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Whitesnake are an English
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band formed in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
in 1978. The group were originally put together as the backing band for singer
David Coverdale David Coverdale (born 22 September 1951) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the founder and lead singer of the hard rock band Whitesnake. Coverdale was also the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976; he has had a solo car ...
, 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, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...
. Though the band quickly developed into their own entity, Coverdale is the only constant member throughout their history. Following the EP ''
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 ...
'' in 1978, Whitesnake released the 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) and ''
Lovehunter ''Lovehunter'' is the second studio album by British band Whitesnake, released on 21 September 1979. It was the bands first UK Top 30 album, charting at No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart. " Long Way from Home", the leading track on the album reached ...
'' (1979), which included the live staples " Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" and "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues". Whitesnake soon began to make a name for themselves across the UK, Europe and Japan, with their subsequent albums '' Ready an' Willing'' (1980), '' Live... in the Heart of the City'' (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) and '' Saints & Sinners'' (1982) all reaching the top ten on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
. By the mid-1980s, Coverdale had set his sights on North America, where Whitesnake remained largely unknown. With the backing of American label
Geffen Records Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...
, Whitesnake released ''
Slide It In ''Slide It In'' is the sixth studio album by English rock band Whitesnake, released on 30 January 1984 in Europe by Liberty and EMI Records. To cater to the American market, the album was remixed and resequenced, and subsequently released on 16 ...
'' in 1984, featuring the singles "
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 mul ...
" and "
Slow an' Easy "Slow an' Easy" is a song by the English rock band Whitesnake from their 1984 album ''Slide It In'', released at the end of May 1984 in the US. The album provided the group with a commercial breakthrough in the United States, and this specific ...
", which furthered the band's exposure through heavy airplay on
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
. In 1987, Whitesnake released their
eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
album, titled ''
1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...
'' in the UK, their biggest success to date, selling over eight million copies in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and spawning the hit singles "
Here I Go Again "Here I Go Again" is a song by the British rock band Whitesnake. It was originally released on their 1982 album, '' Saints & Sinners'' through Liberty in October 1982. The song was written by David Coverdale and Bernie Marsden, and produced ...
", "
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) ...
" and " Still of the Night". 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 music, heavy metal that features pop music, pop-influenced Hook (music), hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat arena rock, rock anthems, and slow Sentimental ballad#Powe ...
scene. After releasing ''
Slip of the Tongue ''Slip of the Tongue'' is the eighth studio album by the British hard rock band Whitesnake, released on 7 November 1989 in the US, by Geffen Records and six days later in Europe, by EMI. The album marked a continuation of the band's commercia ...
'' in 1989, Coverdale decided to take a break from the music industry. Aside from a few short-lived reunions related to the release of ''
Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
'' (1994) and ''
Restless Heart Restless Heart was an American country music band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band's longest-tenured lineup consisted of Larry Stewart (singer), Larry Stewart (lead vocals), John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dav ...
'' (1997), 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 ''
Good to Be Bad ''Good to Be Bad'' is the tenth studio album by British hard rock band Whitesnake, released on 18 April 2008 in Germany, 21 April 2008 in Europe and 22 April in North America by SPV/Steamhammer. It was the band's first album of new studio materi ...
'' (2008), '' Forevermore'' (2011), '' The Purple Album'' (2015), '' Flesh & Blood'' (2019) and toured extensively around the world. Whitesnake's early sound has been characterised by critics as
blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre, genre and form of rock music, rock and blues music that relies on the chords/scales and instrumental improvisation of blues. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electri ...
, 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 make frequent 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. 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 for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
and ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''.


History


Formation, ''Snakebite'' and ''Trouble'' (1976–1978)

