Whitesnake (album)



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", along with the number one hit "Here I Go Again". The album was a major crossover hit eventually selling over eight million copies in the US (and thus going eight times platinum). The album peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 8 on the UK Albums Chart. Its success in the US boosted its predecessor, Slide It In, from gold to double platinum status. Its success would see the band receive a nomination for the Brit Award for Best British Group in 1988.

This album was released in Europe and Australia as 1987 (with a different track listing – see below) and as Serpens Albus in Japan. 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 and Canada only, while outside North America 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 and Canada) in April 1987 it reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, spawning two hit singles: "Here I Go Again '87" (which reached number 1 in the US ) and "Is This Love" (which reached number 2 in the US ). 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 North 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 also included an appearance by Steve Vai (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".

Whitesnake

 * David Coverdale – lead vocals
 * John Sykes – guitars, backing vocals
 * Neil Murray – bass
 * Aynsley Dunbar – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

 * Don Airey and Bill Cuomo – keyboards
 * Adrian Vandenberg - guitar solo on "Here I Go Again"
 * Dann Huff – guitar on "Here I Go Again '87" (Radio Mix)
 * Denny Carmassi – drums on "Here I Go Again '87" (Radio Mix)
 * Vivian Campbell – guitar solo on "Give Me All Your Love" ('88 Mix)

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.)