Category: My Sunday Song

My Sunday Song – “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues” by Whitesnake

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For My Sunday Song #207, we are tackling an early career defining song for Whitesnake called “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues”.  The song was written by David Coverdale and Bernie Marsden and is off the 1979 album, ‘Lovehunter’ and although the album did better than the debut, it still didn’t light the world on fire.  But looking back on the band’s early albums, this was the one where they started finding themselves and they grew from there.

Over on Loudersound.com, an article on Whitesnake by Geoff Barton, quotes David Coverdale on the song and he stated the following:

“That song really summed up my musical approach of the time,” Coverdale says. “It was very much my feeling, my perspective and probably my life’s philosophy back then. The lyric more or less wrote itself. It was very free-flowing, very autobiographical. It was just waiting to be written. Bernie and I put the music together very quickly. It was obviously meant to be as a song. I’m very proud of that one.”

“Walking in the Shadow of the Blues” tells the story of a man who never fit in and was the black sheep of his family.  He wanted to live his own life and do what he wanted even if his parents didn’t want him to do it. He packs his bags and his guitar and heads out on his own to pursue that dream which I would say he succeeded.

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My Sunday Song – “Don’t Break My Heart Again” by Whitesnake

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For My Sunday Song #206, we are discussing “Don’t Break My Heart Again” by Whitesnake off their 1981 album ‘Come And Get It’.  The first single off the album and it reached #17 on the UK Charts. The album did really well in the UK hitting #2 and was their highest charting album at that time.  Sadly, still absent from the states for the most part due to contractual issues.

The song is very personal and emotional song from David Coverdale.  It is about the ending of David’s first marriage (and I think “Fool For Your Loving” is as well too). David delivers some emotional and heavy lyrics.  There is a darker overtone with the subject matter and David sounds a little heartbroken.  It is a different side of him and Whitesnake as normally they throw the “cock rock” in your fact as they do in numerous other songs on the album.

It opens with the amazing Jon Lord on his Hammond Organ.  Neil Murray’s throbbing bass is mixed in and accompanied by Ian Paice with a hard driving drum beat.  The song has that great drum beat throughout and then the guitars are added with a cool riff.  Bernie Marsden delivers the solo that fits perfectly for the vibe of the song.  It is also one of David’s finest vocal performances on this album as he puts enough emotion into his vocals to get the message across loud and clear.  It is such a stellar track.

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My Sunday Song – “Take Me With You” by Whitesnake

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For My Sunday Song #205, we are going after the opening track to the 1978 debut album, ‘Trouble’, with the song “Take Me With You”.  The song was written by David Coverdale and then guitarist, Micky Moody.  It opens the album with a bang and gives you a taste of what the new Coverdale project has to offer.  The album had moderate success reaching #50 in the UK, but at this point in time had no US presence.  That would change in the next decade.

Lyrically the song has a lot to be desired.  Back in the early days of Whitesnake, they had a notorious reputation of having overly sexualized lyrics that became known as “cock rock” and this is pretty good example of that. With lyrics like “Gonna spread her pretty legs so I can see, Sweet lip honey be the death of me” and “Sorry little girl, If you can’t stay, Your red light mama gonna show the way” and you get the gist of what I’m saying.  And you throw in a lot of sexual moaning at the end of the song by David and it is “cock rock” no doubt!!  David is unapologetic about it and rightfully so, this is who they are and no one is going to make them change.

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My Sunday Song – “Trouble is Your Middle Name” by Whitesnake

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For My Sunday Song #204, we are going after one of Whitesnake’s newest songs and hits of the ‘Flesh & Blood’ album called “Trouble Is Your Middle Name”.  The song was the second single off the album and when I heard it, it was the first time in years I had been excited about a Whitesnake song or album.

The song is about a girl.  What Whitesnake song isn’t in some way, shape or form. This is about being drawn in to a relationship where you know you shouldn’t, but you so want to despite all the bad that goes with it.  The attraction and desire are too much to not give it a try, yet since the girl is so much trouble, you know it isn’t going to end well.  And it doesn’t.  Not much to it really, but man the song just grabs you.