In March 1976, singer
David Coverdale David Coverdale (born 22 September 1951) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the founder and lead singer of the hard rock band Whitesnake. Coverdale was also the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976; he has had a solo car ...
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, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...
. 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 February 1977. His second solo album ''
Northwinds ''Northwinds'' is the second solo album by former Deep Purple singer David Coverdale, released by Purple and EMI on 10 March 1978. In Japan, it was released through Purple's Japanese distributor, Polydor. It was produced by former Deep Purple ...
'' 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 slang, military acronym slang. It is sometimes censored to "all fouled up" or similar. It me ...
guitarist
Micky Moody Michael Joseph 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 he founde ...
, whom Coverdale had known since the late 1960s. Moody was the first to join Coverdale's backing band, which he began assembling in London. As stated by Coverdale, "Whitesnake were actually formed to promote ''Northwinds'' on a one-off promotional tour". Moody suggested bringing in a second guitarist, with the spot ultimately going to
Bernie Marsden Bernard John Marsden (7 May 1951 – 24 August 2023) was 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 f ...
, formerly of
UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes ...
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 ...
. With his help, the band were able to recruit bassist Neil Murray, who had played with Marsden in
Cozy Powell Cozy Powell (born Colin Trevor Flooks; 29 December 1947 – 5 April 1998) was an English drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Graham Bonnet, B ...
's Hammer. The group'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 b ...
. Other early candidates for the band were drummers Cozy Powell and
Dave Holland Dave Holland or David Holland may refer to: *Dave Holland (bassist) David Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English double bassist, bass guitarist, cellist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has ...
, as well as guitarist
Mel Galley Melville John Galley (8 March 1948 – 1 July 2008) was an English guitarist, best known for his work with Whitesnake, Trapeze, Finders Keepers and Phenomena. Biography Galley was born in Cannock, Staffordshire on 8 March 1948. While a membe ...
. 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. 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 (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
'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 Phillip 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 and metal bands, including Deep Purple, Rainbow ...
, 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 ...
'', was released in June 1978. In Europe, the EP was combined with four tracks from Coverdale's ''Northwinds'' to make up a full-length album. ''Snakebite'' 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 describ ...
's " Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City", 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. On 5 July 1978, introduced as Whitesnake, they performed at the
Paris Theatre The Paris Theatre (also known as the Paris Studios) was originally a cinema located at 12 Lower Regent Street in central London which was converted into a studio by the BBC for radio broadcasts requiring an audience. It was used for several ...
for
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
's ''In Concert'' programme alongside
The Only Ones The Only Ones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976, whose original band members are Peter Perrett, Alan Mair, John Perry (musician), John Perry and Mike Kellie, they first disbanded in 1982. They were associated with pu ...
. They then entered Central Recorders in London to begin work on their first full-length studio album with Martin Birch once 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 "Jon" Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English keyboardist and composer. In 1968, Lord co-founded the hard rock band Deep Purple. Lord performed on most of the band's most popular songs; he and drummer Ian Paice were the only ...
, who agreed to join Whitesnake after much coaxing from Coverdale.
Colin Towns Colin William Towns (born 13 May 1948) 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, television and commercial ...
and
Tony Ashton Edward Anthony Ashton (1 March 1946 – 28 May 2001) was an English rock pianist, keyboardist, singer, record composer, producer and artist. Early life Born in Blackburn, Lancashire, Ashton spent his formative years in the seaside town of Blac ...
had also been approached, having previously played with fellow Deep Purple offshoots the
Ian Gillan Band The Ian Gillan Band were an English Progressive rock, progressive Jazz fusion, jazz-rock band formed by singer Ian Gillan of Deep Purple in 1975. Their sound is a departure from the Heavy metal music, heavy metal of Deep Purple by featuring a ...
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 the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
. 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 and still commonly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Pa ...
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)

