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Legendary rock vocalist and Whitesnake leader David Coverdale has announced a definitive farewell to the stage at the age of 74, ending a career spanning more than 50 years with an unforgettable legacy in hard rock.
David Coverdale, an iconic voice for more than 50 years in rock history, including collaborations with Deep Purple, Whitesnake and Jimmy Page, has bid a final farewell to the stage, confirming that it’s almost officially time to “hang up the platform shoes and tight leather pants.” The 74-year-old’s announcement was made with the panache you’d expect from someone who has lived such a legendary journey, but also with the subtle irony of someone who’s been in show business for so long that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. He even joked that he doesn’t care about the “lion wig” he wears.
But this declaration confirms a long-lasting symphony of farewell. Whitesnake’s final roar was their culmination at Hellfest in France in June 2022, after the remainder of their European tour was canceled due to “health issues” for several members. Coverdale himself revealed in 2023 that he suffered the “worst sinus infection of my life”, a plague for the Biblical singer, and had to take antibiotics and “horrible steroids” for months.
Coverdale’s wisdom, forged through excesses and successes along the way, led him to advise his bandmates to pursue other projects, a wise decision given his uncertain future on stage. But the energy wasn’t gone. She just moved on and found a new creative source in the Whitesnake reissue and archive project that makes her feel like a “bluebird flying out of every orifice.”
As the band bid farewell with the ballad “Fare Thee Well,” the name, given new life on the re-release of Forevermore, oddly enough, like a rehearsed and remastered epitaph, still pays homage to one of the great frontmen who defined hard rock’s aesthetic and sound. Plus, the guy sings/sings like crazy and the rest is more than par for the course.
Whitesnake’s top 7
Here, in order of priority, are the albums that chart David Coverdale and Whitesnake’s journey from their 1970s blues roots to 1980s pop-metal stardom. Stories of voice reincarnation were almost always aimed at a single destination: dominating America.
7. Come An Get It (1981)
On their fourth attempt, Whitesnake was already showing signs of the dangerous routine of bureaucratic hard rock that was serially produced in the early ’80s. A flash of inspiration (“Hot Stuff,” “Don’t Break My Heart Again”) was quickly exhausted on the A-side. Despite having little market response, Snakes still crawled along nicely in the UK, reaching an enviable number two, the band’s best result in the UK up to that time.
6. Slip of the Tongue (1989)
After the huge success of their 1987 album, this one sounded like a disappointing carbon copy, with no ability to surprise or score any hits. The arrival of guitarist Steve Vai added all the shredding gymnastics the era needed, but also pushed the band (and Coverdale) further away from the blues morass where it all began. In this case, recycling the music failed. The remake of “Fool for Your Loving” (the 1980 original) overshadowed the original, proving that successfully reviving the past isn’t always possible. The good side? This was the grand finale, allowing Coverdale to embark on his next high-risk project alongside Jimmy Page.
5. Saints and Sinners (1982)
This is a milestone, Whitesnake’s last gasp before glamor. Their fifth LP is notable for serving, ironically, as a gorgeous blueprint for future success. Two of the songs, including the band’s definitive power ballad “Here I Go Again,” were reworked five years later. The basic structure was already here, all that was missing was the pop veneer for stardom. This album represented the last vestiges of the raw blues-rock sound that defined the band’s early stages. Change was inevitable and necessary.
4. Lady Ann Willing (1980)
With the introduction of legendary drummer Ian Paice (ex-Deep Purple), this third album at times recreated Deep Purple’s hangover from the late ’70s, thanks to the fusion of Coverdale and Jon Lord (keyboardist). Still, this album begins to outline Whitesnake’s own identity, presenting the group in their most tumultuous and effective format since the beginning of their career. “Fool for Your Loving” is the highlight of Coverdale’s magical re-recording effort in 1989, a flame that would flare up again in full force a few years later.
3. Slide It In (1984)
The penultimate and sixth LP before the big leap marked a period of transition for Coverdale, who had already set their sights on the American market, replacing the blues with a more straightforward sound. From here a process of “image and sound cleaning” began, resulting in an American version with re-recorded guitars and a pop mix. The solo on “Slow an’ Easy” serves as the perfect teaser for what would become the 1987 Whitesnake hitmaker. The cast’s retooling of younger, flashier musicians was just the next step in the promotion.
2. Good to Be Bad (2008)
It took Whitesnake over a decade to release this authentic revival practice. The album was the first time since 1989 that they sounded like a real band, and brought Coverdale back to their classic hard rock formula. The new team distills the rawness of Led Zeppelin and the irresistible riffs of Whitesnake at its peak.
1. Whitesnake (1987)
Whitesnake star arrangement. After years of ignominious struggles, the band quickly found success, even though it had been a decade since its formation. With a reassembled lineup (the chemistry with guitarist John Sykes produced some of Coverdale’s best work) and impeccable production, the album reached a perfect balance point. The re-released version of “Here I Go Again” became the No. 1 hit, and “Is This Love” defined the power ballad of the ’80s. The assimilation of Led Zeppelin’s DNA in “Still of the Night” proves that Coverdale has finally gotten there. The album reached number two in the US and cemented Whitesnake as a worldwide phenomenon.
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