It grabs you because the music is some of the best the band has done in years.  David wrote this one with the great Joel Hoekstra who played with Night Ranger and he plays with Cher and TSO as well.  It is great to see David writing with him and Joel brings so much to the band.  The song opens with blast of sirens then David singing a verse and the song explodes to life.  The drum sound on here is so powerful and with Tommy Aldridge back on the kit, you get some of the best drum sounds you could want.

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My Sunday Song – “Blindman” by Whitesnake

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For My Sunday Song #203, we are going with a song of ‘Ready an’ Willing’ with the track “Blindman”. This is a deep cut and not a single and one of the songs that is the reason I love the early Whitesnake sound so much.  Okay, actually this song is not originally a Whitesnake song, but a David Coverdale song as it was released on his solo album back in 1977 called…well…’White Snake’.  So, I can use for this set of Whitesnake songs, I am covering the cover version he did with his band. I don’t think that is cheating.

The song is a pure blues rock track.  Think Free or Bad Company as it has that same killer vibe.  It starts off as slow burner and builds slow until it becomes a full on scorcher.  Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody both hammer it home on the guitar and Bernie’s solo helps make the song such a classic song.  You can’t forget the ryhthm section of Ian Paice on drums and Neil Murray on bass either.  They keep the pace and groove going perfectly.  And listen closely to the beautiful keyboard playing of Jon Lord.  They all standout in their little moments.  However, the highlight is that sultry David Coverdale vocal style.  His vocal talent lies perfectly fit for the blues rock sound.  With this more of a slow song, David exudes all the heart he needs to give the song the powerful, emotive feel it needs.

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My Sunday Song – “Forevermore” by Whitesnake

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For My Sunday Song #202, we are going to talk about a more recent Whitesnake called “Forevermore” off the 2011 album of the same name.  It is the final song on the album and I don’t know if David has ever ended an album with a song as strong as this one…maybe “Sailing Ships” and this even has that epic feel.  This might be the best song he has written in 20 years if not ever!

“Forevermore” is such a beautiful song both lyrically and musically.  Lyrically, it could be about a woman that his been with him for years and he is thinking about all the good times and the bad that they had.  She makes him feel safe and he will be with her forever and ever.  Or…it could be about music.  Music has been his love his whole life.  He is looking back at all those years and those years are his career.  The place where he feels at home is with his music, his songs.  They are his heartbeat and they give him so much love and joy.  However you interpret the song, there is no denying an unwavering love and passion for whoever or whatever David is writing about.

Musically, the song starts off as a beautiful acoustic track filled with keyboards that give the song an airy, calming feeling.  The song then slowly starts to build in to a full on explosion of sound with a slow and stunning guitar solo orchestrated by Doug Aldrich.  The rhythm section of the band adds a unique sound that gives a slight middle eastern vibe to it.  The song screams epic.  It feels larger than life.  It breathes a confidence that this is something special.  And David, oh David, he gives the performance of all performances.  You can tell this song means something to him and as his delivery has purpose and meaning and conveys an emotional attachment like no other.  Job well done sir!!

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My Sunday Song – “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” by Whitesnake

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For My Sunday Song #201, we are kicking off the next set of 10 songs with this batch from Whitesnake to celebrate as I am coming to the end of my David Coverdale Review Series which started back last August.  To kick it off we are going all the way back to the first release of the band on the album ‘Snakebite’ with the song “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City”.

One of the first songs Whitesnake did was actually a cover song.  It was a cover of Bobby Bland’s “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” written by Michael Price and Dan Wise.  The song is now a signature Whitesnake classic as they are still known to pull this one out and play it live all thanks to the live version from ‘Live…in the Heart of the City’, but this is about the studio version recorded a few years earlier.  Before Whitesnake became this hair metal giant, they were more a rock & soul band that loved the blues.  This was a shining example of that passion.

This love song is down and dirty, a blues infused rock song slowed down into a beautiful ballad full of soul.  Between Micky Moody’s hook that is filled with sorrow and along with a little funk filled groove from Bernie Marsden’s guitar and Neil Murray’s bass you are treated to what made early Whitesnake so magical.   Oh, and the solo…wow!  It fit the song so well and pulled out even more emotion if that was even possible.  Now, let’s not forget David Coverdale’s vocals as the tone he is able to pull out as he sings is so well suited for some soulful blues. There is just enough character and maturity to grasp the emotional feel of the song and give you everything the song needs.

