks prior to the Donington show, but failed to meet the deadline. The band were having problems adapting to Eddie Kramer's style of producing, particularly his method of mixing the record. Eventually things came to a head and Kramer was let go. Coverdale then rehired Martin Birch to complete the album.
A new release date for the record was set for mid-November with a supporting tour scheduled to start in December. However, as Whitesnake finished up a European tour in October, Micky Moody left the group. He later attributed his departure to a growing dissatisfaction working in the band, particularly with Coverdale. Moody remarked: "Me and David weren't friends and co-writers anymore.
..David was a guy who five, six years earlier was my best friend. Now he acted as if I wasn't there."
Moody also felt uncomfortable with the level of influence he felt John Kalodner was having on the band. Colin Hodgkinson was also let go in late 1983, only to be replaced by his predecessor Neil Murray. Coverdale later explained the decision to rehire Murray by simply stating: "I'd missed his playing".
Towards the end of 1983, Jon Lord also informed Coverdale of his intention to leave the band, but Coverdale convinced him to stay until the supporting tour for their next album was over. With the line-up changes and the troubled production of the album, both the record and its accompanying tour were delayed until early 1984.
![John Sykes 1984](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/John_Sykes_1984.jpg)
According to Coverdale, John Kalodner had convinced him that in order for the band to achieve their full potential, they needed a "guitar hero" that could match Coverdale as a frontman. Therefore, to replace Moody, Coverdale initially looked to
Michael Schenker
Michael Schenker (born 10 January 1955) is a German guitarist. He played in the rock band UFO and leads the Michael Schenker Group. He was an early member of the hard rock band Scorpions, a band co-founded by his elder brother Rudolf Schenker. ...
and
Adrian Vandenberg
Adrian Vandenberg (born 31 January 1954 as Adriaan van den Berg) is a Dutch rock guitarist, best known for his tenure as one of the guitarists in Whitesnake during their successful late 1980s period and the band Vandenberg which he started in ...
. Schenker claims he turned down the offer to join Whitesnake, while Coverdale insists he decided to pass on Schenker.
Vandenberg declined the offer to join as well, due to the success he was having at the time with his
own band.
Coverdale then approached
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or some ...
guitarist
John Sykes
John James Sykes (born 29 July 1959) is an English guitarist, best known as a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang. He has also fronted the hard rock group Blue Murder and released several solo albums.
Following a stint in ...
, who he met when Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy played some of the same festivals in Europe.
Sykes was initially reluctant to join, wanting to continue working with Thin Lizzy frontman
Phil Lynott
Philip Parris Lynott (, ; 20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986) was an Irish singer, bassist, and songwriter. His most commercially successful group was Thin Lizzy, of which he was a founding member, the principal songwriter, lead vocalist and ba ...
, but after several more offers he accepted.
John Sykes and Neil Murray were officially confirmed as members of Whitesnake in January 1984. ''
Slide It In
''Slide It In'' is the sixth studio album by British rock band Whitesnake, released in 1984. It was the first Whitesnake album to be released by Geffen Records in the US, but was remixed for the release. Because of this, two different editions ...
'', Whitesnake's sixth studio album, was released on 30 January 1984. On the UK Albums Chart, it reached number nine. The album's highest chart position was in Finland, where it reached number four. ''Slide It In'' received mixed reviews from critics, with the production being a common complaint.
Dave Dickson, writing for ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'', called the record "the best thing Whitesnake have yet commited to vinyl", while ''
Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the ''NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in ''Re ...
''s Jim Reid was highly critical of the lyrical content.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
's Eduardo Rivadavia, in a retrospective review, called ''Slide It In'' "an even greater triumph" than the band's previous works, whereas
Garry Bushell
Garry Bushell (born 13 May 1955) is an English newspaper columnist, rock music journalist, television presenter, author, musician and political activist. Bushell also sings in the Cockney Oi! bands GBX and the Gonads. He managed the New York Ci ...
of ''
Sounds
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
'' gave the album a particularly scathing review, in which he likened Coverdale's voice to that of a "dying dog".
Whitesnake's new line-up made their live debut in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
on 17 February 1984. During a tour stop in Germany, Mel Galley broke his arm leaping on top of a parked car. He sustained nerve damage, leaving him unable to play guitar. As a result, Galley was forced to leave Whitesnake.
By April 1984, a reunion of Deep Purple's Mark II line-up had become imminent, which led to Jon Lord also leaving. He played his final show with Whitesnake on 16 April 1984.
That same day, Geffen Records released ''Slide It In'' in North America. Kalodner had been unimpressed by Martin Birch's work on the album and had demanded a complete remix for the American market. Though initially reluctant, Coverdale agreed after a trip to Geffen's offices in Los Angeles, where he came to the conclusion that Whitesnake's studio approach had become "dated" by American standards.
Keith Olsen
Keith Alan Olsen (May 12, 1945 – March 9, 2020) was an American record producer and sound engineer, who worked with Magnum, Rick Springfield, Fleetwood Mac, Ozzy Osbourne, the Grateful Dead, Whitesnake, Pat Benatar, Heart, Santana, Saga, ...
was brought on board to remix ''Slide It In'', while John Sykes and Neil Murray were tasked with re-recording Micky Moody and Colin Hodgkinson's parts, respectively. The remixed version of ''Slide It In'' reached number 40 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. By 1986, the album had sold over 500,000 copies in the US.
Critical reception was also positive, with Pete Bishop of ''
The Pittsburg Press
''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...
'' calling the album "muscular, melodic and musical all together". With the band now left as a four-piece (with Richard Bailey providing keyboards off-stage),
Whitesnake supported
Dio for several show in the US, after which they toured Japan as a part of the
Super Rock '84 festival. Later that year, Whitesnake embarked on a six week North American tour supporting
Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band founded in Los Angeles in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni.
The original lineup featured Rhoads and Garni with lead vocalist Kevin DuBrow and drummer Drew F ...
. To further the band's reach in America, Whitesnake shot two music videos for the singles "
Slow an' Easy
"Slow an' Easy" is a song by the English rock band Whitesnake from their 1984 album ''Slide It In''. The album provided the group with a commercial breakthrough in the United States, and this specific song, which was released as a promo single, ...
" and "
Love Ain't No Stranger
"Love Ain't No Stranger" is a power ballad by the English hard rock/ heavy metal group Whitesnake, and it is taken from the band's U.S.-breakthrough album ''Slide It In''. One of the group's best known songs, it's been included in multiple mult ...
", respectively. Both songs reached the
Top Tracks
Classic Vinyl is a Sirius XM Radio channel focusing on classic rock music mostly from the late-1960s to the mid-1970s, with the channel's name meant to indicate that it consists of music that first appeared on vinyl records. This encompasses musi ...
chart in the US. In an effort to take America more seriously, Coverdale also relocated to the US.
''Whitesnake'' (1985–1988)
The supporting tour for ''Slide It In'' came to an end in January 1985, when Whitesnake played two shows at the
Rock in Rio
''Rock in Rio'' is a recurring music festival originating in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It later branched into other locations such as Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas.
