Whitesnake

Whitesnake are an English hard rock and blues rock group from Middlesbrough, active from 1978 to 2022. They form around singer David Coverdale after his departure from Deep Purple, and Coverdale remains the only constant member throughout the band’s history.

Career

The band begins with the EP Snakebite in 1978, followed by the studio albums Trouble and Lovehunter. Those early records establish songs that become live favourites, including “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” and “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues”. Whitesnake build a following in the United Kingdom, Europe and Japan, and their next releases — Ready an’ Willing, Live... in the Heart of the City, Come an’ Get It and Saints & Sinners — all reach the UK top ten.

In the mid-1980s the band focuses more on North America, working with Geffen Records for Slide It In, which includes “Love Ain’t No Stranger” and “Slow an’ Easy” and receives heavy MTV airplay. Their self-titled album, released as 1987 in the United Kingdom, becomes their biggest commercial success, selling more than eight million copies in the United States and producing “Here I Go Again”, “Is This Love” and “Still of the Night”. During this period, the band adopts a visual style associated with the Los Angeles glam metal scene.

After Slip of the Tongue in 1989, Coverdale pauses his musical activity. Whitesnake return briefly for Greatest Hits in 1994 and Restless Heart in 1997, then resume more fully in 2003 for the band’s 25th anniversary with a new line-up. Later studio albums include Good to Be Bad, Forevermore, The Purple Album and Flesh & Blood, alongside extensive international touring. A farewell tour begins in 2022 and is curtailed because of health issues affecting Coverdale and other members.

Style and recognition

Whitesnake’s early sound is described as blues rock, while the mid-1980s material moves towards a more commercially oriented hard rock style. Their lyrics often focus on love and relationships and frequently use sexual innuendo and double entendre. The group receives award nominations, including Best British Group at the 1988 Brit Awards, and appears on retrospective lists of notable hard rock artists.

Members

Across its career, Whitesnake includes David Coverdale, Micky Moody, Bernie Marsden, Neil Murray, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Mel Galley, Cozy Powell, John Sykes, Aynsley Dunbar, Vivian Campbell, Tommy Aldridge, Rudy Sarzo, Adrian Vandenberg, Steve Vai, Warren DeMartini, Paul Mirkovich, Tony Franklin, Marco Mendoza, Timothy Drury, Doug Aldrich, Reb Beach, Uriah Duffy, Chris Frazier, Michael Devin, Brian Tichy, Joel Hoekstra, Michele Luppi, Tanya O’Callaghan and Dino Jelusick. The group is also associated with Peter Solley and Dave Dowle.

Label

Whitesnake are associated with Sunburst.