Whitesnake (album)

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For the 1977 David Coverdale solo album with a similar name, see White Snake (album).
Whitesnake
File:Whitesnake (album).jpg
First edition of the album with new logo
Studio album by Whitesnake
Released 7 April 1987
Recorded September 1985 – April 1986
Studio Little Mountain Sound Studios, Vancouver, and Phase One Studios, Toronto, Canada,
Compass Point Studios, Bahamas,
Cherokee Studios and One on One Recording, Los Angeles
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal [1]
glam metal [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
Length 53:00
Label Geffen/Warner Bros. (North America)
CBS/Sony (Japan)
EMI (Rest of the world)
Producer Mike Stone & Keith Olsen
Whitesnake chronology
Slide It In
(1984)Slide It In1984		 Whitesnake
(1987)		 1987 Versions
(1987)1987 Versions1987
Singles from Whitesnake
  1. "Still of the Night"
    Released: 9 March 1987
  2. "Crying in the Rain '87"
    Released: April 1987 (promo)
  3. "Here I Go Again '87"
    Released: October 1987
  4. "Is This Love"
    Released: December 1987
  5. "Give Me All Your Love ('88 Mix)"
    Released: February 1988
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 4.5/5 stars[10]
Robert Christgau (D+)[11]
Martin Popoff 8/10 stars[12]
Record Collector 4/5 stars[13]
Rolling Stone (favourable)[14]

Whitesnake is the self-titled seventh studio album by British rock band of the same name, released in 1987. The album produced a major power ballad hit, "Is This Love". The album was a major crossover hit eventually selling over eight million copies in the US (and thus going eight times platinum).[15] The album peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200[16] and No. 8 on the UK Albums Chart.[17] Its success in the US boosted its predecessor, Slide It In, from gold to double platinum status.[15] Its success would see the band receive a nomination for the Brit Award for Best British Group in 1988.[18]

This album was released in Europe and Australia as 1987 and as Serpens Albus in Japan with a different track listing (see below). A remastered reissue of this album, featuring a DVD with video clips and live performances, was released in 2007 as the 20th anniversary special edition.

Background

During the supporting tour for the band's previous album Slide It In, singer David Coverdale and drummer Cozy Powell's relationship had started to strain. In 1985, after the band's performance at the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil, the last show of the Slide It In tour, Powell left the group. Prior to his leaving, Coverdale was actually about to fold the band, but executives at Geffen Records (with whom Whitesnake had recently signed with in the US only, while outside the US they remained with EMI) asked Coverdale to continue working with guitarist John Sykes, as they saw potential in the two.

Songwriting and production

In the spring of 1985, Coverdale and Sykes decamped to the town of Le Rayol in the south of France to start writing material for a new album; according to Coverdale, bassist Neil Murray also helped with some of the arrangements. Two songs that would emerge from these sessions would be two of Whitesnake's biggest hits: "Still of the Night", based on an old demo by Coverdale and Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore; and "Is This Love", originally written for Tina Turner.

Coverdale, Sykes and Murray then moved to Los Angeles, where they rehearsed and started auditioning for drummers, and hired Aynsley Dunbar. With their line-up complete, Whitesnake headed up to Vancouver, Canada, to lay plans for the new record. One of the first issues the band faced was John Sykes' desire to achieve a specific guitar sound that he wanted, which he eventually found with the help of Coverdale's friend and engineer Bob Rock, who had previously worked with Bon Jovi on the multi-platinum album Slippery When Wet.

The next problem the band faced was a sinus infection with which Coverdale was stricken. This put the album's production behind schedule, especially when Coverdale underwent surgery and a six-month-long rehabilitation program. Sykes grew impatient and suggested bringing in a new vocalist and carrying on without Coverdale, which eventually led to the end of Coverdale's relationship with both John Sykes and producer Mike Stone. After Coverdale recovered, he started work on his vocal tracks with Ron Nevison, before soon switching to Keith Olsen, who also helped mixing the album. Keyboard players Don Airey and Bill Cuomo were brought in to record some keyboard parts, as well as Dutch guitar player Adrian Vandenberg to record the guitar solo for the re-recorded version of the song "Here I Go Again". Coverdale was also discussing the possibility of Vandenberg soon joining Whitesnake.

