Tag: Martin Birch

Whitesnake – “Fool For Your Loving” – Single Review (The David Coverdale Series – Bonus Edition)

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I was out and about with my daughter and we actually made an unexpected trip to one of our local record stores called Repo Records. I wasn’t expecting to find anything and I came across a great early Whitesnake single for the song “Fool For Your Loving” but not from the album you are thinking. Nope, this is the 1980 version that you might not known existed. Whitesnake fans that came on board in the late 80’s know this song from the album ‘Slip of the Tongue’.  However, this is the original and first release of the song which went to #13 in the UK and #53 in the US. It was actually the band’s first single and first hit outside the UK. 

“Fool For Your Loving” was written by Bernie Marsden (who had the riffs and the verses), Micky Moody (who wrote the bridge) and David Coverdale (who did the lyrics). The funny thing about the song is that it was originally written for BB King, however, they soon realized the song was too good to pass up…and they were right. This version of the song is more bluesy and has a nice groove and not as rocking as the hair metal version, but that is okay.  You have Bernie belting out a great solo that is so different than Vai’s version. 

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Whitesnake – ‘Slide it In’ – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

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Recording of the ‘Slide it In’ Album started some time in 1983 and this time around Eddie Kramer was onboard to handle productions duties.  And let’s just say things did not go well, but was it a band problem (as there were ton of those) or a producer problem, I don’t know.  But Eddie was replaced quickly with longtime Snake producer Martin Birch.

The band problems were many on this record and for this tour.  Micky Moody was back and recorded the album, but things did not go well on tour and David became an ass to Micky and he had enough and quit after the European tour and his last gig was in October 1983, prior to the release of ‘Slide It In’. His replacement was John Sykes who was the guitar player for Thin Lizzy at the time.

At the same time Sykes was brought on board, Colin Hodgkinson was let go as the bass player and former Whitesnake bass player Neil Murray was brought back in to the fold.  Cozy Powell was now the drummer as Ian Paice had left after the last album and then Jon Lord left in 1984 to go reform Deep Purple so Richard Bailey was brought in to fill in.  The band was in complete disarray during this time.  It is amazing anything got done.

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Whitesnake – ‘Saints & Sinners’ – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

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After the album ‘Come an’ Get It’, the band was starting to crack.  Issues were developing, tensions were rising.  They started to work on the album during 1981, but it wasn’t a smooth ride.  In December 1981, Micky Moody left the band.  Then in early 1982, David Coverdale put the band on the back burner and took some time off to be with his daughter who had become ill.

The sick daughter wasn’t the only reason Coverdale put things on hold.  The band was having financial troubles and he couldn’t understand where the money was going.  During the hiatus, he parted with his management and Coverdale started to handle the business side of things.  Also during this time, three other members left the band (or were fired). They would be Ian Paice, Bernie Marsden and Neil Murray.  Jon Lord was the only one to stay in the band with David. And of course Martin Birch still produced. He hadn’t left yet either.

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As a result, David needed a new band.  Not to finish the album because it was basically done, but to tour with.  David found guitarist Mel Galley from Trapeze and Cozy Powell on drums from Rainbow and lastly, Colin Hodgkinson on bass.  The band was complete.  However, the album still had some backing vocals needed so Micky came back briefly to finish the backing vocals along with Galley.  Galley is the only new player to appear on the album.

 

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Whitesnake – ‘Come An’ Get It’ – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

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We are now in 1981 and the band is on their 4th album.  Whitesnake has started to gain some traction with the album’s ‘Ready an’ Willing’ along with the live album ‘Live…in the Heart of the City’.  When ‘Come an’ Get It’ arrives, it goes to #2 on the chart and barely misses #1 thanks to Adam and the Ants’ ‘King of the Wild Frontier’.  Yes, an Ant kicked a Snake’s ass!!!

The band’s line-up is unchanged, the producer, Martin Birch, is unchanged and they follow the successful formula of ‘Ready an’ Willing on this album to rather great success (on the charts).

  • David Coverdale – vocals
  • Micky Moody – Guitar
  • Bernie Marsden – Guitar
  • Neil Murray – Bass
  • Jon Lord – Keyboards
  • Ian Paice – Drums

I know this is a favorite Snake album for a lot of people and even a favorite of David Coverdale’s; however, it isn’t one of my top albums.  I have spent the longest with this album in hopes that it would grow on me and it has to some extent, but not overall.  This was a hard beast for me to get through, well Side Two was.  Side One kicks some major ass.

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Whitesnake – ‘Lovehunter’ – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

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In May 1979, the band went back in to the studio to record the follow-up to ‘Trouble’.  In a few short weeks they were done and on October 1st, 1979, the band released “Lovehunter’ to the masses.  The album was recorded by Martin Birch who did ‘Trouble and they recorded at Clearwell Castle in Gloucestershire in the Rolling Stones Mobile and it was later mixed at Central Recorders Studio and Sauna in London.  Sauna???  That is freaking weird.  Anyway, the album did modestly and reached #29 in the UK Chart.  Not a smashing success, but it did chart.

The album was rather controversial.  Not for the music, no that wasn’t it.  It was that cover.  And oh what a cover!!  It was a picture of a beautiful lady straddling a huge snake.  Oh, and she is naked!!  If only the U.S. had this album back in the day…why couldn’t my brothers have owned this one because at 10 years old, I would have really loved this cover.  The artist was Chris Achilleos who was known for fantasy artwork and I believe he was very distraught over the controversy as it was the last album cover he did until 2003 when he did the album cover for Glenn Hughes’ album ‘Once and Future King Part 1’.

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This album would end up being Duck Dowle’s last album as the drummer for Whitesnake as he was replaced shortly after the release by former Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice which would bring the total of ex-Deep Purple members to three.

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