Whitesnake embarked on their first continental European tour on 9 February 1979 in Germany. In April, they began recording their second album at Clearwell Castle in
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
, 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. The album also included the live staple "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues", which Coverdale felt "really summed up my musical approach of the time". Before the record's release, drummer Dave "Duck" Dowle was replaced by
Ian Paice Ian Anderson Paice (born 29 June 1948) is an English musician who is the drummer and last remaining original member of the rock band Deep Purple. He remains the only member of Deep Purple who has served in every line-up since the band's incep ...
, Coverdale and Lord's former Deep Purple bandmate. There is some contention as to the nature of Dowle's departure. Coverdale has maintained that Dowle's lacking performance on the album and unwillingness to "take constructive criticism" 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 due to the alleged cost. Paice's addition also spurred speculation from the British music press about Coverdale mounting a Deep Purple reunion, which 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. Offi ...
absolute best" and "inspiring the best out of each other". ''
Lovehunter ''Lovehunter'' is the second studio album by British band Whitesnake, released on 21 September 1979. It was the bands first UK Top 30 album, charting at No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart. " Long Way from Home", the leading track on the album reached ...
'', Whitesnake's second album, was released in October 1979, and it reached number 29 on the UK Albums Chart. '' Sounds'' 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, and Christine. 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), Nigerian autho ...
, 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. 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. Th ...
, with Martin Birch once again producing. The resulting record, '' Ready an' Willing'', 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", 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 Co ...
, 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 was certified
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
for sales of over 100,000 copies. In support of ''Ready an' Willing'', Whitesnake toured the US for the first time supporting Jethro Tull. Later that year, they supported
AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
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; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
, 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, Whitesnake 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, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
's
Startling Studios Tittenhurst Park is a Grade II listed early Georgian country house in Sunningdale near Ascot, Berkshire. It was famously the home of musicians John Lennon and Yoko Ono from 1969 until 1971, and then the home of Ringo Starr and family from 19 ...
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" 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 unicy ...
'' 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, the ability to act or change without constraint or restriction * Emancipate, attaining civil and political rights or equality * Free (''gratis''), free of charge * Gratis versus libre, the difference betw ...
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 performed 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. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...
with
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
. At the 1981
Monsters of Rock Monsters of Rock was a hard rock and heavy metal music festival. It was originally held annually in Castle Donington, England, from 1980 to 1996, taking place every year except 1989 and 1993. It later branched into other locations such as th ...
festival at Castle Donington, Whitesnake were direct support for headliners AC/DC. The supporting tour for ''Come an' Get It'' lasted approximately five months. 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 begin 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 in Gloucestershire, where they had recorded ''Lovehunter''. Though morale still remained low, the band were able to record the basic tracks for their next 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.). 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 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 had been 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 ...
decided he would be king of Whitesnake". According to Coverdale, his decision to put the band on hold stemmed from his daughter contracting bacterial meningitis. This purportedly gave him the 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 stated that it was "a business decision, not personal". After waiting for his daughter to recuperate 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, best known for his work with Whitesnake, Trapeze, Finders Keepers and Phenomena. Biography Galley was born in Cannock, Staffordshire on 8 March 1948. While a membe ...
, 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 drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Graham Bonnet, B ...
were brought in as new members. Coverdale completed the band's new record with Martin Birch in October 1982 at Battery Studios in London, with the majority of the album having already been recorded with Marsden, Murray, Paice, Moody and Lord before the hiatus. '' 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 music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'', 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. Their version was released as a single on 22nd December 1961, peaking at number six on the US '' ...
" and "
Here I Go Again "Here I Go Again" is a song by the British rock band Whitesnake. It was originally released on their 1982 album, '' Saints & Sinners'' through Liberty in October 1982. The song was written by David Coverdale and Bernie Marsden, and produced ...
"), he characterised 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 ''Saints & Sinners'' was released, Coverdale had signed a new recording contract with American label
Geffen Records Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...
, who would handle all future Whitesnake releases in North America. In Europe, the band remained with
Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...
(a subsidiary of EMI), while in Japan, they signed with
Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...
. 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; he was a writer and photographer at ''Concert'' magazine. Then by 1972 he became a photographer for various re ...
, who had been a long-time fan of Coverdale's, convinced
David Geffen David Lawrence Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American film producer, record executive, and media proprietor. In music, he co-founded Asylum Records with Elliot Roberts in 1971 before founding Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1 ...
to sign the group. 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)

Whitesnake toured across Europe and Japan in early 1983, before starting rehearsals for their next album at Jon Lord's house in Oxfordshire. At this time, Coverdale began steering Whitesnake's music more towards hard rock, which was emphasised by the additions of Mel Galley and Cozy Powell, whose past projects included
Trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes, metal straps, or chains, 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 ...
and
Rainbow A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...
, 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 established by Italy, Italian record producer, songwriter and musician Giorgio Moroder in the early 1970s. The studios were known for their work with artists such as Donna Summer, ...
in Munich with producer
Eddie Kramer Edwin H. Kramer (born 19 April 1942) is a South African-born 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, L ...
, 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. As Whitesnake finished up a European tour in October 1983, Micky Moody left the group. He later attributed his departure to a growing dissatisfaction working in the band, particularly with Coverdale: "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. As he explained: "I never wanted to be a great big star. ..I found it difficult to be a rock star, I really did." 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 troubled production of the album, both the record and its accompanying tour were delayed until early 1984. 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 (MSG). He was an early member of the hard rock band Scorpions, a band co-founded by his elder brother Rudolf S ...
and
Adrian Vandenberg Adriaan van den Berg (born 31 January 1954), known as Adrian "Adje" Vandenberg, 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 ...
. 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 with his own band at the time. Coverdale then approached
Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The band initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon although Wr ...
guitarist
John Sykes John James Sykes (29 July 1959 – December 2024) was an English guitarist and singer, best known as a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang. He also fronted the hard rock group Blue Murder and released several solo albums. ...
, whom he had met when Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy played some of the same festivals in Europe. Sykes was initially reluctant to join, wanting instead to continue working with Thin Lizzy frontman
Phil Lynott Philip Parris Lynott (, ; 20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986) was an Irish musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the co-founder, lead vocalist, bassist, and primary songwriter for the hard rock band Thin Lizzy. He was known for his distinctive ...
, but after several more offers and Lynott's blessing 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 English rock band Whitesnake, released on 30 January 1984 in Europe by Liberty and EMI Records. To cater to the American market, the album was remixed and resequenced, and subsequently released on 16 ...
'', 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 music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'', called the record "the best thing Whitesnake have yet committed to vinyl", while ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...
''s Jim Reid was highly critical of the lyrical content.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
'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 C ...
of '' Sounds'' 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 is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
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, Grateful Dead, Whitesnake, Pat Benatar, Heart, Santana, Saga, For ...
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, for over a century, from 1884 to 1992. At the height of its popul ...
'' 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 shows 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, bassist Kelly Garni, and vocalist Kevin DuBrow. The original lineup featured Rhoads and Garni with lead vocalist Kevin Du ...
. 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'', released at the end of May 1984 in the US. The album provided the group with a commercial breakthrough in the United States, and this specific ...
" 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 mul ...
", 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 mus ...
chart in the US. In an effort to take America more seriously, Coverdale also relocated to the US.


