Tag: Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City

Whitesnake – ‘Saints And Sinners Tour 82-83’ – Bootleg

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic15 Comments

Over the last 6 months, I have found a ton of bootlegs and for me that is great as I love getting this tidbits of history from a band especially since the band haven’t released it. There was a stretch of a few months where I found three Whitesnake bootlegs and this is the last of those that I found. This one is from the tour for ‘Saints And Sinners’ which ran from 1982-1983. And the band is listed as David Coverdale, Cozy Powell, Jon Lord, Micky Moody, Mel Galley and Colin Hodgkinson. This particular show is said to be Newscastle City Hall in England and recorded on December 14th, 1982. It is a 3 LP set and is the whole show and was released in Japan. No OBI so don’t get excited, this is a bootleg.

I’ve read there is some debate if this show is from Newcastle. All the dialogue between the songs has been cut so no city is mentioned. The setlist is similar to a show from Japan and being released in Japan has some to believe that is where the show is. That show is February 22, 1983 from Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. I honestly couldn’t tell you one way or the other. The sound isn’t bad, a little hollow at times, needs more deep end. You can hear everyone pretty good. The sound is consisten throughout the show so I am sure it is a soundboard. They must have the crowd mic’d up as you can hear them pretty good. Most audience recordings aren’t consistent.

But what I can tell you is that they set this bootleg up to look like a promo. It has tour dates listed on the back for some UK shows. If that wasn’t enough look at the labels and you will see is “Not For Sale” listed on each label. And what you will also notice is at the top of the label it says “Cozy Powell Band”. Man, that would piss off David I am sure. At least it does say Whitesnake in that really cool logo across the center of the label. You gotta love bootlegs.!

LP 1:

The album opens with “The Shadow of the Blues”…wait…what happened to the “Walking In…”. Oh well, bootlegs for you. For a blues song, this one is really rocking and the band is kicking ass and taking names. The song is sped up but not as fast as “Rough And Ready” where David is singing so fast, I can’t really understand everything he is saying. Jon Lord’s hammond is on fire as he destroys it on the solo. Then Micky comes shredding in with a wicked solo. A great 1-2 punch. According to the label, “Ready An’ Ready” is up next, but we know it is really “Ready An’ Willing”. It kicks with David asking if they are “ready and willing” over and over and then bam…they go in to the song. They slowed the tempo down a little for this to a more normal pace. The song has a great groove to it, David sounds great and more great guitar playing. Always a wonderful live song choice.

And flipping over to Side 2 we get “Don’t Break My Heart Again”. We get some opening drum beats by Cozy, some hand clapping from the audience and some Lord organ. This is a pretty radio friendly sounding track. The crowd gets in to it and sings along at the break with more hand clapping. Then we get an early recording of “Here I Go Again”. And you know it is early because it still says “Hobo” instead of “Drifter”. It has more Lord organ and only David on vocals opening. Nice and quiet before the full band kicks in and it starts to rock out. But not as much as the 1987 version does. But that is a few more years down the road.

LP 2:

First David introduces some new band members with Cozy Powell on drums and Colin Hodgkinson on bass. Now it is time for some David Cock Rock with “Love Hunter”. You’ve got Micky on slide guitar and the song is still a lot of fun even with its inappropriate lyrics. During the middle of the song it breaks in to a Micky Moody guitar solo and a Colin bass solo mixed in. In the middle of the solo, with Micky and Colin go at it, we suddenly get a honky tonk jam and it is either Mel or Colin on vocal. Then with an awkward cut, it is back to some Micky slide guitar with a big dramatic finish before we rock out with the ending of “Love Hunter”.

Flipping it over it we get David introducing another new member with Mel Galley then we get the older version of “Crying in the Rain”. A great opening set of guitar work and then David comes in and he sounds great. This is a killer, rocking track and this older version has a little more groove and not as heavy, but oh, it is as good. The guitar solo in this is extended and ripping, a song in and of itself, but still with the “Crying” groove. David does give each member a chance to shine at these shows. He’s a good boss…when he’s not firing the whole band over and over. You go to an early Snake show and you aren’t getting the songs as they are on the album, no sire. You get so much more. At the end, they go quietly in to a small piece of the Deep Purple track “Soldier of Fortune”. Then another cut and then it is all Jon Lord as he gets his turn in the spotlight…hell to the yeah!

