Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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WHITESNAKE

UK heavy metal group formed '78 by ex-Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale. On demise of Purple '78 he made solo LPs White Snake and North Winds '77-8, despite being prohibited contractually from playing live; when this constraint was removed he formed band named after first LP and led by guitarist Micy Moody (ex-Snafu, Juicy Lucy) who'd met Coverdale at art school years before in Middlesborough. Other members were guitarist Bernie Marsden (ex-UFO, Wild Turkey, Babe Ruth), drummer Dave "Duck' Dowle on drums and Brian Johnson on keyboards (both ex-Streetwalkers) and bassist Neil Murray (ex-Colosseum II and National Health). Pete Solly depped for Johnson; Coverdale left Purple's label for UA; ex-Purple Jon Lord played keyboards on bluesy Trouble '78; ex-Purple Ian Paice replaced Dowle soon after. EP Snake Bite '78, LP Love Hunter '79 continued mining blues-rock vein that existed long before Purple; Ready An' Willing '80 made no. 6 UK LP chart with top 20 "Fool For Your Loving'; as titles titles and sleeve artwork showed, Coverdale had no compunction about playing HM's macho role to the hilt. Live In The Heart Of The City '80 captured impressive live act from '78-80 shows; Come An' Get It '81 incl. second top 20 in "Don't Break My Heart Again'; Saints and Sinners '82 (top 10 LP) was last from this lineup. Murray was replaced by ex- Back Door bassist Colin Hodgekinson, Paice by Cozy Powell (from Rainbow, another Purple spinoff); Mel Galley (b 8 March '48; ex-Trapeze) replaced Marsden, who formed own group Alaska but shared writing credits with Coverdale for Slide It In '84; Murray retired '82, replaced early '84 by ex-Thin Lizzy axeman John Sykes (b 29 July '59), while Murray rejoined; all this led to re-recording of parts of Slide It In for USA release, and two versions of the same LP played by different lineups. Lord's departure for reformed Purple reduced them to a quartet; Powell's leaving to join Emerson Lake & Powell necessitated a rethink. Coverdale made eponymous solo LP, had UK hit "In The Heat Of The Night'. There had been four more top 40 Whitesnake singles in UK, but the following was maintained by heavy touring and they hadn't made a dent in the USA; then a breakthrough: Whitesnake 1987 was no. 2 for ten weeks in the USA. The lineup that made it was turfed out, another lineup toured to promote it and made Slip Of The Tongue '89 (top ten USA), but with such formulaic music it doesn't matter: Coverdale was born under a bad sign, a slave to love, a lonely man, a hard-loving man etc etc. There was a Greatest Hits album, he apparently retired to count his royalties, came back with Restless Heart '97 by David Coverdale & Whitesnake, with Adrian Vandenberg and Danni Carmassi.