''1987'' (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 biennial Brazilian multi-day music festival held at City of Rock in Rio de Janeiro. It later branched into other locations such as Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas. Ten incarnations of the festival have been held in Rio de Janeir ...
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 Ron ...
eventually being chosen. Former
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
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, Whitesn ...
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 the older brother ...
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 ...
. Appice would later join Sykes in Blue Murder. The band began tracking their new record at
Little Mountain Sound Studios Little Mountain Sound Studios was a music recording facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. From the 1970s through the 1990s, it was the most successful recording studio in Western Canada and the home for many years to producers Bruce F ...
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 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, musicians, producers ...
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 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 includi ...
, 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. He came to prominence as the keyboardist of the rock band Rainbow during 1979–1982. He has been the keyboardist of Deep Purple, the band from which Rainbow was a spinoff, since 2 ...
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, studio guitarist, 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 ...
. 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. He came to prominence as the keyboardist of the rock band Rainbow during 1979–1982. He has been the keyboardist of Deep Purple, the band from which Rainbow was a spinoff, since 2 ...
. "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 musician. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as the guitarist of Dio. He has also been the guitarist of Def Leppard since 1992 (replacing Steve Clark after his death). C ...
(formerly of Dio) and bassist
Rudy Sarzo Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont (born November 18, 1950) is a Cuban-American musician. He remains best known as the bassist for Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, and Whitesnake, and has also played with several well k ...
(formerly of Quiet Riot) to the band. This new line-up would appear in all the promotional materials for the forthcoming album. Whitesnake also adopted a new image, akin to
glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal music, heavy metal that features pop music, pop-influenced Hook (music), hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat arena rock, rock anthems, and slow Sentimental ballad#Powe ...
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 Lead vocalist, frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was fo ...
. I've gotta look the part." ''
1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...
'' (titled ''Whitesnake'' in United States and ''Serpens Albus'' in Japan) was released on 16 March 1987 in North America and 30 March in Europe. 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. 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 (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, courtesy of a trilogy of music videos featuring actress and Coverdale's future wife
Tawny Kitaen Julie Ellen "Tawny" Kitaen ( ; August 5, 1961 – May 7, 2021) was an American actress. She began her career as a television actress, appearing in the television films '' Malibu'' (1983) and '' California Girls'' (1985). She also starred in the ...
. The album was generally well received by critics, though reviews in the UK were less favourable, with Coverdale being accused of "
selling out To "sell out" is to compromise one's integrity, morality, Authenticity (philosophy), authenticity, or Principle#As moral law, principles in exchange for personal gain, such as money or power. In terms of music or art, selling out is associated w ...
" 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, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''s J. D. Considine 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 line-up 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 R ...
festival in June 1987. They then toured the US supporting
Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sol ...
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, the band were nominated for Best British Group, while the album ''1987'' was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Album at the
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
. When the supporting tour for ''1987'' 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 together. 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 began recording their eighth studio 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'' ...
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: "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 guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...
and
David Lee Roth David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954) is an American rock singer. Known for his wild and energetic stage persona, he was the lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen for three stints: from 1974 to 1985, during 1996, and from 2006 to when ...
guitarist
Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai ( ; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, 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 Transcription (music), transc ...
, whom he had seen in the 1986 film ''
Crossroads Crossroads is a junction where four roads meet. Crossroads, crossroad, cross road(s) or similar may also refer to: Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a ...
'' 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. The lead single from the band's new album 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 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 published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" fo ...
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. ''
Slip of the Tongue ''Slip of the Tongue'' is the eighth studio album by the British hard rock band Whitesnake, released on 7 November 1989 in the US, by Geffen Records and six days later in Europe, by EMI. The album marked a continuation of the band's commercia ...
'' 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. ''Slip of the Tongue'' was certified platinum in the US and sold approximately four million copies worldwide by August 1990. As the previous record sold more than twice that in the US alone, ''Slip of the Tongue'' was considered a commercial disappointment.
Malcolm Dome Malcolm Dome (1955 – 29 October 2021) was an English music journalist. Dome 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 Ro ...
, writing for '' Raw'', described ''Slip of the Tongue'' 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 has since learned to enjoy and accept it as a part of Whitesnake's catalogue. 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 show was later released as a
live album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...
). The final tour date was on 26 September 1990 at the
Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The Budokan was a popular venue for Japanese professional wres ...
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 Whitesnake on hold was largely due to exhaustion. Despite the success the band had achieved, he felt unfulfilled. He had also become disillusioned with the band's glam image. Coupled with his ongoing divorce from Tawny Kitaen, Coverdale wanted to "take stock and review" to see if he still wanted to continue in the music business. 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, 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 and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin. Page began his career as a studio session musician in Lo ...
released an album together.


