An English rock band formed in 1977, Whitesnake was formed by David Coverdale, who had previously been a member of Deep Purple.  Along with Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, Neil Murray, and David “Duck” Dowle.  They later added keyboardist Pete Solley of Procol Harum, who was soon replaced with Jon Lord, from Deep Purple.

Whitesnake

Also I haven't really heard that much criticism about my voice. Sitting here at the end of 30 years, I must be doing something right.

The Early Years

An English rock band formed in 1977, Whitesnake was formed by David Coverdale, who had previously been a member of Deep Purple.  Along with Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, Neil Murray, and David “Duck” Dowle.  They later added keyboardist Pete Solley of Procol Harum, who was soon replaced with Jon Lord, from Deep Purple.  Once the roster was complete, they recorded and released their first EP, Snakebit, in 1978.

Their first full length album, Trouble, was released later in 1978, and peaked at #50 on the UK charts.  They toured Europe to promote the album and recorded the tour; the recordings became their live album, Live at Hammersmith, which was released in Japan the following year.  Their 1979 album, Lovehunter, enjoyed moderate commercial success, and became known for the controversial album cover, depicting a woman straddling a snake.

Climbing to the Top

Whitesnake released an album every year from 1980 through 1982, growing in popularity and sales.  Their 1984 release, Slide It In, ranked #1 on the UK chart and certified platinum there, double platinum in the United States.  The singles, Slow and Easy and Love Ain't No Stranger became favorites on the radio and on MTV, receiving ample airplay.  They follow-up to this album, Whitesnake, certified 8x platinum in the US and 5x platinum in Canada.  With seven singles to appear on the Billboard Top 100 and two in the Top Ten, Whitesnake was to be their most commercially successful album.

After another successful album, Slip of the Tongue, which sold three million copies in the United States, the band took a hiatus.  During that time, Coverdale toured with Led Zepplin's Jimmy Page.  In 1994, they released Whitesnake's Greatest Hits and launched a short tour in Europe.  The tour was followed by another hiatus.

Here and Now

In 1997, to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Whitesnake, the band reunited and performed an unplugged show in Japan; they released the album, Starkers in Tokyo, in Japan only.  They returned to the studio and recorded Restless Heart, which was not released in the United States.

After another hiatus, Whitesnake embarked on 25^th anniversary tour in 2003.

Whitesnake has reunited off and on since 2003 to perform at music festivals and tours.  In 2008, they returned to the studio, recording an releasing Good to be Bad.  The album sold 300,000 copies in the United States, and Classic Rock Best Album award.

Did you know . . .

1. The original lineup of the band was the back-up band who had performed with David Coverdale on his solo tour, promoting his album, White Snake.

2. Roster changes over the years have been a “who's who” of rock history, with members from such bands as Deep Purple, Procol Harum, Journey, Roxy Music, Black Sabbath, and Rainbow.

3. The Coverdale-Beck tour in 1994 was cut short due to low ticket sales, and they were forced to cancel the entire Japanese leg of the tour.

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