Nine incarnations of the festival have been held in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, ...
festival in Brazil.
After the tour ended, Cozy Powell parted ways with the band. According to Coverdale, his relationship with Powell had deteriorated increasingly over the course of the tour. After the final show, Coverdale flew to Los Angeles to inform Geffen Records he was letting the rest of the band go. Coverdale was persuaded to keep Sykes involved (as Geffen felt they formed a "strong image together"), while also changing his mind about Murray. Powell, however, was fired.
According to Murray, Powell's departure was the result of financial disputes. Coverdale would later state that Powell didn't feel like the offer he got for his involvement was "appropriate".
Coverdale and Sykes retreated to the South of France in early 1985 to begin writing the band's next album. The sessions proved fruitful and they were joined by Murray, who helped with the arrangements.
The new material saw Whitesnake moving further away from their bluesier roots in favour of a more American hard rock sound.
John Kalodner also convinced Coverdale to re-record two songs from the ''Saints & Sinners'' album, "Here I Go Again" and "Crying in the Rain", which he thought had great potential with better production and arranging. With new material ready, the band then began searching for a new drummer. A reported sixty drummers auditioned for the group, with prolific session drummer
Aynsley Dunbar
Aynsley Thomas Dunbar (born 10 January 1946) is an English drummer. He has worked with John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Journey, Jefferson Starship, Nils Lofgren, Eric Burdon, Shuggie Otis, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Mick R ...
eventually being chosen. Former
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
drummer
Tommy Aldridge
Tommy Aldridge (born August 15, 1950) is an American heavy metal and hard rock drummer. He is noted for his work with numerous bands and artists since the 1970s, such as Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers Band, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Whitesnak ...
was also offered the spot, but an equally satisfactory agreement couldn't be reached.
Drummer
Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice ( , born December 15, 1946) is an American rock drummer. He is best known for his associations with Vanilla Fudge; Cactus; the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice; Rod Stewart; King Kobra; and Blue Murder. He is also Vinny Appice's ...
claimed to have turned down the position due to commitments with his own band
King Kobra
King Kobra is an American heavy metal band founded by drummer Carmine Appice after his tenure with Ozzy Osbourne from 1983 to 1984.
History
For their first two albums, the band consisted of four relatively unknown musicians: vocalist Marcie F ...
. Appice would later join Sykes in
Blue Murder.
The band began tracking their new record at
Little Mountain Sound Studios
Little Mountain Sound Studios is a music recording facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, it was the most successful recording studio in Western Canada and the home for many years to producers Bruce Fai ...
in Vancouver with producer
Mike Stone. By early 1986, much of the album had been recorded.
When it came time for Coverdale to record his vocals though, he noticed his voice was unusually nasal and off-pitch. After consulting several specialists, it was revealed that Coverdale had contracted a severe sinus infection. After receiving some antibiotics, Coverdale flew to
Compass Point Studios
Compass Point Studios was a music recording studio in the The Bahamas, Bahamas, founded in 1977 by Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records. The concept of the studio was of a recording facility supported by in-house sets of artists, musici ...
in the Bahamas to resume recording. However, the infection resurfaced which caused Coverdale's septum to collapse. He required surgery, followed by a six month rehabilitation period.
Sykes has disputed this, claiming that Coverdale was just suffering from nerves and that he used "every excuse possible" not to record his vocals.
After recovering from surgery, Coverdale, by his own account, did develop a "mental block" that prevented him from singing. Following some failed sessions with
Ron Nevison
Ron Nevison is an American record producer and audio engineer. He started his career in the early 1970s as an engineer on ''Quadrophenia'' by the Who and Bad Company's debut album. He eventually became a producer, working with artists including M ...
, Coverdale was finally able to record his vocals with producer Keith Olsen.
By late 1986, production on the record was mostly finished. Keyboards were provided by
Don Airey
Donald Smith Airey (born 21 June 1948) is an English musician who has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, after the retirement of Jon Lord. He has had a long and productive career, playing with such acts as Gary Moore ...
and Bill Cuomo, while Adrian Vandenberg was brought in to do some guitar overdubs.
Additional guitar parts were also provided by
Dann Huff
Dann Lee Huff (born November 15, 1960) is an American record producer and songwriter. For his work as a producer in the country music genre, he has won several awards, including the ''Musician of the Year'' award in 2001, 2004, and 2016 at the Co ...
.
![David Coverdale](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/David_Coverdale.jpeg)
By the time the album was finished, Coverdale was the sole remaining member of Whitesnake. "It was a band in disarray..." observed keyboardist
Don Airey
Donald Smith Airey (born 21 June 1948) is an English musician who has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, after the retirement of Jon Lord. He has had a long and productive career, playing with such acts as Gary Moore ...
. "David was four million dollars in debt; didn't know if he was coming or going." Coverdale has claimed that Sykes and Mike Stone were fired after they began conspiring against him by booking studio time and making decisions without his involvement.
Stone allegedly suggested bringing in someone else to record Coverdale's vocals while he was recovering from surgery.
Sykes has denied this, instead claiming that he and other members were systematically fired as soon as they finished recording their parts.
Murray and Dunbar had stopped receiving their wages in April 1986, at which point Dunbar immediately left Whitesnake. Murray was still officially a member of the group until January 1987, when he heard Coverdale was putting together a new line-up.
With the help of John Kalodner, Coverdale recruited Adrian Vandenberg and Tommy Aldridge, as well as guitarist
Vivian Campbell
Vivian Patrick Campbell (born 25 August 1962) is a Northern Irish guitarist. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as a member of Dio (band), Dio, and has been a member of Def Leppard since 1992 (replacing Steve Clark after his death). Camp ...
(formerly of Dio) and bassist
Rudy Sarzo
Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont (born November 18, 1950) is a Cuban American hard rock/ heavy metal bassist. He remains best known for his work with Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, and Whitesnake, and has also played ...
(formerly of Quiet Riot).
This new line-up would appear in all the promotional materials for the forthcoming album.
Whitesnake also adopted a new look, akin to
glam metal
Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...
bands of the time, in order to appeal more to American audiences. When asked about the band's makeover, Coverdale responded: "I'm competing with people like
Jon Bon Jovi
John Francis Bongiovi Jr. (born March 2, 1962), known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983. He ...
. I've gotta look the part."
''
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own entit ...
'' (titled ''1987'' in Europe and ''Serpens Albus'' in Japan) was released on 30 March 1987 in Europe and 7 April in North America.
It peaked at number eight in the UK, while in the US it reached number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. In total, the record charted in 14 countries and quickly became the most commercially successful of the band's career, selling over eight million copies in the US alone.
Its success also boosted ''Slide It In''s sales to over two million copies in the US.
In addition to this, the singles "Here I Go Again" and "
Is This Love Is This Love may refer to:
* "Is This Love" (Daryl Braithwaite song)
* "Is This Love?" (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah song)
* "Is This Love?" (The Fireman song)
* "Is This Love" (Aiden Grimshaw song)
* "Is This Love" (Bob Marley & The Wailers song) ...