''Greatest Hits'' and ''Restless Heart'' (1994–1997)

On 4 July 1994, EMI released ''
Whitesnake's Greatest Hits ''Whitesnake's Greatest Hits'' is a compilation of Whitesnake's most well-known hits from the 1980s during the Geffen years. It features hit singles from their albums ''Slide It In'', ''Whitesnake'' and ''Slip of the Tongue''. The album also ...
'' 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 featuring expressive body movements. Most of his best-known singles, such as "Feelin' Alright ...
's '' Mad Dogs & Englishmen''. Because of the ''Greatest Hits success, Coverdale was instead asked by EMI to tour as Whitesnake. Though reluctant, Coverdale eventually agreed, seeing it as an opportunity to just have fun and play live. Adrian Vandenberg agreed to rejoin Whitesnake as he and Coverdale were already working on new music together. Vandenberg 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 (stylized as RATT) was an American glam metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s, with their albums having been certified as gold, platinum and multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, RIAA. ...
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 previously been band leader, keyboardist and duet singing partner for Cher. He has also been the band director for Janet Jackson and Anastacia and a member of t ...
and drummer
Denny Carmassi Dennis Joseph "Denny" Carmassi (born 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. Occasionall ...
, 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 Americ ...
'' 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 and Australia. 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 bassist. He has worked with artists including Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Gary Moore, Madonna, Peter Cetera, Michael Jackson, the Smiths, Robert Palmer (singer), Robert Palmer, Echo & the Bunnymen, T ...
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 stylistically 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 was an American country music band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band's longest-tenured lineup consisted of Larry Stewart (singer), Larry Stewart (lead vocals), John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dav ...
'' was released on 26 March 1997 in Japan, followed by a European release on 26 May. The record only reached number 34 on the UK Albums Chart, but peaked number three on
UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart The UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart and UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart are record charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company (OCC) to determine the 40 most popular singles and albums in the rock and heavy metal genres. The ...
. 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, but on the
UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart The UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart and UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart are record charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company (OCC) to determine the 40 most popular singles and albums in the rock and heavy metal genres. The ...
it reached number five and charted for 34 weeks. ''Restless Heart'' didn't receive a US release, being available only as an
import An importer is the receiving country in an export from the sending country. Importation and exportation are the defining financial transactions of international trade. Import is part of the International Trade which involves buying and receivin ...
. ''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 ...
, 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 and video recording by English rock music, rock band Whitesnake, released only in Japan on 10 September 1997. It is performed in the style of the ''acoustic music, Unplugged'' series and simply ...
''. The Last Hurrah tour began in September 1997 and ended in South America that 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)