Release

By this time (late 1986), with the recording process done and the album slated to be released in early 1987, Coverdale made the decision to let the other members of the band go, due to personal differences. But when the album was finally released (now titled Whitesnake in the US) in April 1987 it reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart,[16] spawning two hit singles: "Here I Go Again '87" (which reached number 1 in the US[19]) and "Is This Love" (which reached number 2 in the US[19]). Both "Here I Go Again" and "Crying in the Rain" had previously been recorded with a different line-up and released on the 1982 LP Saints & Sinners.

In Europe the album was called 1987, featuring a different running order and two extra tracks, "Looking for Love" and "You're Gonna Break My Heart Again"; in Japan the album was titled Serpens Albus (in reference to the illustrated text on the album's artwork which, in Latin, means "Whitesnake"). The two extra European tracks would be released in America in 1994 on Whitesnake's Greatest Hits. In Australia, the album was released as 1987 but had the North American track order on the original vinyl and the European order on CD. In Bulgaria, the album was released as 1987 and used a slightly modified version of the European track order; "Here I Go Again" was moved to the end of side A and "You're Gonna Break My Heart Again" was removed.

For the new line-up of the band, Coverdale enlisted guitarist Adrian Vandenberg (with whom he had already discussed plans), second guitarist Vivian Campbell (ex-Dio) and the rhythm section of the newly defunct M.A.R.S. project, bassist Rudy Sarzo (ex-Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne) and drummer Tommy Aldridge (ex-Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers, Gary Moore and Ozzy Osbourne). This line-up toured in support of the album, and all appeared in music videos for "Still of the Night" (which was the most requested video on MTV when it was released), "Is This Love", "Here I Go Again" and "Give Me All Your Love".

Track listings

All songs written and composed by David Coverdale and John Sykes, except where noted. 

North American version
No. Title Length
1. "Crying in the Rain" (Coverdale) 5:37
2. "Bad Boys"   4:09
3. "Still of the Night"   6:38
4. "Here I Go Again" (Coverdale, Bernie Marsden) 4:33
5. "Give Me All Your Love"   3:30
6. "Is This Love"   4:43
7. "Children of the Night"   4:24
8. "Straight for the Heart"   3:40
9. "Don't Turn Away"   5:11
European version (1987)
No. Title Length
1. "Still of the Night"   6:38
2. "Bad Boys"   4:09
3. "Give Me All Your Love"   3:30
4. "Looking for Love"   6:33
5. "Crying in the Rain" (Coverdale) 5:37
6. "Is This Love"   4:43
7. "Straight for the Heart"   3:40
8. "Don't Turn Away"   5:11
9. "Children of the Night"   4:24
10. "Here I Go Again" (Coverdale, Bernie Marsden) 4:33
11. "You're Gonna Break My Heart Again"   4:11

Personnel

Whitesnake

Additional musicians

Production

  • Produced by Mike Stone and Keith Olsen
  • Mixed by Keith Olsen at Goodnight LA
  • Mastered by Greg Fulginiti at Artisan Sound Recorders
  • A&R by John Kalodner
  • Cover by Hugh Syme
  • All songs published by Whitesnake Music Overseas Ltd./WB Music Corp., except "Crying in the Rain" and "Here I Go Again" (published by Seabreeze Music Ltd./C.C. Songs Ltd./WB Music Corp.)

Charts

Certifications

Country Organization Year Sales
USA RIAA 1995 8x Platinum (+ 8,000,000)[15]
Canada CRIA 1988 5x Platinum (+ 500,000)[40]
New Zealand RIANZ 1988 Platinum (+ 15,000)[41]
UK BPI 1988 Platinum (+ 300,000)[42]
Germany BVMI 1989 Gold (+ 250,000)[43]
Sweden GLF 1988 Gold (+ 50,000)[44]
Switzerland IFPI 1989 Gold (+ 25,000)[45]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Album genre review
  3. ↑ Album info
  4. ↑ Hair Metal Radio
  5. ↑ Metal Obsession Album Review
  6. ↑ 50 Greatest Glam Metal Albums Of All Times
  7. ↑ Allmusic Album Info
  8. ↑ Album description
  9. ↑ Album Review
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 19.8 19.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Whitesnake The Highway Star
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=3324
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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