Six-pack Whitesnake

The previous immersive Whitesnake sets must have worked out as DC has authorised another six pack special, this time for 1989’s Slip Of The Tongue album.  I must confess it’s not an album I remember playing much, it didn’t really live up to the 1987 one in terms of sheer wallop for me, but the singles mostly went US top thirty and it reached number ten in the US album charts, no mean feat at the time (it went platinum the following year).

Anyway as before, the album is remastered again, plus extras which include demos, monitor mixes, a Phil Easton promo interview disc, extended 12″ versions, b-sides, a whole CD of bits and bobs taken off the multi-tracks, a live set from Castle Donington 1990 (that’s the touring line-up below) and a DVD round up of the promo videos. So if this is your cup of tea then full marks indeed.  The Americans are even offering a special version with a signed lithograph.

Right that’s the news in brief, here’s the full monty American press details from Rhino, courtesy Tom Dixon, who is buying it he says!  I won’t insult anyone by showing their press pack photo as it’s so obviously faked up the North Koreans will be offering them a job.  Deep breath…..

SLIP OF THE TONGUE: 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION will be available on October 4 for $74.98. The 6CD/DVD collection includes a newly remastered version of the album, plus unreleased studio recordings, audio and video of the band’s performance at the 1990 Monsters of Rock festival, and a new interview with Whitesnake founder and lead singer, David Coverdale. It comes in a 60-page hardbound book filled with rare memorabilia from the era.  For a limited time Rhino will offer the Super Deluxe edition paired with a lithograph signed by David Coverdale for $84.98.

Other versions of Slip of the Tongue will also be available the same day, including double-CD Deluxe Edition, which includes the newly remastered album expanded with a selection of rare and unreleased bonus tracks ($24.98) and a double-LP Deluxe Edition, which features the newly remastered album along with a selection of unique bonus tracks ($31.98).  A single-disc version ($9.98) includes the newly remastered album, along with single B-Sides plus alternate recordings. The music will be available digitally as well.

Following the 8x platinum success of their eponymous album in 1987, Whitesnake returned two years later with Slip of the Tongue. At the time, the band included Coverdale, bassist Rudy Sarzo, drummer Tommy Aldridge, and guitarists Adrian Vandenberg and Steve Vai. Vandenberg and Coverdale co-wrote all but one song on the album, but Vandenberg couldn’t record them in the studio at the time due to a hand injury. To fill the void, Vai joined the band for the album and tour.

SLIP OF THE TONGUE: 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION features unreleased versions of every album track, as well as monitor mixes for the album recorded in 1989. In addition, the collection includes nearly two dozen previously unreleased tracks taken from the session tapes that highlight working versions of album tracks and more. The set also includes the CD debut of Slip of the Tongue: The Wagging Tongue Edition. Released exclusively on vinyl in 1989, it features Coverdale being interviewed about each track followed by the song.

SLIP OF THE TONGUE: 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION finishes big with Whitesnake’s 1990 headlining performance at the Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington on CD and DVD. The DVD also includes three music videos, all of which have been carefully restored and remixed in 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time ever. A new promo video for the track “Sweet Lady Luck”, made exclusively for this set, a behind the scenes look at the making of the album, plus a newly recorded interview with Coverdale and Vandenberg rounds out the DVD.

SLIP OF THE TONGUE: 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Track Listing:

Disc One: Original 1989 Album (2019 Remaster)

“Slip Of The Tongue”

“Kittens Got Claws”

“Cheap An’ Nasty”

“Now You’re Gone”

“The Deeper The Love”

“Judgment Day”

“Sailing Ships”

“Wings Of The Storm”

“Slow Poke Music”

“Fool For Your Loving”

Bonus Tracks: B-Sides and Alternate Mixes

“Sweet Lady Luck” (Single B-Side)

“Now You’re Gone” (Chris Lord-Alge Single Remix)

“Fool For Your Loving” (Vai Voltage Mix)

“Slip Of The Tongue” (Alternate Intro & Breakdown)

“Cheap An’ Nasty” (Alternate Solo & End)

“Judgment Day” (Alternate & Extended Solos)

“Fool For Your Loving” (Alternate AOR mix with CHR intro)