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, 1963) 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 ea ...
, as well as bassist
Marco Mendoza Marco Mendoza (born 3 May 1963) is an American bass guitarist who has worked in diverse genres. He became a professional rock musician in 1989 and debuted on Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward's solo album ''Ward One: Alo ...
and keyboardist
Timothy Drury Timothy Drury (born July 5, 1961) is an American composer, keyboardist, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. His breakthrough came in 1989 when Don Henley invited him to join The End of the Innocence tour as his pianist, keyboardist and backu ...
. 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 has 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 (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
. 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 music, heavy ...
in the UK. Whitesnake then returned to the US to take part in the Rock Never Stops Tour with Warrant,
Kip Winger Charles Frederick "Kip" Winger (born June 21, 1961) is an American singer and bassist who is active as a member of the rock band Winger (band), Winger and as a solo artist. He initially gained notability as a member of Alice Cooper's band, contr ...
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 and still commonly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Pa ...
in October was also filmed and in 2006 released as '' Live... In the Still of the Night''. It was later certified gold in the UK and received the award for "DVD of the Year" at the 2006 Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards. In April 2005, Whitesnake parted ways with Marco Mendoza due to scheduling conflicts with Mendoza's other projects. Session musician Uriah Duffy was announced as his replacement the following month. Whitesnake then embarked on another US tour, followed by a South American leg. In May 2006, the band played several shows in Japan, which were then followed by festival dates in Europe. In August 2006, Whitesnake signed a European recording contract with
Steamhammer/SPV SPV GmbH (short for ''Schallplatten Produktion und Vertrieb GmbH'', "Vinyl Production and Distribution Company") is a German independent record label. Founded on 1 January 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors ...
. 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's change of heart regarding new music stemmed from 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 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 December 2007, Chris Frazier was announced as Whitesnake's new drummer. Tommy Aldridge reportedly left to pursue other musical projects. ''
Good to Be Bad ''Good to Be Bad'' is the tenth studio album by British hard rock band Whitesnake, released on 18 April 2008 in Germany, 21 April 2008 in Europe and 22 April in North America by SPV/Steamhammer. It was the band's first album of new studio materi ...
'', 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 number one on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart. 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'' mag ...
chart. In total, ''Good to Be Bad'' charted in 19 countries and has sold over 700,000 copies worldwide by 2011. Writing for
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming 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 district and is headed by its former e ...
, 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". ''Good to Be Bad''s release was preceded by several shows in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, after which Whitesnake toured South America, followed by a UK co-headlining tour with
Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drummer), Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen (guitar, ...
. 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 Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
. The band also performed in
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
and
Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
. Following several European festival dates, Whitesnake embarked on a US co-headlining tour with Judas Priest in July 2009. On 11 August, however, 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 that primarily focuses on hard rock. The label was founded in 1996 by Serafino Perugino and is headquartered in Naples. History In 1996, Serafino Perugino began his care ...
. 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 an English singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Idol achieved fame in the 1970s on the London punk rock scene as the lead singer of Generation X ...
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, Sass Jordan, and Ozzy Osbourne. He was the drummer of Whitesnake from 2010 to 2013. His surname means ...
. 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 2 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart. It reached number 49 on the ''Billboard'' 200, while 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. Accompanying the band was keyboardist Brian Ruedy. After several dates in the US, the tour continued across Europe. During the band's performance at the
Sweden Rock Festival Sweden Rock Festival is a rock festival outside the town of Sölvesborg in Blekinge in southern Sweden. The festival offers the best possible mix of classic rock, hard rock, metal, blues and related genres. The first version of the festival, k ...
, they were joined onstage by former guitarist Bernie Marsden. In October, Whitesnake played the Loud Park festival in Japan. During the tour, the band sold charity scarves as a
humanitarian response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Japan received messages of condolence and offers of assistance from a range of international leaders. According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan), Japan's foreign ministry, 163 countries a ...
. Whitesnake took another hiatus in 2012 to compile live recordings from the ''Forevermore'' tour, which were released the following year as '' 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 initially toured in Japan, and then embarked on a UK co-headlining tour with Journey, 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, California. The band formed in 1982 and experienced a surge of popularity during the 1980s with the release of several successful albums and hit singles. Guitarist Brad Gillis and ...
guitarist
Joel Hoekstra Joel Hoekstra (born December 13, 1970) is an American guitarist currently in the hard rock band Whitesnake. He also tours as a guitarist for Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The son of classical musicians, he started out playing cello and piano at a y ...
was announced as his replacement the following August. 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 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 regarding 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 Purple 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, while in Japan it reached number eight. In its first week, the record sold 6,900 copies in the US. While the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
commended the band for breathing new life into the songs, Dave Everley of ''
Classic Rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...
'' called ''The Purple Album'' a "wrong-headed travesty of an album". Responding to the criticism, Coverdale proclaimed: "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 singer, keyboardist, 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 f ...
. At a show in California, they were joined onstage by Coverdale's former Deep Purple bandmate Glenn Hughes. Beginning in October, the band toured in Japan. 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, Whitesnake 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 (formerly Rhino Records Inc.) 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 ...
and
Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the "Record label#M ...
. 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'', farewell tour, and catalogue reissues (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 from across the band's career. Whitesnake's 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 is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone. A form of arthritis, it is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the world, affecting 1 in 7 adults in ...
. However, he later reiterated his plans not to retire, stating that he feels "reinvigorated, energised and very inspired". Whitesnake's 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. It also topped the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart, and hit number five on the Independent Albums chart. 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." ''Slide It In'' and ''Slip of the Tongue'' also saw their anniversary expanded reissues in March and October, respectively. The band embarked on a supporting tour in April with dates in North America, followed by a European tour over the summer. 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, best known as the longtime frontman and primary lyricist of the hard rock band Scorpions. Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker are the only two members of the group to appear on every Scorpio ...
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 and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. 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. Between 2020 and 2021, Whitesnake released three new musically distinct compilation albums, collectively titled the ''
Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
,
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
and
Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
'' trilogy. All three albums reached at least number two on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart. 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. Since then, Coverdale has facilitated re-issues of the group's 90s and 2000s recent recordings in deluxe edition box-sets, ''Restless Heart'' in late 2021, ''Greatest Hits: Revisited, Remixed, Remastered'' in mid 2022, ''Good to Be Bad'' (titled ''Still...Good to Be Bad'') and ''The Purple Album: Special Gold Edition'' in 2023. 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 singer, musician, and songwriter. He was the winner of the inaugural edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, in . He is the founder, principal son ...
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. On 14 January 2022, Coverdale announced that
Round Hill Music Round Hill Music is an American music publishing company founded in 2010 by Josh Gruss, Richard Rowe, and Neil Gillis. The company operates a music publishing division, a sync and royalty administration, a music production library business, a r ...
has acquired the majority of his masters composing his entire Whitesnake catalogue and the coinciding music publishing rights, including his solo stint and Deep Purple altogether for approximately $35 million in ''Billboards estimates. Reb Beach said that the deal was around $50 million and added that the catalogue was sold after their remainder of the farewell tour was cut short. Whitesnake began their farewell tour in May 2022, starting in the UK and Ireland with Foreigner and
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. During Whitesnake's June performance at
Hellfest Hellfest (), also known as 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 o ...
, 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 a farewell album, encouraging former members to participate as well. In 2023, Coverdale expressed interest in continuing the band's farewell tour in the future, but stated that his physical health would be the determining factor. On 16 August 2024, Rhino announced Coverdale's solo albums collection, titled '' Into the Light: The Solo Albums'', using the Whitesnake moniker. Released on 25 October, these recordings contained all three of his albums as a solo artist, accompanied by demos and session tapes dating back from 1968 to 1997. To add, Coverdale felt that he regards his solo catalogue as Whitesnake albums. On 25 April 2025, a box set of live recordings ''Access All Areas: Live'' was released. The eight disc set contained live recordings of previously released live albums dating from 2004 to 2018.