" reached number one and two, respectively, on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100.
In the UK, both reached number nine. The record's success was helped by the heavy airplay Whitesnake received on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, courtesy of a trilogy of music videos featuring Coverdale's future wife and actress
Tawny Kitaen
Julie Ellen "Tawny" Kitaen (August 5, 1961 – May 7, 2021) was an American actress, model, and media personality. She began her career as a television actress, appearing in the television films ''Malibu (film), Malibu'' (1983) and ''California ...
.
The album was generally well received by critics, though reviews in the UK were less favourable, with Coverdale being accused of "
selling out
"Selling out", or "sold out" in the past tense, is a common expression for the compromising of a person's integrity, morality, authenticity, or principles by forgoing the long-term benefits of the collective or group in exchange for personal gai ...
" to America, which he strongly denied.
''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''s
J. D. Considine
J. D. Considine (born 1957) is a music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977.
Background
J. D. Considine's work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. ...
praised the band's ability to present old ideas in new and interesting ways, while AllMusic's Steve Huey, in a retrospective review, touted the album as the band's best.
The new Whitesnake lineup made their live debut following the record's release at the
Texxas Jam
Texxas Jam was the informal nickname of an annual summer rock concert called the Texxas World Music Festival (1978–1988). It was held in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl, and in Houston, at either the Astrodome or the Rice Stadium on the campus of Ri ...
festival in June 1987.
They then toured the US supporting
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...
on their
Girls, Girls, Girls Tour.
Beginning on 30 October 1987, Whitesnake embarked on a headlining arena tour, which was temporarily interrupted in April 1988, when Coverdale had a herniated disc removed from his lower back.
At the
1988 Brit Awards
Brit Awards 1988 was the 8th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. It was organised by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 8 February 1988 at Royal Albert Hall in London. This ...
, the band were nominated for Best British Group, while the album ''Whitesnake'' was nominated for
Favorite Pop/Rock Album at the
American Music Awards
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...
. When the supporting tour for ''Whitesnake'' ended in August 1988, Coverdale informed the rest of the band that the next album would be written by him and Adrian Vandenberg, who had established a fruitful working relationship.
After approximately a month of writing, the band regrouped at Lake Tahoe for three weeks of rehearsals.
In December 1988, Vivian Campbell parted ways with the band. The official reason given was "musical differences".
However, Campbell later revealed that his departure was partially due to a falling out between his wife and Tawny Kitaen. This resulted in Campbell's wife being barred from the band's tour. In addition to this, Vandenberg had made it known that he wanted to be the sole guitarist in Whitesnake, which also played into Campbell's departure.
''Slip of the Tongue'' (1989–1990)
Whitesnake started recording their eighth album in January 1989.
Bruce Fairbairn
Bruce Earl Fairbairn (December 30, 1949 – May 17, 1999) was a Canadian record producer. He was active as a producer from 1976 to 1999, and is considered one of the best of his era. His most successful productions are ''Slippery When Wet'' an ...
was initially chosen to produce, but was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. The band then hired both Keith Olsen and
Mike Clink
Mike Clink is an American record producer. He began his career as an engineer at Record Plant Studios, recording such bands as Whitesnake, Triumph, Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Megadeth, UFO (including ''Strangers in the Night''), Jefferson ...
to produce the record. Coverdale later explained the decision to hire two producers, citing pressure to follow-up the band's previous record. He stated: "I brought them both in... Just that decision alone tells me I was in fear of failing..."
During the recording process, Adrian Vandenberg sustained an injury to his wrists while performing some playing exercises. Despite consulting a doctor and significant rest, the injury persisted, leaving Vandenberg unable to play the guitar properly.
It wasn't until 2003 that he learned the injury was the result of nerve damage sustained in a 1980 car accident.
Vandenberg's injury caused significant delays to the album, which had originally been slated for release in June–July 1989. Ultimately, Coverdale was forced to find another guitar player to finish the record.
He opted to recruit former
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
and
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954) is an American rock singer. Best known for his wild, energetic stage persona, he was the original lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen across three stints, from 1974 to 1985, in 1996 and again fro ...
guitarist
Steve Vai
Steven Siro Vai (; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist for ...
, who he had seen in the 1986 film ''
Crossroads
Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to:
* Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet
Film and television Films
* ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa
* ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...
'' a few years earlier.
According to Coverdale, he had originally wanted to recruit Vai back then, but John Sykes ultimately rejected the idea.
Vai officially joined Whitesnake in March 1989. Vandenberg, meanwhile, was given time to recuperate while Vai recorded the album.
Vandenberg is still minimally featured on the finished record.
![Whitesnake backstage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Whitesnake_backstage.jpg)
''
Slip of the Tongue
''Slip of the Tongue'' is the eighth studio album by the British band Whitesnake, released in 1989. The album peaked at number 10 on both the UK Album Chart and US ''Billboard'' 200. Three singles were released from the album: " Fool for Your ...
'' was released on 7 November 1989 in the US, followed by a worldwide release on 13 November. It reached number ten on the UK Albums Chart, as well as the ''Billboard'' 200. The record also charted in twelve additional countries. The lead single was a re-recorded version of "Fool for Your Loving", originally found on 1980's ''Ready an' Willing''.
Coverdale had been reluctant to re-record the song, let alone release it as the first single, but Geffen Records hoped to repeat the success of "Here I Go Again" with another older track. Coverdale later admitted it to regretting the decision.
"Fool for Your Loving" only peaked at number 37 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It fared better on the
Album Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...
chart, where it peaked at number two. The second single "The Deeper the Love" also stalled at number 28 on the Hot 100, while on the Album Rock Tracks chart it reached number four. Reviewing ''Slip of the Tongue'',
Malcolm Dome
Malcolm Dome (1955 – 29 October 2021) was an English music journalist.
He wrote about rock and heavy metal from 1979. In addition to writing books, he was a journalist for ''Record Mirror'', ''Kerrang!'', ''Metal Hammer'' and ''Classic Rock ...
, writing for ''
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'', described it as "an album full of generally good songs that rarely sinks below the level of adequacy, but only occasionally explodes". The combination of Whitesnake and Steve Vai was also met with some criticism, with Thom Jurek, in a retrospective review for AllMusic, describing the pairing as "questionable". Coverdale himself would later admit to having mixed feelings about the record, though he's since learned to enjoy and accept it as a part of Whitesnake's catalogue.
''Slip of the Tongue'' sold approximately four million copies worldwide. As the previous record sold more than twice that in the US alone, ''Slip of the Tongue'' was considered a commercial disappointment.
In February 1990, Whitesnake embarked on the Liquor & Poker World Tour, during which the band headlined the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington for a second time. The final tour date was on 26 September 1990 at the
Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts ...
in Tokyo.
After the show, Coverdale informed the rest of the band that he would be taking an extended break, effectively disbanding Whitesnake. He encouraged the band members to accept any outside offers for work. Coverdale's decision to put Whitsnake on hold was largely due to exhaustion. Despite the success Whitesnake had achieved, he described feeling unfulfilled and in need of time to "take stock and review" to see if he still wanted to continue. At the same time, Coverdale was in the middle of divorce proceedings with Tawny Kitaen.