Disc Two: The Wagging Tongue Edition (CD Debut)

Interviewer: Phil Eastman

Spoken Word: “Slip Of The Tongue” Interview

“Slip Of The Tongue”

Spoken Word: “Cheap An’ Nasty” Interview

“Cheap An’ Nasty”

Spoken Word: “Fool For Your Loving” Interview

“Fool For Your Loving”

Spoken Word: “Now You’re Gone” Interview

“Now You’re Gone”

Spoken Word: “Kittens Got Claws” Interview

“Kittens Got Claws”

Spoken Word: “Wings Of The Storm” Interview

“Wings Of The Storm”

Spoken Word: The Deeper The Love Interview

“The Deeper The Love”

Spoken Word: “Judgment Day” Interview

“Judgment Day”

Spoken Word: “Slow Poke Music” Interview

“Slow Poke Music”

Spoken Word: “Sailing Ships” Interview

“Sailing Ships”

Spoken Word: Closing Interview

Disc Three: Evolutions: Demos/Remixes/Re-records

“Slip Of The Tongue” *

“Cheap An’ Nasty” *

“Now You’re Gone” *

“Judgment Day” *

“Sailing Ships” *

“Kittens Got Claws” *

“The Deeper The Love” *

“Wings Of The Storm” *

“Slow Poke Music” *

“Fool For Your Loving” *

“Kill For The Cut” *

“Parking Ticket” *

“Sweet Lady Luck” (Instrumental) *

Disc Four: Monitor Mixes, April 1989

“Kittens Got Claws” *

“Cheap An’ Nasty” *

“The Deeper The Love” *

“Judgment Day” *

“Slow Poke Music” *

“Now You’re Gone” *

“Slip Of The Tongue” *

“Fool For Your Loving” *

“Wings Of The Storm” *

“Sailing Ships” *

“Sweet Lady Luck” *

“Parking Ticket” *

“Kill For The Cut (In Desperate Search Of A Melody)” *

“Burning Heart” *

“Ain’t Gonna Cry No More” (Instrumental) *

“We Wish You Well” *

Disc Five: A Trip To Granny’s House:

Session Tapes, Wheezy Interludes & Jams

“Slow Poke Music” *

“Slip of The Tongue” *

“Judgment Day” *

“Now You’re Gone” *

“Wings Of The Storm” *

“Sailing Ships” *

“Liquor And Poker” *

“Parking Ticket” *

“Kill For The Cut” *

“Ain’t Gonna Cry No More” *

“We Wish You Well” *

“We Wish You Well” (Instrumental) *

“Wheezy & Sometimes Very Naughty Interludes (Be Warned!)” *

“Now You’re Gone” (Revisited) *

“Death Disco” *

“Whitesnake Boogie” *

“Mike Clink’s Shoes Blues” *

“Snake Shuffle” (Instrumental) *

“Doodles” *

“Dementia Polka” *

“Kill For The Cut Blues” *

“Cuban Heel Blues” *

“Adje’s Blues” *

Disc Six: Live at Donington 1990

“Slip Of The Tongue”

“Slide It In”

“Judgment Day”

“Slow An’ Easy”

“Kittens Got Claws”

“Is This Love”

“Cheap An’ Nasty”

“Crying In The Rain”

“Fool For Your Loving”

“Here I Go Again”

“Bad Boys”

“Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City”

“Still Of The Night”

Disc Seven: DVD-Video

Live at Donington 1990

“Slip Of The Tongue”

“Slide It In”

“Judgment Day”

“Slow An’ Easy”

“Kittens Got Claws”

“Adagio For Strato”

“Flying Dutchman Boogie”

“Is This Love”

“Cheap An’ Nasty”

“Crying In The Rain” (featuring Tommy Aldridge Drum solo)

“Fool For Your Loving”

“For The Love Of God”

“The Audience Is Listening”

“Here I Go Again”

“Bad Boys”

“Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City”

“Still Of The Night”

End Credits: “We Wish You Well”

