WHITESNAKE SLITHERS UP THE CHARTS

Success in America has been a long time coming for Whitesnake. While the band has had a string of hit records overseas since it formed nearly 10 years ago, it wasn’t until the release of their latest album (titled simply Whitesnake) that they met with similar success in this country.

Surprisingly, before Whitesnake was released earlier this year, the band’s very existence was in jeopardy for some time. In 1986, vocalist David Coverdale fell victim to a sinus infection that threatened his career as a singer. After having an operation to correct the problem, Coverdale spent many long, torturous months wondering if he would ever be able to sing again. In the meantime, the rest of the guys in Whitesnake grew impatient—and left the group!

Luckily, Coverdale completely recovered and returned to the recording studio with a vengeance. He belted out some of the most powerful vocals since his days with Deep Purple, and new musicians were brought in to finish up what the original band members had begun. The result was Whitesnake’s first Top 10 album in America and the #1 single “Here I Go Again.”

“It seems that the album is opening a lot of people’s eyes to the fact that Whitesnake is a force to be reckoned with,” Coverdale says. “I wanted this album to have legs to walk straight off the disc and into the arenas.”

Whitesnake recently embarked on what was surely the most successful tour they have ever had in the States (opening for Motley Crue), and Coverdale recruited some of the biggest musicians in the business to insure that every show would be a knockout. In addition to Adrian Vandenburg on guitar and Tommy Aldridge on drums, the new Whitesnake features ex-Quiet Riot bassist Rudy Sarzo as well as Ronnie James Dio’s old guitarist, Vivian Campbell—all of whom were featured in the band’s “Still Of The Night” video. But despite the all-star lineup, Whitesnake has really become David Coverdale’s band.

“I know exactly what Whitesnake should do and where it should go, and I’ve known from the moment I conceived it,” Coverdale says. “The most important thing is the identity and concept of Whitesnake. My only responsibility is to the people who keep Whitesnake flying—the fans!”

Steve Peters