After Whitesnake disbanded, Steve Vai continued his solo career, having already released his
second solo album while on tour with Whitesnake.
Vandenberg, Sarzo and Aldridge would go to form the band
Manic Eden
Manic Eden were a short-lived hard rock band consisting of former members of Whitesnake and Little Caesar.
Overview
Following David Coverdale's decision to place Whitesnake on indefinite hiatus in the early 1990s, former Whitesnake members Ad ...
, who released one album in 1994.
Coverdale resurfaced in 1993, when he and Led Zeppelin guitarist
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
released
an album together.
''Greatest Hits'' and ''Restless Heart'' (1994–1997)
On 4 July 1994, EMI released ''
Whitesnake's Greatest Hits'' in Europe. In the US, it was released on 19 July by Geffen Records. The record proved to be a success, reaching number four on the UK Albums Chart. It would later be certified gold in the UK and platinum in the US.
Prior to the record's release, Coverdale had been planning a European solo tour with a backing band he likened to
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...
's ''
Mad Dogs & Englishmen''.
Because of the ''Greatest Hits success, Coverdale was instead asked by EMI to tour as Whitesnake.
Though reluctant, Coverdale eventually ageed, seeing this as an opportunity to just have fun and play live.
Adrian Vandenberg agreed to rejoin as he and Coverdale were already working on new music together. Vandenberg then asked Rudy Sarzo to rejoin as well as they were both still playing in Manic Eden at the time. Sarzo accepted and recommended
Ratt
Ratt is an American glam metal band formed in San Diego, California, in the 1970s, that had significant commercial success in the 1980s, with their albums having been certified as gold, platinum, and multi-platinum by the RIAA. The group is bes ...
guitarist
Warren DeMartini
Warren Justin DeMartini (born April 10, 1963) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist for glam metal band Ratt, which achieved international stardom in the 1980s.
Early life
DeMartini was born on April 10, 1963, in Chicago, ...
to the band. The line-up was then rounded out by keyboardist
Paul Mirkovich
Paul Mirkovich (born March 20, 1963) is an American musician from Los Angeles. He has been the band leader, keyboardist and duet singing partner for Cher for the last 16 years. He has also been the band director for Janet Jackson and Anastacia a ...
and drummer
Denny Carmassi
Denny Carmassi (born April 30, 1947) is an American drummer most notable for playing with many rock bands.
Biography
Carmassi was born into a family of drummers; his father, his uncle, and his brother each played the drums. Some of Denny's e ...
, the latter of whom had played on the ''
Coverdale–Page
''Coverdale–Page'' (stylised as ''Coverdale • Page'') is a collaborative studio album by English singer David Coverdale and guitarist Jimmy Page. It was released on 15 March 1993 by EMI in Europe, 16 March by Geffen Records in North America ...
'' album. The tour began in Europe on 20 June 1994, followed by several UK dates beginning in July. In October, the band toured in Japan.
After completing the ''Greatest Hits'' tour, Whitesnake were dropped by Geffen Records. Coverdale then resumed writing with Adrian Vandenberg on what was to be a solo album.
Joining them in the studio were Denny Carmassi, as well as bassist
Guy Pratt
Guy Adam Pratt (born 3 January 1962) is a British musician. He is best known for his prolific work as a session bass player, working with artists including Pink Floyd (also David Gilmour and Nick Mason), Roxy Music (also Bryan Ferry), Gary M ...
and keyboardist
Brett Tuggle
Brett Tuggle (September 23, 1951 – June 19, 2022) was an American musician who is best known for his keyboard playing with Fleetwood Mac and the David Lee Roth band.
Career Early years
As a child, he studied classical piano and learned guitar ...
.
As the record was being finished, the new higher-ups at EMI demanded it be released under the Whitesnake moniker. Coverdale objected, as he felt the record was sylistically too different from the band. Eventually a compromise was reached, and Coverdale agreed to release the album under the name "David Coverdale & Whitesnake". As a result of the name change, the guitars and drums on the album were brought up in the mix, something Coverdale later expressed disappointment over.
''
Restless Heart
Restless Heart is an American country music band established in 1984. The band's members are Larry Stewart (lead vocals), John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dave Innis (piano, keyboards, guitar, vocals), and Greg Je ...
'' was released on 26 March 1997 in Japan, followed by a European release on 26 May. The record reached number 34 on the UK Albums Chart. It charted in nine additional countries as well, with its highest chart position being in Sweden at number five. The single "Too Many Tears" only reached number 46 on the UK Singles Chart. ''Restless Heart'' didn't receive a US release, being available only as an
import
An import is the receiving country in an export from the sending country. Importation and exportation are the defining financial transactions of international trade.
In international trade, the importation and exportation of goods are limited ...
. ''Rock Hard'' called the album "nice, but harmless", and ultimately deemed it "a mean disappointment" as potentially the last Whitesnake album. Jerry Ewing, writing for ''Classic Rock'', described it as a "curio" in the band's discography, falling somewhere between a Whitesnake album and a David Coverdale solo record.
The supporting tour for ''Restless Heart'' was billed as Whitesnake's
farewell tour
A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
, as Coverdale wanted to explore other musical avenues.
Pratt and Tuggle were replaced by
Tony Franklin and Derek Hilland, respectively, while Steve Farris was recruited as a second guitarist. Before the start of the tour, Coverdale and Vandenberg played several acoustic shows in Europe and Japan. One of these shows was later released as the live album ''
Starkers in Tokyo
''Starkers in Tokyo'' is a live acoustic album by English rock band Whitesnake, released only in Japan on 9 September 1997. It is performed in the style of the ''Unplugged'' series and simply features David Coverdale on vocals and Adrian Van ...
''.
The Restless Heart Farewell Tour began in September 1997, and ended in South America in December.
After the band's disbandment, Coverdale resumed his solo career, releasing the album ''
Into the Light'' in 2000.
Vandenberg, meanwhile, began a second career as a painter in order to spend more time with his daughter, who was born in 1999.
Reformation and ''Good to Be Bad'' (2003–2009)
![David Coverdale, Gods of Metal 2003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/David_Coverdale%2C_Gods_of_Metal_2003.JPG)
In October 2002, David Coverdale announced plans to reform Whitesnake to celebrate the band's 25th anniversary in 2003. The new line-up was confirmed in December; Coverdale would be joined by drummer Tommy Aldridge, guitarists
Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich (born February 19, 1964) is an American hard rock guitarist. He founded the band Burning Rain with Keith St. John in 1998 and has played with Whitesnake, Dio, Lion, Hurricane, House of Lords, Bad Moon Rising and Revolution Saints ...
and
Reb Beach
Richard Earl "Reb" Beach Jr. (born August 31, 1963) is an American rock guitarist. He is a member of the bands Winger and Whitesnake.
Career
After graduating from Fox Chapel Area High School and attending Berklee College of Music in the ear ...