Style and influences


Music

David Coverdale's original vision for Whitesnake was to create a
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
-based, melodic
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
band. 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 nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
and
The Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1963. The band started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton (1963–1965), Jeff Beck (1965–1966) and Jimmy Page (1966–1968), all of whom ...
, who combined blues and
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
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 music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. Its founding members were brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar, lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards), as well as Dickey Betts ( ...
, 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 proces ...
,
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 area, and is usually higher t ...
, the
Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
,
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...
with Peter Green,
Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023) was an English musician. He rose to prominence as the guitarist of the rock band the Yardbirds, and afterwards founded and fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, ...
(particularly the albums ''
Truth Truth or verity is the Property (philosophy), property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth, 2005 In everyday language, it is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise cor ...
'' and '' Beck-Ola''),
Paul Butterfield Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and bandleader. After early training as a Western concert flute, classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored ...
, and
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers were an English blues rock band led by multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter John Mayall. The band has been influential as an incubator for British rock and blues musicians. Many of the best known bands t ...
(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, genre and form of rock music, rock and blues music that relies on the chords/scales and instrumental improvisation of blues. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electri ...
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". Dave Ling, writing for ''Classic Rock'', described "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues" as "a textbook fusion of blues, hard rock and melody". 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. Neil Murray acknowledged that by 1983 the band's sound had become "repetitive" and "stale". Coverdale later expressed his desire for the band's blues elements to "rock more". Additionally, 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". Regardless, music journalist Jerry Ewing described the change as a "natural progression" from the band's previous albums. 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 music, heavy metal that features pop music, pop-influenced Hook (music), hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat arena rock, rock anthems, and slow Sentimental ballad#Powe ...
. 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 music, heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sol ...
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 music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
. Tracks like "
Slow an' Easy "Slow an' Easy" is a song by the English rock band Whitesnake from their 1984 album ''Slide It In'', released at the end of May 1984 in the US. The album provided the group with a commercial breakthrough in the United States, and this specific ...
", " Still of the Night" and "
Judgement Day The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the ''Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus, Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God in Abrahamic religions, God of a ...
" 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. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...
. 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 and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin. Page began his career as a studio session musician in Lo ...
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 Americ ...
'' in 1993. In the press, Plant would refer to Coverdale as "David Cover-version" among other taunts, which was not well received by Coverdale nor Page. 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. As for the comparisons to Plant, Coverdale said they are "both from a similar school of influences and inspirations and singers ..I can tell you precisely who Robert listened to to develop the voice he has, which is Stevie Marriott and
Terry Reid Terrance James Reid (born 13 November 1949), nicknamed "Superlungs", is an English rock vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist best known for his emotive style of singing in appearances with high-profile musicians as vocalist, supporting act and s ...
and that screaming blues voice isn't copyrighted by Robert and that's something that I've grown up doing too".


