After recording two solo albums, former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale formed Whitesnake around 1977. In the glut of hard rock and heavy metal bands of the late "70s, their first albums got somewhat lost in the shuffle, although they were fairly popular in Europe in Japan. During 1982, Coverdale took some time off, so he could take care of his sick daughter. When he re-emerged with a new version of Whitesnake in 1984, the band sounded revitalized and energetic.

Slide It In may have relied on Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple"s old tricks, but the band had a knack for writing hooks; the record became their first platinum album. Three years later, Whitesnake released an eponymous album which was even better. Portions of the album were blatantly derivative — "Still of the Night" was a dead ringer for early Zeppelin — but the group could write powerful, heavy rockers like "Here I Go Again" that were driven as much by melody as riffs, as well as hit power ballads like "Is This Love." Whitesnake was an enormous international success, selling over six million copies in the U.S. alone.

Before they recorded their follow-up, 1989"s Slip Of The Tongue, Coverdale again assembled a completely new version of the band, featuring guitar virtuoso Steve Vai. Although the record went platinum, it was a considerable disappointment after the across-the-boards success of Whitesnake. Coverdale put Whitesnake on hiatus after that album. In 1993, he released a collaboration with former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page that was surprisingly lackluster. The following year, Whitesnake released a Greatest Hits album and it seemed likely that Coverdale was going to form a new version of the band. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine (http://www.sing365.com)

In a world of constantly changing trends and short-lived fashions, Whitesnake are one of the few known quantities – a reliable rock act who have never lost their significance or lowered their artistic standards. More than that: Whitesnake 2006 are more dynamic than ever before, a homogeneous band consisting of accomplished musicians, headed by vocalist David Coverdale, who unites long-standing faithfuls and a new, very young crowd into a euphoric bunch of enthusiastic fans.

November 27th, 2006, will see Whitesnake not only release their latest live cut, Live...In the Shadow of the Blues, the band are also full of plans for the coming months. Let's just reveal this much: Coverdale & Co. are planning a new studio album for 2007! Exactly how that is likely to sound is given away to some extent by the musicians themselves: Live...In the Shadow of the Blues features, next to numerous classics, four brand-new tracks, written by Coverdale in collaboration with guitarist Doug Aldrich. “Doug has been a fan of Whitesnake for years and knows my voice well. It was easy for me to write new material with him,” the band leader explains. “The tracks, ‘Dog', ‘If You Want Me – I'll Come Running' and ‘´Ready To Rock', are rock songs specifically arranged to perform in concert & which deal with the ever-popular Whitesnake theme of sex. My wife is quite happy with the lyrics, by the way,” Coverdale grins characteristcally, & describing the fourth new composition ‘All I Want Is You' as a new take on the classic power ballad done in the familiar Whitesnake style.

The central theme and the heart of the new album are, of course, the live recordings, most of them from the recent World Tours. “We've performed over 100 shows with this line-up in the last two years, and we've grown stronger as a band with every show.” says Coverdale. “I've always had the feeling that Whitesnake are a force to be reckoned with in the studio, but we are really in our element up on stage. That intoxicating mix of blood, sweat, tears & fun can't be faked, you have to see & hear it live to know what Whitesnake is all about. This band is capable of delivering a truly consistent,exceptional performances.” The impressive versions of his classics, ‘Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues,' ‘Don't Break My Heart Again,' or ‘Slide It In'. “Especially ‘Slide It In' sound better than ever before. I've rearranged the track slightly to reveal its full potential.” But also all-time faves such as ‘Still of the Night,' ‘Here I Go Again,' ‘Is This Love,' ‘Crying In The Rain,' or ‘Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City' are simply amazing songs, performed by an equally amazing band.

“The current Whitesnake line-up has been together for 4 years & is the most consistent I've ever worked with,” Coverdale praises his musicians.”This time I've taken great care to pick the musicians to make sure they all get on as people as well. Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach are two guitarists that you can only call sensational. Doug is a classic blues rock guitarist, a real star. He has all the ammunition I need in a player at his disposal. Reb is a crazy guy who's a pleasure to watch when he plays. These guys work together unbelievably well. It's competitive, without being negative.”

“Timothy Drury is a great singer, as well as a remarkably competent keyboardist & is also responsible for rehearsing the band's strong background vocals...Uriah Duffy, on bass, is the latest addition to the band...& brings a particularly solid foundation for us to build on...He & TA are a great rhythm section...& what can you say about Tommy Aldridge that hasn't already been said...He's the best...It's that simple...He drives the band furiously...& is an inspiration to us all.”

Coverdale's words of praise more than only hint at the line-up of a forthcoming studio album. “We've already written most of the tracks, and Doug and I are about to work on a few more ideas, as soon as we put the ‘live' project to bed. Reb called me recently to tell me that he's determined to come up with a riff to rival ‘Still of the Night'. I told him to go for it, everybody is more than welcome to help us take Whitesnake to the next level.”

Over thirty years of music history leave no doubt: ‘David Coverdale - the last great rock star,' as Britain's metal bible, Kerrang,' opined as far back as 1994, and even if one was tempted to recommend caution in view of such a dramatic choice of words, this label applies more than ever today, over one decade later. Together with his breathtaking rock band, Whitesnake, this man has written rock history; starting with his time with Deep Purple (1973 – 1976, the albums Burn, Stormbringer, Come Taste The Band & Made In Europe) & is an important piece of music history. His collaboration with Led Zeppelin guitarist, Jimmy Page, in 1993 a sensational intermezzo featuring two exceptional artists, at the most sophisticated musical level. After leaving Deep Purple, Coverdale formed Whitesnake at the end of the Seventies, and the band has been one of the premier hard rock acts ever since. The list of hits, prizes and awards is long, his reputation excellent. So who could challenge a successful musician like him? “It's the fans who keep reminding me of my mission,” Coverdale confesses. “When we asked them on our website, www.Whitesnake.com, to tell us what they would really like from us, the response was immediate...'a live in concert DVD'...a ‘Greatest Hits Live' album & a new Whitesnake studio album. I must say that recording again wasn't part of my plans, but now I know that I have to do it, and also that I really want to do it. It's a whole new beginning for Whitesnake”
(http://www.spv.de/eng/Whitesnake/bio.html)