, as well as bassist
Marco Mendoza
Marco Mendoza is an American rock musician who has worked in diverse genres. He became a professional rock musician in 1989 and debuted on Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward's solo album '' Along the Way''. He has performed on a number of nota ...
and keyboardist
Timothy Drury
Timothy Drury (born July 5, 1961) is an American composer, keyboardist, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and visual artist. His big breakthrough came in 1989 when Don Henley invited him to join The End of the Innocence tour as his pianist, keybo ...
. Talks had taken place between Coverdale and John Sykes about a possible reunion, but Coverdale ultimately felt that they had been their "own bosses" too long for a reunion to work.
Sykes, meanwhile, claimed that after recommending Mendoza and Aldridge for the band (though Aldridge had already been in the band years earlier), he never heard back from Coverdale.
Adrian Vandenberg was also asked to rejoin, but declined in order to spend time with his daughter and focus on his painting.
He's since made numerous guest appearances at the band's concerts. On 29 January 2003, Whitesnake began a co-headlining tour of the US with the
Scorpions
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
. Afterwards, the band toured across Europe, playing several shows with
Gary Moore
Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz ...
in the UK. Whitesnake then returned to the US to take part in the
Rock Never Stops Tour ''Rock Never Stops'' was a U.S. rock tour that featured various rock groups of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The tour started in 1997 by Mark Hyman of Ashley Talent International.
Tour lineup
The tour's lineup has shifted from year to year. 1997
* ...
with
Warrant,
Kip Winger
Charles Frederick Kip Winger (born June 21, 1961) is an American bass guitarist and singer, active as a member of the rock band Winger and as a solo artist. He initially gained notability as a member of Alice Cooper's band, contributing bass an ...
and
Slaughter, before embarking on a Japanese tour in September. The reformation was initially planned to last only a few months, but Coverdale ultimately decided to keep the band active.
No immediate plans were put in place for a new studio album, with Coverdale citing his dissatisfaction with the music industry as a contributing factor.
Whitesnake continued to tour in late 2004, playing several shows across Europe and the UK. Their London concert at the
Hammersmith Apollo
The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ham ...
in October was also filmed and later released as ''
Live... In the Still of the Night''. In April 2005, Whitesnake parted ways with Marco Mendoza, due to scheduling conflicts with Mendoza's other projects. Session musician
Uriah Duffy
Uriah Duffy (31 July 1975, Wakefield, Rhode Island, United States) is an American bassist. He is best known as the former bassist of Whitesnake. He is currently the bassist of the California-based progressive rock band Points North.
An internation ...
was announced as his replacement the following month. Whitesnake then embarked on another US tour, followed by a South American trek. In May 2006, the band played several shows in Japan, which were then followed by festival dates in Europe. Later in August, Whitesnake signed a European recording contract with
Steamhammer/SPV. The band then released the live album ''
Live... in the Shadow of the Blues'', which contained four new songs written by Coverdale and guitarist Doug Aldrich. Coverdale attributed this change of heart over new music to a need for "new meat to bite into" in order keep touring interesting.
Preliminary work on a new Whitesnake album began in early 2007, with Coverdale and Aldrich spending considerable time writing together and refining their joint ideas. A release date was originally set for summer 2007, but the album was later pushed back to October 2007 and then May 2008. Regarding the delays, Coverdale later stated: "The recording of this album was constantly compromised by interruptions.
..Also, to be honest, there was no real rush for us to finish the project quickly." In 2007, Whitesnake released a two-disc 20th anniversary edition of their eponymous album. Similar re-releases were also arranged for ''Slide It In'' and ''Slip of the Tongue'' in 2009. In December 2007, Chris Frazier was announced as Whitesnake's new drummer. Tommy Aldridge reportedly left to pursue "alternate musical adventures".
''
Good to Be Bad
''Good to Be Bad'' is the tenth studio album by Whitesnake released in April 2008. It was the band's first album of new studio material in a decade, since 1997's ''Restless Heart'', not including the four new tracks recorded for the 2006 live a ...
'', Whitesnake's tenth studio album, was released on 18 April 2008 in Germany, 21 April in the rest of Europe, and on 22 April in North America. Produced by Coverdale, Aldrich and Michael McIntyre, the record reached number seven on the UK Albums Chart and charted in 17 additional countries. In the US, it only reached number 62 on the ''Billboard'' 200, but it did peak at number eight on the
Top Independent Albums
The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by ''Billboard'' magaz ...
chart. Since its release, ''Good to Be Bad'' has sold over 700,000 copies worldwide. Writing for
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
, Jim Kaz gave the album a favourable review, in which he stated: "A few faux-pa's aside ''Good to Be Bad'' has enough shining, mega-rock moments to endear itself to fans old and new." It later received the
Classic Rock Award for "Album of the Year". The record was preceded by several shows in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, after which Whitesnake toured South America, followed by a UK co-headlining tour with
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), a ...
. They also played select shows together in Central Europe. In October, Whitesnake teamed up with Def Leppard again for two co-headlining shows in Japan. The following November, Whitesnake played several shows in Germany with
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
. The band also performed in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
. Following several European festival dates, Whitesnake embarked on a US co-headlining tour with Judas Priest in July 2009. However, on 11 August, Whitesnake were forced to cut their concert in Denver short, after Coverdale experienced severe pain in his vocal cords. After consulting a specialist, he was revealed to be suffering from severe vocal fold edema and a left vocal fold vascular lesion. As a result, Whitesnake canceled their remaining tour dates.
''Forevermore'' and ''The Purple Album'' (2010–2017)
The band took a break from touring in 2010 to concentrate on writing a new album. They also signed a new recording contract with
Frontiers Records
Frontiers Music – formerly Frontiers Records – is an Italian record label, predominantly producing hard rock. It was founded in 1996 by Serafino Perugino and is based in Naples.
History
In 1996, Serafino Perugino started working in the m ...
. In June, Uriah Duffy and Chris Frazier left Whitesnake, with latter being replaced by former
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British-American singer, songwriter, and musician. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer o ...
and
Foreigner drummer
Brian Tichy
Brian Tichy (born August 18, 1968) is an American musician, best known as having been the drummer for Whitesnake, Billy Idol, Foreigner (band), Foreigner, Sass Jordan, and Ozzy Osbourne. He was the drummer of Whitesnake from 2010 to 2013. His s ...
. Michael Devin, formerly of
Lynch Mob, was revealed as the band's new bassist the following August. In September, Timothy Drury announced his departure to pursue a solo career. ''
Forevermore'', Whitesnake's eleventh studio album, was released on 25 March 2011 in Europe, followed by a North American release on 29 March. Once again produced by Coverdale, Aldrich and Michael McIntyre at Lake Tahoe, ''Forevermore'' reached number 33 on the UK Albums Chart, and number 49 on the ''Billboard'' 200. On the Independent Albums chart it peaked at number ten. The record's highest chart position was in Sweden at number six. As of May 2015, ''Forevermore'' has sold 44,000 copies in the US. Thom Jurek of AllMusic gave the album a positive review, in which he proclaimed: "''Forevermore'', despite its tighter arrangements and more polished production is Whitesnake at its Brit hard rock best." A supporting tour kicked off in New York on 11 May 2011. After several dates in the US, the tour continued across Europe. During the band's performance at the
Sweden Rock Festival
The Sweden Rock Festival is an annual rock/metal festival held in Sweden since 6 June 1992. While having a clear rock/metal focus, the festival is noted for its diversity across these genres, from southern rock bands such as Molly Hatchet to de ...