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My Sunday Song – “Livin’ On A Prayer” – Bon Jovi

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For My  Sunday Song #200 and the final in the Bon Jovi set of 10 songs, we are discussing the classic song, “Livin’ On A Prayer”.  The song is off the band’s mulit-platinum selling album ‘Slippery When Wet’.  The song was the second single off the album and the second to go all the way to #1. The song and the album put Bon Jovi in to super star status and nothing would be the same afterwards.

The song was written by Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi with a lot of help from songwriter Desmond Child who was brought in by the record label to help the boys finish the album and work on some songs.  The song is loosely based on Desmond and his girl-friend as she worked in a Diner, but he was a taxi driver and not working at the docks.  It was that Blue Collar feel to the song that made it resonate with so many people.  It was a time when Bon Jovi actually wrote songs that told a story that connected with people and not try to write just to make a hit.

However, after recording it, Jon didn’t really like the song and wanted to leave it off the album.  Richie thought it was great and convinced Jon to re-work the song.  It was much improved by changing the bass line and recording with Hugh McDonald and not Alec John Such.  Funny thing, Hugh would become a band member less than 10 years later (unofficially of course).  Richie also added a talk box to the guitar to give it that extra boost in the same way Peter Frampton used it and made it famous.  The song was turned in to a complete masterpiece.

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My Sunday Song – “Wanted Dead or Alive”

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For My Sunday Song # 199, we are going to discuss one of Bon Jovi’s most popular and famous songs, “Wanted Dead or Alive” off the band’s 1986 album ‘Slippery When Wet’.  The song was the third single from this album and the third to crack the Billboard Hot 100 reaching #7.  The band was on a roll and growing to become one of the world’s biggest rock bands thanks in large part to his song.

The song’s title was inspired by old western movies and Jon thought the lifestyle of a band was similar to that of the outlaws in those movies.  Instead of horses, the band takes the tour bus (which is sort of a large steel horse) from town to town and raping and pillaging in each town…okay not really, but they were getting all the chicks and making tons of money performing, just not stealing it.

That whole cowboy vibe is felt in the music using acoustic guitars as well as electric.  There was a western sound with a hard rock edge and when they do play this as full acoustic, it is drenched in that sitting around the campfire feel telling stories of the road (or old west).  Richie Sambora’s guitar playing on this song spectacular and his background vocals mixed with Jon’s vocals takes this song to the next level.  And Richie’s solo is one of the most memorable he has done and how well it fits in with vibe of the song is magical.  Musically, according to Jon Bon Jovi, the song is inspired by Bob Seger’s song “Turn the Page” and if you listen to the song you hear that the slow driving tempo and groove and seriousness of the song and you can see why it was so inspiring.

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My Sunday Song – “Just Older” by Bon Jovi

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For My Sunday Song #198, we are going with another deep cut and with a non-single song called “Just Older” off the band’s 2000 album called ‘Crush’.  The album was kind of a comeback album for the band and the song “It’s My Life” brought the band back in to superstar status and whole new generation of folks got to know the band again and for the first time.  However, it was songs like “Just Older” that made remember what a great write Jon was (with the help of Billy Falcon).

The song is pretty inspirational when you listen to those lyrics. It seems to be about two friends seeing each other again and reminiscing about old times, but the big difference is they have accepted the fact they are older and they have no regrets.  The chorus really sums it up…

I like the bed I’m sleeping in
It’s just like me, it’s broken in
It’s not old – just older
Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans
This skin I’m in it’s alright with me
It’s not old – just older

Being comfortable in your own skin is what it is really all about.  When you are comfortable with who you are, you can appreciate everything around you.  You can look back with no regrets and see all the positives.  There is another line that hits home to and is also a throwback to another Bon Jovi hit…

I’ve kept my faith

Little lines like that make exploring their lyrics so much fun and what makes songs stick with you and stand out more than others.  The little things to grab on to that feel like they are talking about you.

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