Promo Videos

“Fool For Your Loving” – Music Video

“Now You’re Gone” – Music Video

“The Deeper The Love” – Music Video

Bonus Features

“Sweet Lady Luck” – Purplesnake Video

Behind the Scenes: The Making of Slip Of The Tongue

A Look Back: Whitesnake Chronicles with DC & Adrian Vandenberg

* previously unreleased

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SSTC

The ultimate Whitesnake collectable?  One of the classic rock sites has reported David Coverdale’s Incline Village home up for sale for a few dollars short of $10,000,000.  Sale is being handled by Chase International (motto “If you need to ask the price you cannot afford it”), but when I went to check their website out today the property had already disappeared, so someone may have already have snapped it up.  However the photos are still up at

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/whitesnake-david-coverdale-home-sale/

so it’s well worth a look as what I would suggests is the swizziest property ever owned by any of the Purple guys!  Certainly the view over Lake Tahoe is astonishing; how he ever managed to drag himself away from that to go on tour I don’t know.  Or where he found time to go out and shoot all those Zebras! The room lined with award discs and posters which is a fan fest is shown here.  Thanks to our realtor correspondent Mark Maddock.

 

Right To The Top

David Coverdale is celebrating the 35th anniversary of Slide It In with a slew of editions to suit everyone. Rhino are issuing a 6CD version which bulks out the original 1984 UK and US mixes with “unreleased live and studio recordings, music videos, concert footage, and a new interview with founder and lead singer, David Coverdale…” and a book. So you get remixes and alternate versions of every track.
This is entitled The Ultimate Special Edition. If that’s a stretch, then Rhino will also put out a 2LP / 2CD with both mixes, and a single CD of the US mix.
I’ve already bought the record about eight times (including that lovely original Japanese vinyl edition – see below) so might hang fire as the last CD edition from 2009 was more than enough for these ears. I generally only bother with the U.S. mixes anyway. But the hard core can start saving as it comes

.

And it pips anything Deep Purple did to mark their 50th!
Thanks to John Tucker for the heads up.

Snake Box Heroes

David Coverdale is taking Whitesnake out on an American tour in June / July 2018, supporting Foreigner/ It is billed as the Juke Box Heroes Tour, and opens with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening (a massive jukebox favourite!). Thanks to Lutz Reinert for the news. It’s an extensive tour, the full list of dates is on our 2018 diary page at the bottom:

https://darkerthanblue.wordpress.com/deep-purple-now/deep-purple-co-2018-dates/

The Purple Tour

No not that one, this one! David Coverdale is putting a new live release out to mark The Purple Album tour of a while ago (the studio LP came out in 2015.) Titled simply The Purple Tour, there is the usual array of formats, CD, CD and DVD/Blu Ray, and double vinyl. Looking at the track list it is actually two thirds Whitesnake songs, but what the heck. RS Publishing are also doing a big format limited edition photo book charting the tour to tie in. All due late November. Thanks to Matt Kean and others for the info. In the meantime some folk have been enjoying reading about DC’s relatives and their early career as false teeth makers in York on our Facebook page!
 

Shy (but not retiring)

David Coverdale appears to have backtracked on his early retirement plans; perhaps he’s seen the rubbish interest rates offering on annuities these days! I confess I’d missed the story, so may not have been alone in this. We’ll wait and see how this manifests itself tour / LP wise next year.
Meanwhile Here I Go Again has been targeted by two advertising agencies this last few months. Nescafé in the UK have been playing it under footage of a long-haired young bloke sauntering about, getting a coffee bean shower and doing the hoola hoop at a bus stop.

In America WalMart have gone to town a bit using the song in a more interactive way, using young kids to each sing a line of the song before the real thing slides in underneath to end the short commercial. It is very nicely done.

So, that should be David’s Xmas shopping taken care of! All these cover versions made me hanker for a listen to the real thing, so here they go again in one of the last of the good old days courtesy EMI. Then I got all miserable realising that half this lot are no longer with us…

Shy and retiring?

David Coverdale has suggested that he might be calling time on Whitesnake as we know it in a press release announcing a June best of tour of America. “…what will be our ‘Greatest Hits World Tour’ & most likely my personal ‘Farewell to Arena Rock’ after over 40 years of writing & performing rock music.”
He doesn’t elaborate and clearly the statement leaves doors open but perhaps David is going to try and take a break and give himself options which don’t require his voice to be pushed quite so hard on the road.  There are lots of people who would like to hear him do stuff like the Into The Light and Northwinds albums on-stage in a less frenzied atmosphere (hint hint!).
Meanwhile he and Ian Gillan have spoken to iron out issues over the Hall of Fame event and IG has posted what we assume is the last word on the subject (this week!).