, they were joined onstage by former guitarist Bernie Marsden. In October, Whitesnake played the
Loud Park
The was a heavy metal festival held annually at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama City or Makuhari Messe in Chiba City, Japan. It was one of the biggest heavy metal festivals in Japan.
The festival has featured both Japanese and international perf ...
festival in Japan. On the tour, the band were accompanied by keyboardist Brian Ruedy. That year, Whitesnake also released a
live recording
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...
of their 1990 Monster of Rock concert at Castle Donington.
![Whitesnake](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Whitesnake.jpg)
Whitesnake took another hiatus in 2012 to compile live recordings from the ''Forevermore'' tour, which were released the following year with ''
Made in Japan'' and ''Made in Britain/The World Record''. In January 2013, Brian Tichy announced his departure from Whitesnake, in order to concentrate on his other band S.U.N. He was replaced by Tommy Aldridge, who rejoined the band for a second time. That May, Whitesnake embarked on a UK co-headlining tour with
Journey
Journey or journeying may refer to:
* Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations
** Day's journey, a measurement of distance
** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road
Animals
* Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...
, followed by several dates in Europe. During the band's performance in Manchester, they were once again joined onstage by Bernie Marsden. In June, Whitesnake played several co-headlining dates with Def Leppard in Spain. Following a North American tour, Whitesnake played Brazil at the Monsters of Rock festival in October. In May 2014, Doug Aldrich announced his departure from the band. He later explained his decision to leave, citing a need for a more flexible schedule to work on other projects and spend more time with his son.
Night Ranger
Night Ranger is an American hard rock band from San Francisco formed in 1979 that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. Guitarist Brad Gillis and drummer Kelly Keagy have been the band's only constant members, ...
guitarist
Joel Hoekstra
Joel Hoekstra (born December 13, 1970) is an American guitarist currently in the band Whitesnake. Hoekstra also tours as a guitarist for Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The son of classical musicians, he started out playing cello and piano at a young ...
was announced as his replacement the following August. In November, Whitesnake released ''Live in '84 - Back To The Bone'', a collection of live recordings from the ''Slide It In'' tour.
Whitesnake released their twelfth studio album, titled ''
The Purple Album'', on 15 May 2015 in Europe, followed by a North American release on 19 May.
A collection of re-recorded songs from Coverdale's time in Deep Purple, the idea sprang from talks he and Jon Lord had about a possible Mark III reunion a few years earlier. After Lord's death in 2012, Coverdale discussed the idea with Ritchie Blackmore, but they were unable to come to an agreement on the nature of the undertaking. Coverdale then decided to move forward with the project under the Whitesnake banner. He described the resulting record as a tribute to his time in Deep Purple. The album reached number 18 on the UK Albums Chart, while in the US it peaked at number 87. On the Independent Albums chart it reached number nine. In its first week, the record sold 6,900 copies in the US. ''The Purple Album'' polarized critics. The
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
commended the band for breathing new life into the songs, while Dave Everley of ''
Classic Rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
'' called the record a "wrong-headed travesty of an album". Responding to the criticism, Coverdale proclaiming: "I've no space in my life for haters or negaters.
..I owe those people nothing. Such opinions mean nothing to me." ''The Purple Album'' had been envisioned by Coverdale as potentially his last album before retiring. However, the process left him "revitalised" and eager to continue further.
Whitesnake kicked off the North American leg of The Purple Tour in May 2015.
Joining the band was new keyboardist
Michele Luppi
Michele Luppi (born 7 April 1974) is an Italian musician, producer, and vocal coach.
Career 1990s
In 1994, Luppi joined his first band Mr. Pig. Michele debuted as frontman singer. Became a famous live act in Italy, performing songs from Mr. Big ...
. At a show in California, they were joined onstage by Coverdale's former Deep Purple bandmate
Glenn Hughes. In December, Whitesnake teamed up with Def Leppard for tour of the UK and Ireland. In Sheffield, Whitesnake were joined onstage by former guitarist Vivian Campbell (who has been a member of Def Leppard since 1992). In 2016, the band embarked on the Greatest Hits Tour, which saw them perform across Europe and the US. Before the tour, Coverdale revealed his plans to potentially retire in 2017, though he later recanted the statement. In August 2017, Whitesnake signed a new distribution deal for North America and Japan with
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus.
History
Founded in 1978, Rhino was original ...
and
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
. Tentative plans to release a new album the following year were also announced. In October 2017, Whitesnake's eponymous album was reissued as a four-disc box set to commemorate its 30th anniversary. The band had planned a joint tour where they would have played the album in its entirety, but instead opted to take a break and focus on writing a new album. In December, a photography book chronicling The Purple Tour was released.
''Flesh & Blood'' and farewell tour (2018–present)
In 2018, Whitesnake toured the US with Foreigner on the Juke Box Heroes Tour. They also released ''The Purple Tour'' live album and the box set ''Unzipped'', which featured various acoustic recordings across the band's career. Whitesnake thirteenth studio album had originally been set for release in early 2018, but was pushed back after Coverdale contracted
H3 flu.
In April 2018, the record was delayed again to early 2019 due to unspecified "technical issues" during the mixing process.
Coverdale also had knee replacement surgery in 2018 due to
degenerative arthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone which affects 1 in 7 adults in the United States. It is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the w ...
. However, he later reiterated his plans not to retire, stating that he feels "reinvigorated, energized and very inspired".
![15](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/15.07.2019_-_Whitesnake%2C_Saint-Petersburg_%2848302053096%29.jpg)
The next studio album ''
Flesh & Blood'' was released on 10 May 2019. It saw Coverdale compose with Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra for the first time, while production was handled by all three of them along with Michael McIntyre.
''Flesh & Blood'' charted in eighteen countries, reaching number seven and number 131 in the UK and the US respectively. On the Independent Albums chart, it hit number five. Philip Wilding, writing for ''Classic Rock'', gave the record a positive review, in which he stated: "If you want something to listen to while driving with the top down in some steamy Californian clime, then this Whitesnake is hard to beat."
The band embarked on a supporting tour in April with dates in North America, followed by a European tour over the summer.
Whitesnake also released new multi-disc reissues of ''Slide It In'' and ''Slip of the Tongue'' in March and December, respectively. In September, Coverdale once again discussed the possibility of retiring, potentially in 2021, though he later clarified: "I just thought it was amusing to say, 'Oh, what better age for the lead singer of Whitesnake
o retirethan 69? I can't wait to design the t-shirts.' That was just fun."
