One year later, the band's fourth offering, "Come An' Get It", shot up to #2 on the U.K. Albums chart spawning two bluesy rockers top 20 hits "Don't Break My Heart Again" and "Would I Lie To You". Staside, the album failed to rise above #151 on the Billboard's Top 200 LPs & Tapes chart.
"Saints & Sinners" followed in late 1982, it climbed into the U.K. top 10 and produced the top 40 hit "Here I Go Again"; most Americans only came to know this song five years later as the group's fifth album was largely ignored in the States.
Whitesnake returned in 1984 with the new line-up that included Coverdale, Lord, Moody and the newcomers guitarist Mel Galley, bass player Colin Hodgkinson and drummer Cozy Powell. The sextet released "Slide It In" which cracked The Billboard 200 chart at #42 and subsequently went platinum on the back of the Mainstream Rock top 40 hits "Love Ain't No Stranger" and "Slow An' Easy". "Slide It In" took Coverdale and company to #1 on the British Albums chart for the first time; the disc included two U.K. sizeable hit singles "Guilty Of Love" and "Give Me More Time".
On a quirky historical note, Coverdale fired most of the band soon after the album's release, replacing them with younger, prettier faces with which to better conquer America; there were several personnel changes and finally he enlisted guitarists Adrian Vandenberg and Vivian Campbell, bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Tommy Aldridge.
In April 1987 Whitesnake released an explosive eponymous album, which rocketed to #2 on The Billboard Top 200, to #5 on the Top Canadian Albums chart, to #8 in U.K. selling over six million copies; it generated two British top 10 hit singles: the quiet ballad "Is This Love" and the remix version of "Here I Go Again", both these singles stormed The Billboard Hot 100 peaking at the #2 and #1 spots, respectively; two more singles appeared in the top 30 of The Mainstream Rock chart: "Still Of The Night" and the re-recorded version of "Give Me All Your Love".
Once again Coverdale changed the line-up and issued "Slip Of The Tongue" in February of 1989; the album crashed into the top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 chart and eventually was certified platinum for sales of one million copies. The new version of "Fool For Your Loving" soared to #2 on The Mainstream Rock Tracks and was followed by "The Deeper The Love", #4 and "Now You're Gone", #15, on that same chart.
In early 1991, David Coverdale disbanded Whitesnake “indefinitely” only to be re-born in 1993 with the release of the platinum selling album "Coverdale Page", recorded in collaboration with former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.
After full nine years Coverdale resurrected the Whitesnake name and recorded "Restless Heart" with Adrian Vandenberg on guitar, Brett Tuggle on keyboards, Guy Pratt on bass and Denny Carmassi on drums. The album, credited to David Coverdale & Whitesnake, was released only in Europe to relatively little attention.
April 2008 saw Whitesnake return with "Good To Be Bad", their tenth studio album and first in over a decade. This time the line-up included Coverdale, obviously, on vocals, guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach, keyboardist Timothy Drury, bass player Uriah Duffy and drummer Chris Frazier. The disc debuted at #62 on The Billboard 200, hit #23 on the Top Canadian Albums charts and also made it into the top 5 in Great Britain.
Whitesnake's new album "Forevermore"was met with generally positive reviews upon release. Allmusic rated the album 3.5/5,Thom Jurek of Allmusic stated that "[Love Will Set You Free, the album's first single] is top-notch Whitesnake that nods back to the early years while grounding itself in the present." He also stated that the tracks "All Out of Luck" and "Tell Me How" "measure up in the same way".
Current members
- David Coverdale – lead vocals (1976–1990, 1994, 1997–1998, 2002–present)
- Doug Aldrich – guitars, backing vocals (2002–present)
- Reb Beach – guitars, backing vocals (2002–present)
- Michael Devin – bass, backing vocals (2010–present)
- Brian Tichy – drums, percussion (2010–present)
- Brian Ruedy - keyboards, backing vocals (2011–present)
Studio Albums
Album Details | Track Listings | |
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Trouble
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Bonus tracksTrouble was remastered and reissued in 2006 with tracks from Snakebite EP as bonus tracks:
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Lovehunter
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Bonus tracksLovehunter was remastered and reissued in 2006 with several bonus tracks:
Bonus Tracks are from Andy Peebles BBC Radio 1 Sessions recorded March 29, 1979. |
Ready an' Willing
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Mirage Records (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records)
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Come an' Get It
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2007 remastered bonus tracks
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Saints & Sinners
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2007 remastered bonus tracks
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Slide It In
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All songs written by David Coverdale and Mel Galley, except where noted. UK Release
US Release
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Whitesnake
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All songs written by David Coverdale and John Sykes except where noted. North American version
European version (1987)
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Slip of the Tongue
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All songs written by David Coverdale and Adrian Vandenberg except as noted.
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Restless Heart
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All titles written by David Coverdale & Adrian Vandenberg except where noted.
Track 6 originally recorded by Lorraine Ellison. Japan Pressing (EMI TOCP-50090) adds:
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Good to Be Bad
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All songs written by David Coverdale and Doug Aldrich, except where noted.
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Forevermore
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All songs written and composed by David Coverdale and Doug Aldrich except where noted.
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The Purple Album
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Flesh & Blood
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Singles
Year | Single | Album |
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1979 | "Long Way from Home" | Lovehunter |
1980 | "Fool for Your Loving" | Ready an' Willing |
"Ready an' Willing" | ||
"Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" | Live in the Heart of the City | |
1981 | "Don't Break My Heart Again" | Come an' Get It |
"Would I Lie to You" | ||
1982 | "Here I Go Again" | Saints & Sinners |
"Bloody Luxury" | ||
1983 | "Guilty of Love" | Slide It In |
1984 | "Standing in the Shadow" | |
"Give Me More Time" | ||
"Love Ain't No Stranger" | ||
"Slow An' Easy" | ||
1987 | "Here I Go Again '87" | Whitesnake |
"Is This Love" | ||
"Still of the Night" | ||
"Crying in the Rain '87" | ||
1988 | "Give Me All Your Love" | |
1989 | "Fool for Your Loving '89" | Slip of the Tongue |
1990 | "The Deeper the Love" | |
"Now You're Gone" | ||
1994 | "Is This Love"/"Sweet Lady Luck" | Greatest Hits |
1997 | "Too Many Tears" | Restless Heart |
"Don't Fade Away" | ||
2006 | "All I Want Is You" | Live: In the Shadow of the Blues |
2008 | "Lay Down Your Love" | Good to Be Bad |
"All for Love" | ||
"Summer Rain" | ||
2011 | "Love Will Set You Free" | Forevermore |
"One of These Days" | ||
2015 | "Stormbringer" | The Purple Album |
"Burn" | ||
"Soldier of Fortune" | ||
2019 | "Shut Up & Kiss Me" | Flesh & Blood |