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 and main lyricist Coverdale have been heavily criticised 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, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...
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". Such criticism began in the late 1970s and was further inflamed with the ''
Lovehunter ''Lovehunter'' is the second studio album by British band Whitesnake, released on 21 September 1979. It was the bands first UK Top 30 album, charting at No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart. " Long Way from Home", the leading track on the album reached ...
'' (1979)
cover art Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product, such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ar ...
. 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 Tongue-in-cheek is an idiom that describes 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 Walte ...
and inspired by his own experiences, not uncommon to other people as well. The lyrics along with his stage personality "solidified an image of Coverdale: the
preening Preening is a found in birds that involves the use of the beak to position feathers, interlock feather that have become separated, clean plumage, and keep ectoparasites in check. Feathers contribute significantly to a bird's insulation, waterp ...
, tight-trousered
lothario Lothario is an Italian name used as shorthand for an unscrupulous seducer of women, based upon a character in '' The Fair Penitent'', a 1703 tragedy by Nicholas Rowe.
", according to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
s Michael Hann, who also noted that although often ridiculed by the media, by 2015 "there's a certain affection for his magnificently preposterous persona". Coverdale has repeatedly denied any accusations of
misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...
or
sexism Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...
. ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' noted in 2003 that Coverdale "comes from a bygone era", while songs like "Slide it In" and "Slow an' Easy" show not only "the blues aspect of Whitesnake", but also "the tongue in cheek humor that Coverdale is so fond of". Marsden also conceded that while many of Coverdale's lyrics are not entirely
politically correct "Political correctness" (adjectivally "politically correct"; commonly abbreviated to P.C.) is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society. ...
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: Film * ''Carry On'' (film), a 1927 British silent film * ''Carry On'' (franchise), a British comedy media franchise *''Carry-On'', a 2024 American action thriller film Music Albums * ''Carry On'' (Chris Cornell album) * '' ...
'' 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 "Sailing Ships" and "Love Ain't No Stranger".


Band members

Current members *
David Coverdale David Coverdale (born 22 September 1951) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the founder and lead singer of the hard rock band Whitesnake. Coverdale was also the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976; he has had a solo car ...
– 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, Whitesn ...
– 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 ea ...
– guitars, backing vocals (2003–present) *
Joel Hoekstra Joel Hoekstra (born December 13, 1970) is an American guitarist currently in the hard rock band Whitesnake. He also tours as a guitarist for Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The son of classical musicians, he started out playing cello and piano at a y ...
– guitars, backing vocals (2014–present) *
Michele Luppi Michele Luppi (born 7 April 1974) is an Italian singer, keyboardist, 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 f ...
– keyboards, backing vocals (2015–present) *
Dino Jelusick Dino Jelusić (born 4 June 1992), also known by his stage name Dino Jelusick, is a Croatian singer, musician, and songwriter. He was the winner of the inaugural edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, in . He is the founder, principal son ...
– 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 on 21 September 1979. It was the bands first UK Top 30 album, charting at No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart. " Long Way from Home", the leading track on the album reached ...
'' (1979) *'' Ready an' Willing'' (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 English rock band Whitesnake, released on 30 January 1984 in Europe by Liberty and EMI Records. To cater to the American market, the album was remixed and resequenced, and subsequently released on 16 ...
'' (1984) *''
1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...
'' (1987) *''
Slip of the Tongue ''Slip of the Tongue'' is the eighth studio album by the British hard rock band Whitesnake, released on 7 November 1989 in the US, by Geffen Records and six days later in Europe, by EMI. The album marked a continuation of the band's commercia ...
'' (1989) *''
Restless Heart Restless Heart was an American country music band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band's longest-tenured lineup consisted of Larry Stewart (singer), Larry Stewart (lead vocals), John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dav ...
'' (1997) *''
Good to Be Bad ''Good to Be Bad'' is the tenth studio album by British hard rock band Whitesnake, released on 18 April 2008 in Germany, 21 April 2008 in Europe and 22 April in North America by SPV/Steamhammer. It was the band's first album of new studio materi ...
'' (2008) *'' Forevermore'' (2011) *'' The Purple Album'' (2015) *'' Flesh & Blood'' (2019)


Notes


References


Footnotes


Book sources

* * *


External links

* * * * {{Authority control Atlantic Records artists EMI Records artists English blues rock musical groups English glam metal musical groups English hard rock musical groups Geffen Records artists Liberty Records artists Mirage Records artists Musical groups disestablished in 1990 Musical groups disestablished in 1994 Musical groups disestablished in 1997 Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups reestablished in 1994 Musical groups reestablished in 1997 Musical groups reestablished in 2003 Rock music groups from London United Artists Records artists Warner Music Group artists