Whitesnake were scheduled to tour Australia and New Zealand with the Scorpions in February 2020, but many of the shows had to be cancelled after Scorpions vocalist
Klaus Meine
Klaus Meine (born 25 May 1948) is a German singer and songwriter, best known as the longtime frontman of the hard rock band Scorpions. Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker are the only two members of the group to appear on every Scorpions album, ...
was diagnosed with kidney stones. Whitesnake's Japanese tour in March was also postponed due to the then-burgeoning
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Whitesnake later canceled all their remaining tour dates for 2020 when Coverdale was diagnosed with a
bilateral inguinal hernia, for which he was forced to undergo surgery. Later that year, Coverdale revealed plans to release three new musically distinct compilation albums, collectively titled the "Red, White and Blues" trilogy. The collections were originally timed to coincide with a potential farewell tour, which had to be postponed due to the pandemic. Coverdale later reaffirmed his plan to retire from touring potentially in 2022, citing his age and the stress of travel as contributing factors. However, he still intended to be involved in music with several Whitesnake projects in the works. Coverdale also discussed the possibility of Whitesnake continuing to perform without him. In October 2021, the 1997 album ''Restless Heart'' was reissued as a multi-disc box set.
In July 2021, Whitesnake announced the addition of multi-instrumentalist
Dino Jelusick
Dino Jelusić (born 4 June 1992), also known by his stage name Dino Jelusick, is a Croatian rock singer, musician, and songwriter. He is the founder, principal songwriter, and lead singer of progressive rock band Animal Drive, which was formed i ...
to their ranks, turning Whitesnake into a
septet
A septet is a formation containing exactly seven members. It is commonly associated with musical groups but can be applied to any situation where seven similar or related objects are considered a single unit, such as a seven-line stanza of poetry. ...
for the first time. Later that November, Michael Devin parted ways with the band. He was replaced by Tanya O'Callaghan, marking the first female musician to join the group. Whitesnake began their farewell tour in May 2022, starting in the UK and Ireland with Foreigner and
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. That same month, the group's ''Greatest Hits'' album was also reissued. During Whitesnake's June performance at
Hellfest
Hellfest (), also called Hellfest Summer Open Air, is a rock festival focusing on heavy metal music, held annually in June in Clisson, France. Its high attendance makes it the French music festival with the largest turnover. It is also one of ...
, they were joined onstage by Steve Vai. Later that month, the band were forced to cancel several shows after Tommy Aldridge fell ill and Coverdale was diagnosed with an infection of the sinus and trachea. Reb Beach had previously missed a number of shows due to poor health as well. On 1 July, Whitesnake cancelled the remainder of their European tour. On 5 August, the band withdrew from their forthcoming North American tour with the Scorpions. O'Callaghan stated in October that Coverdale still needed "a good few months" to recuperate. However, he had resumed writing and discussed the possibility of doing another album in the future.
Style and influences
Music
David Coverdale's original vision for Whitesnake was to create a
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
-based, melodic
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
band with
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
.
He wanted to combine elements of hard rock,
R&B and blues with "good commercial hooks". Coverdale's earliest influences included
The Pretty Things
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
and
The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...
, who combined blues and soul with electrified rock, a style Coverdale found more appealing to traditional twelve-bar blues structures. Another major influence on Whitesnake's sound was
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (founder, slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Dickey Betts (lead guita ...
, particularly their
first album.
Whitesnake's other early influences included
Cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
,
Mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
, the
Jimi Hendrix Experience
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
,
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...
with
Peter Green,
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...
(particularly the albums ''
Truth
Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth 2005 In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as beliefs ...
'' and ''
Beck-Ola
''Beck-Ola'' is the second studio album by English guitarist Jeff Beck, and the first credited to the Jeff Beck Group, released in 1969 in the United Kingdom on Columbia Records and in the United States on Epic Records. It peaked at No. 15 ...
''),
Paul Butterfield
Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and band leader. After early training as a classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored the blues scene in his n ...
, and
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers are an English blues rock band led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall. While never producing a hit of their own, the band has been influential as an incubator for British rock and blues ...
(particularly ''
The Beano Album'')
As the band began playing and writing together, their sound developed further into what has been described by music critics as their
blues rock
Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...
period, which encompasses roughly the first five Whitesnake studio albums.
''Rolling Stone''s Richard Bienstock described their early sound as "bloozy, sexed-up
pub-rock".
Micky Moody and Neil Murray have felt that Whitesnake didn't truly find their sound until ''Ready an' Willing''. Coverdale has seconded this, stating that ''Ready an' Willing'' was the beginning of what Whitesnake should have sounded like from the start.
Beginning with ''Slide It In'', Whitesnake's sound developed more into straightforward hard rock. Coverdale later explained that he wanted the band's blues elements to rock more.
Neil Murray attributed this shift partially to John Kalodner, who began pushing Whitesnake in a heavier, more guitar-based, "American-sounding" direction. John Sykes also played a pivotal role in Whitesnake's evolution,
with Murray remarking how Sykes wanted the band to be more "American style". The band's eponymous album saw Whitesnake moving towards a sound Coverdale described as "leaner, meaner and more electrifying".
This later period of Whitesnake's career has been described by music critics as hard rock,
heavy metal, and
glam metal
Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...
. Coverdale would later admit that by the late 1980s, Whitesnake had become a "''
Heavy Metal'' comic", stating: "If people confuse Whitesnake with
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...
or any of these things, looking at the pictures
..you can understand why."
Musically though, Coverdale has rejected the notion that Whitesnake were ever a heavy metal band. Since reforming the band in 2003, Coverdale has attempted to combine elements of Whitesnake's early sound with their later hard rock style on their most recent studio albums. However, music critics have noted that Whitesnake's style has remained most consistent with their late 1980s output, with Philip Wilding of ''Classic Rock'', in his review for ''Flesh & Blood'', stating: "Those hoping that the new Whitesnake album record will recall Coverdale's smoky, ''Lovehunter'' past should look away now.
..Coverdale understood American radio in the 80s, and that might be why he still writes for it."
Comparisons to Led Zeppelin
As Whitesnake's style evolved in the mid to late 1980s, they began to draw unfavourable comparisons to
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
. Tracks like "
Slow an' Easy
"Slow an' Easy" is a song by the English rock band Whitesnake from their 1984 album ''Slide It In''. The album provided the group with a commercial breakthrough in the United States, and this specific song, which was released as a promo single, ...
", "
Still of the Night" and "Judgement Day" have been accused of copying Led Zeppelin, while David Coverdale has been accused of imitating singer
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...
.
Responding to the claims, Coverdale jokingly stated in 1987: "I guess it's quite a compliment to be placed in a class like that." The comparison was exacerbated when Coverdale teamed up with Led Zeppelin guitarist
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
to release the album ''
Coverdale–Page
''Coverdale–Page'' (stylised as ''Coverdale • Page'') is a collaborative studio album by English singer David Coverdale and guitarist Jimmy Page. It was released on 15 March 1993 by EMI in Europe, 16 March by Geffen Records in North America ...
'' in 1993. In the press, Plant would refer to Coverdale as "David Cover-version".
