After a quiet couple of years, Whitesnake's David Coverdale is "feeling like a fireman surrounded by little wildfires, just really, really busy" with upcoming releases both new and archival thanks to a new deal with the Warner Music Group Worldwide and Rhino Entertainment.
First up in the deal -- which puts a large chunk of Whitesnake's catalog under one roof for the first time ever -- is 30th anniversary editions of 1987's eight-times-platinum Whitesnake album on Oct. 6, with different configurations featuring unreleased studio, live and video material. (Check out a previously unreleased concert version of "Still Of The Night," from the Live On Tour 1987-88 disc of the reissue, premiering exclusively below.) Record Store Black Friday on Nov. 24 will see a home video as well as a coffee table book chronicling The Purple Album cycle from 2015, while the new year will bring a new Whitesnake studio album and world tour.
"The next three to five years is spoken for with some really exciting projects," Coverdale tells Billboard. He's also pleased to be back with what he calls "corporate music" after a decade with independents -- and particularly back with Warner, where he began his recording career with Deep Purple during the mid-70s and where Whitesnake made its most successful albums for Geffen Records.
"The cool expression was they wanted new Coverdale as well as the old, which means new product," Coverdale notes. He was won over by Rhino President Mark Pinkus coming to visit the singer at his home in Lake Tahoe during the winter, braving massive snowdrifts and a three-hour drive from the airport to have lunch and seal the deal. "We discussed all the projects that were going on and he said, 'Well, I'm totally in if you are,' and then drove back to the airport and flew back (to Los Angeles)," Coverdale remembers. "It was the most heroic record company executive scenario I've ever experienced. So it was relatively effortless to work together."
"It's really thrilling for Warner to now have the Whitesnake catalog for the entire world and to be able to work closely with David on some amazing projects that will continue the legacy of one of the all-time-great rock n’ roll bands," Pinkus says. "Our vision on how to approach the catalog for the future were incredibly aligned. While I can't go into too much detail, we plan to give the 'Rhino treatment' to the Whitesnake catalog with a wide variety of offerings for all types of consumers, from boxed sets to vinyl to download to streaming."
The Whitesnake album, which turned 30 in April, is the appropriate debut project under the new deal. The set launched the hit singles (and accompanying videos) "Here I Go Again" (Billboard Hot 100 No. 1), "Is This Love" (No. 2), "Give Me All Your Love" (No. 48) and "Still Of the Night" (No. 79) and the new editions -- a four-CD/DVD Super Deluxe Edition and a two-disc Deluxe Edition -- will feature plenty of bonuses, including some of Coverdale's demos with guitarist John Sykes.
"It was a lot of fun to do," Coverdale says of the reissue, "because I don't go back a lot. I kind of learn from the past to apply those lessons to the future and the present. But my gratitude for (the album) is beyond words. I've only ever gone into a studio to try to improve on the last record...There was no, 'Right, I'm gonna sell 30-odd million fucking records!' It was amazing, just amazing, so it's great to revisit all of this."
More archival reissues are planned for the future, while Coverdale and his main Whitesnake mates, guitarists Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra, have been convening for regular writing sessions towards an anticipated late spring of 2018 release -- Whitesnake's first set of original material since 2011's Forevermore. "I'm actually very excited about it because it's the first opportunity both Reb and Joel and I have actually had to sit down and write together," Coverdale says. "There's a lot of what one would refer to as arena rock; Reb and I were talking the other night over dinner and he said, 'Man, there's so many songs here that no matter where we play -- Portugal or Brazil or Tokyo -- they're gonna get this hook. They're gonna be punching the fuckin' air and have a great night.' And I went, 'Oh, absolutely -- and more than usual,' which is great. I can't do throwaway shit. The only reason I'm doing this record are the songs are gonna be a great Whitesnake album for Whitesnake fans -- and the band. It's very exciting."
WHITESNAKE: SUPER DELUXE EDITION
Track Listing
Disc One: Original Album 2017 Remaster
“Still Of The Night”
“Give Me All Your Love”
“Bad Boys”
“Is This Love”
“Here I Go Again 87”
“Straight For The Heart”
“Looking For Love”
“Children Of The Night”
“You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again”
“Crying In The Rain”
“Don’t Turn Away”
Disc Two: Live On Tour 1987-88
“Bad Boys/Children Of The Night” *
“Slide It In” *
“Slow An’ Easy” *
“Here I Go Again” *
“Guilty Of Love” *
“Is This Love” *
“Love Ain’t No Stranger” *
Guitar Solo – Adrian and Vivian *
“Crying In The Rain” *
“Still Of The Night” *
“Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” *
“Give Me All Your Love” *
Disc Three: Demos and Rehearsals
“Still Of The Night” *
“Give Me All Your Love” *
“Bad Boys” *
“Is This Love” *
“Straight For the Heart” *
“Looking For Love” *
“Children Of The Night” *
“You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again” *
“Crying In The Rain” *
“Don’t Turn Away” *
Disc Four: 2017 Remixes
“Still Of The Night” – Remix *
“Is This Love” – Remix *
“Give Me All Your Love” – Remix *
“Here I Go Again 87” – Remix *
“Standing In The Shadows” – 1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
“Looking For Love” – 1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
“You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again” – 1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
“Need Your Love So Bad” – 1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
“Here I Go Again” – Radio Mix
“Give Me All Your Love” – Single Version
DVD
“Still Of The Night” – Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
“Here I Go Again 87” – Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
“Is This Love” – Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
“Give Me All Your Love” – Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
Documentary about the making of 1987 Album *
“Here I Go Again” – Purplesnake Video Jam *
“Crying In The Rain” – 1987 Tour Video Bootleg *
Band Intros – 1987 Tour Video Bootleg *
“Still Of The Night” – 1987 Tour Video Bootleg *
New Interview with David Coverdale *
WHITESNAKE: DELUXE EDITION
LP Track Listing
Side One
“Still Of The Night”
“Bad Boys”
“You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again”
“Straight For The Heart”
“Here I Go Again 87”
Side Two
“Give Me All Your Love”
“Is This Love”
“Children Of The Night”
“Crying In The Rain”
“Don’t Turn Away”
Side Three
“Still Of The Night” – 2017 Remix *
“Is This Love” – 2017 Remix *
“Give Me All Your Love” – 2017 Remix *
“Here I Go Again 87” – 2017 Remix *
“Looking For Love”
Side Four
“Bad Boys/Children of the Night” – Live *
“Here I Go Again” – Live *
“Is This Love “ – Live *
“Give Me All Your Love” – Live *
“Still of the Night” – Live *
* previously unreleased