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Statement

February 20, 2016

With respect to all:
We were faced with a hard decision when we heard about the Hall of Fame inductions. It was shocking to us that Steve Morse and Don Airey – who have been with us for 22 years and 14 years respectively – had been excluded, according to HoF ‘rules’.
Ian G. Ian P. and Roger G. – decided upon the offer of a compromise which has been agreed with the HoF and enables us to turn up on the night.
DP Inductees will accept the awards and then the living breathing Deep Purple will perform. Inevitably, this will mean excluding Ritchie, David and Glen from the live performance, but, given the circumstances, there is no other acceptable option.
It should be stressed that there is no slight intended nor any desire to upset anyone regarding this decision; it is purely a mark of respect to Steve and Don. In fact, we would love to perform with Ritchie, David, Glen et al on Smoke on the Water in the encore jam.
I spoke with David Coverdale last week and he expressed complete understanding of the way it was being handled; thanks David you’re a Gent.
Outside of this event there are no circumstances under which a ‘reunion’ could or would take place and so it is unconscionable that our guitarist and keyboard player should be pushed aside after all those years (on the road and six studio albums) of total personal commitment and musical contribution to the band, just to satisfy pressure that has been, in the past, easily resisted.
So, let’s all get up there, shake hands, smile for the cameras and get it done with dignity and respect for all the existing and past members of a very special family.

ig

Thanks to Tom Dixon and Tim Summers

The Glimmer Twins

Lots of pics zooming around the web to confirm Glenn Hughes stepped up to the mic at the Whitesnake Purple Tour show in Beverley Hills this week.  He reportedly sang on at least two of the Purple tracks.  Kind of makes you wonder why they didn’t get it together so the pair could have done the Purple songs in a second half of the set type scenario, which would have been a bit special!  Even the suburst lens flare looks like Mk 3 days…

EPK / VH1 / ETC

At the risk of turning into the Whitesnake fanclub…(though the covers album is one of the most talked about in ages): Eddie Trunk’s VH1 ‘That Metal Show’ interviewed DC via a video link about ‘The Purple Album’. David talked about Jon wanting a “Purple reunion (of sorts)” in his last few years, and also said he discussed covering Rainbow songs (as well as DP and WS ones) with Ritchie during their reunion chats.
In the meantime Whitesnake have posted an EPK online covering the upcoming release, with more snippets from said album.

Alt Purple

Doing promotion for the upcoming Whitesnake Purple album, David has been opening up a little on the recent rapprochement with Ritchie, which throws some more light on the alt Purple reunion.

“After Jon passed away, I felt it necessary to reach out to Ritchie Blackmore to express the grief at Jon’s loss and to hopefully bury any unpleasant hatchets we’d been throwing at other for decades. It was during our reconnect that we discussed the possibility of some kind of a Purple reunion or a ‘Blackmore/Coverdale’ project. During the time we were talking, I started listening to our old albums and began working on ideas and new approaches to suggest rearranging some of our original works. Unfortunately, our ideas on the reunion aspect didn’t quite gel, so I respectfully withdrew from further discussions, though I am happy to say we did bury old animosities and we have thankfully stayed in touch.”

It was Coverdale’s wife Cindy who suggested that he take his ideas and make a new Whitesnake studio album celebrating his legacy from his time with Deep Purple.

“Even though we’re playing songs I recorded with Purple over 40 years ago, it has all the classic Whitesnake elements people who support us have come to expect…” says Coverdale, “I thought it would be cool to go out, as it were, the way I came in to this music business.”

This last sentence has been seen as a possible hint that DC might bow out of live music after the tour.  It could certainly be read that way, but equally might just be a slightly ambiguous transcript from a longer interview; “go out” simply meaning to go on the road.  I guess we’ll see.  [Our post on the Purple Whitesnake album if you need to catch up.]

Anyhow, here’s a bit of a Coverdale related photo courtesy Barry Plummer. See if you know which festival this was taken at, and tell us if you recognise yourself in the front row!  Answer will follow.