Coverdale denied any notion of plagiarism, stating: "I don't know how accurate the comparison is. People shouldn't forget that I worked in Deep Purple for a number of years, so my pedigree in hard rock is quite strong. I understand that bands like Whitesnake, Purple and Led Zeppelin all play a solid powerful brand of rock, but I don't think we're coming from the same place musically." Neil Murray laid some of the blame on John Kalodner, who he claimed began pushing Whitesnake in a more Led Zeppelin-like direction.
Lyrics
Coverdale has stated that lyrically all of his songs are love songs at their core. He has described them as diaries of particular times in his life. Nearly all of Whitesnake's studio albums feature one or more songs with "love" in the title. Coverdale has maintained that this hasn't been a conscious decision, rather he considers love his primary source of inspiration. He has also attributed some of Whitesnake's longevity to the lyrics' "human themes", whether physical or emotional.
Whitesnake have been heavily criticized by the music press for their excessive use of
double entendre
A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...
s and
sexual innuendo
An innuendo is a hint, insinuation or intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called insinuation), that works obliquely by allusion ...
s, most egregiously on tracks such as "Slide It In", "Slow an' Easy" and "Spit It Out".
Micky Moody, Bernie Marsden and Jon Lord have expressed some discomfort over the band's lyrical content.
Coverdale has reiterated that some of his lyrics are meant to provoke laughter more than anything else, stating: "If I look at sex as an observer
..there's humour also as well as the serious nitty-gritty stuff and I like to write about this as well." He also added that many of his songs are
tongue-in-cheek
The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner.
History
The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scott ...
and inspired by his own experiences, not uncommon to other people as well. Coverdale has repeatedly denied any accusations of
misogyny
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
or
sexism
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls.There is a clear and broad consensus among academic scholars in multiple fields that sexism refers primari ...
.
Marsden conceded that while many of Coverdale's lyrics are not entirely
politically correct
''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...
in a contemporary setting, they were written "completely tongue-in-cheek" and are more a product of a bygone era.
Music journalist Malcolm Dome compared some of Whitesnake's more suggestive lyrics to a ''
Carry On
Carry On may refer to:
* ''Carry On'' (franchise), a British comedy media franchise
*Carry-on luggage or hand luggage, luggage that is carried into the passenger compartment
* ''Carry On'' (film), a 1927 British silent film
* ''Carry On'' (novel), ...
'' film with their tongue-in-cheek sensibilities, also noting how in his opinion Coverdale has written songs with "some real depth and lyrical awareness", like with "Sailing Ships" and "Love Ain't No Stranger".
Band members
Current members
*
David Coverdale
David Coverdale (born 22 September 1951) is an English singer who is best known as the lead vocalist of Whitesnake, a hard rock band he founded in 1978. Before Whitesnake, Coverdale was the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976, after wh ...
– lead vocals
(1978–1990, 1994, 1997, 2003–present)
*
Tommy Aldridge
Tommy Aldridge (born August 15, 1950) is an American heavy metal and hard rock drummer. He is noted for his work with numerous bands and artists since the 1970s, such as Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers Band, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Whitesnak ...
– drums
(1987–1990, 2003–2007, 2013–present)
*
Reb Beach
Richard Earl "Reb" Beach Jr. (born August 31, 1963) is an American rock guitarist. He is a member of the bands Winger and Whitesnake.
Career
After graduating from Fox Chapel Area High School and attending Berklee College of Music in the ear ...
– guitars, backing vocals
(2003–present)
*
Joel Hoekstra
Joel Hoekstra (born December 13, 1970) is an American guitarist currently in the band Whitesnake. Hoekstra also tours as a guitarist for Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The son of classical musicians, he started out playing cello and piano at a young ...
– guitars, backing vocals
(2014–present)
*
Michele Luppi
Michele Luppi (born 7 April 1974) is an Italian musician, producer, and vocal coach.
Career 1990s
In 1994, Luppi joined his first band Mr. Pig. Michele debuted as frontman singer. Became a famous live act in Italy, performing songs from Mr. Big ...
– keyboards, backing vocals
(2015–present)
*
Dino Jelusick
Dino Jelusić (born 4 June 1992), also known by his stage name Dino Jelusick, is a Croatian rock singer, musician, and songwriter. He is the founder, principal songwriter, and lead singer of progressive rock band Animal Drive, which was formed i ...
– keyboards, backing vocals
(2021–present)
*Tanya O'Callaghan – bass, backing vocals
(2021–present)
Discography
Studio albums
*''
Trouble
Trouble may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin
* ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film
* ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Trouble'' ...
'' (1978)
*''
Lovehunter
''Lovehunter'' is the second studio album by British band Whitesnake, released in 1979. It charted at No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart.
" Long Way from Home", the leading track on the album reached No. 55 on the UK charts.
It was the group's las ...
'' (1979)
*''
Ready an' Willing
''Ready an' Willing'' is the third studio album by English hard rock band Whitesnake, released in May 1980. It was the group's first album to feature singer David Coverdale and keyboard player Jon Lord's former Deep Purple colleague Ian Paice o ...
'' (1980)
*''
Come an' Get It
''Come an' Get It'' is the fourth studio album by English hard rock band Whitesnake, released in 1981. It was, at the time, Whitesnake's highest-charting release in the UK, hitting No. 2 and being kept off the top spot by Adam and the Ants' ...
'' (1981)
*''
Saints & Sinners'' (1982)
*''
Slide It In
''Slide It In'' is the sixth studio album by British rock band Whitesnake, released in 1984. It was the first Whitesnake album to be released by Geffen Records in the US, but was remixed for the release. Because of this, two different editions ...
'' (1984)
*''
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own entit ...
'' (1987)
*''
Slip of the Tongue
''Slip of the Tongue'' is the eighth studio album by the British band Whitesnake, released in 1989. The album peaked at number 10 on both the UK Album Chart and US ''Billboard'' 200. Three singles were released from the album: " Fool for Your ...
'' (1989)
*''
Restless Heart
Restless Heart is an American country music band established in 1984. The band's members are Larry Stewart (lead vocals), John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dave Innis (piano, keyboards, guitar, vocals), and Greg Je ...
'' (1997)
*''
Good to Be Bad
''Good to Be Bad'' is the tenth studio album by Whitesnake released in April 2008. It was the band's first album of new studio material in a decade, since 1997's ''Restless Heart'', not including the four new tracks recorded for the 2006 live a ...
'' (2008)
*''
Forevermore'' (2011)
*''
The Purple Album'' (2015)
*''
Flesh & Blood'' (2019)
References
Footnotes
Book sources
*
*
*
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
EMI Records artists
English blues rock musical groups
English glam metal musical groups
English hard rock musical groups
English heavy metal musical groups
Geffen Records artists
Liberty Records artists
Mirage Records artists
Musical groups established in 1978
Musical groups disestablished in 1990
Musical groups reestablished in 1994
Musical groups disestablished in 1994
Musical groups reestablished in 1997
Musical groups disestablished in 1997
Musical groups reestablished in 2003
Musical groups from London
United Artists Records artists