LP 3:

Why not start LP 3 with yet another solo and this time around it is Cozy Powell on drums. He is a beast. He even does part of 633 Squadron, Over the Top and 1812 Overture during his solo. It is not your typical drum solo and that is a welcoming fresh thing to hear. When it ends they go in to classic Whitesnake mode with the bluesy “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City”. It is slows things down, the crowd claps along and the boys just get down and dirty with this one. Always a treat when they pull this one out.

Flipping to the final side, Side 6, they start off with an fan favorite called “Fool For Your Loving”, but this is not the Slip of the Tongue version. They speed things back up like they are in a major hurry. The later version isn’t much different. A little slower and more dramatic. And that is how they end the show, but we still have encore. And first up is “Thank You Blues” which is a little message for the audience. And yes, it is very bluesy. Then they go in to the fun, crazy “Wine, Women And Song”. It is a foot stomping boogie woogie good time. And of course, Jon Lord kicks ass on this one too! This is a great encore song that is nothing but fun. The final track is “We Wish You Well” and David softly sings the crowd out of the evening. This sounds like a recording thought and not a live performance. This was probably being played as the fans exited the arena. Kiss does that kind of stuff too.

And that is it. A 3 LP live set from Whitesnake. The sound isn’t bad. It is consistent throughout and you can hear the crowd which makes for a great live show. David sounds really good and the new band, at the time, was another fine set of musicians. It didn’t bother me that a lot of the dialogue was cut out as it meant it was basically song after song. There are a lot of great solos and jamming moments. And by spreading out the album over 3 LPs, the songs weren’t compressed and helped the sound quality. Overall a really good bootleg. My Overall Score is a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars as it did need a little more punch in the sound, but what you get is still awesome.

The David Coverdale Series:

  1. Deep Purple – Burn
  2. Deep Purple – Stormbringer
  3. Deep Purple – Come Taste the Band
  4. Deep Purple – Made in Europe
  5. David Coverdale – Whitesnake
  6. Deep Purple – Last Concert in Japan
  7. David Coverdale – Northwinds
  8. David Coverdale’s Whitesnake – Snakebite
  9. Whitesnake – Trouble
  10. Whitesnake – Lovehunter
  11. Whitesnake – Ready an’ Willing
  12. Whitesnake – “Fool For Your Loving” 7″ Single (Bonus Review)
  13. Whitesnake – Live at Hammersmith
  14. Whitesnake – Live…in the Heart of the City
  15. Whitesnake – Come An’ Get it
  16. Deep Purple – Live in London
  17. Whitesnake – Saints & Sinners
  18. Whitesnake – Slide It In
  19. Whitesnake – “Give Me More Time” 12″ Single (Bonus Review)
  20. Whitesnake – ‘The Best of Whitesnake (Bonus Review – 1982 release)
  21. Whitesnake – Whitesnake (1987)
  22. Whitesnake – “Is This Love” 12″ Promo (Bonus Review)
  23. Whitesnake – ‘Best’ (Greece Version)
  24. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue
  25. David Coverdale – “The Last Note of Freedom” – Single Review
  26. Coverdale/Page – Coverdale/Page
  27. Coverdale/Page – “Take Me For A Little While 12” Single (Bonus Review)
  28. David Coverdale & Whitesnake – Restless Heart
  29. Whitesnake – Starkers in Tokyo
  30. David Coverdale – Into the Night
  31. Whitesnake – Live…In the Still of the Night (DVD)
  32. Whitesnake – Live…In the Shadow of the Blues
  33. Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad
  34. Whitesnake – Forevermore
  35. Whitesnake – Live at Donington 1990: Monsters of Rock
  36. Whitesnake – The Purple Album
  37. Whitesnake – The Purple Tour (Live)
  38. Whitesnake – Flesh & Blood
  39. Whitesnake – The Rock Album
  40. Whitesnake – Love Songs
  41. Whitesnake – The Blues Album
  42. Whitesnake – The Albums Ranked Worst to First
  43. David Coverdale – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

Other David Coverdale Albums reviewed – (Box Sets and Bootlegs):

  1. Whitesnake – 1987 (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  2. Whitesnake – Slide It In (35th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  3. Whitesnake – Unzipped – Box Set
  4. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  5. Whitesnake (Snake) – Still of the Night Live in Battle Creek, Mich. July 26, 1987 (Bootleg)
  6. Whitesnake – Restless Heart (25th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) – Box Set
  7. Whitesnake – Still…Good to Be Bad (15th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) – Box Set
  8. Whitesnake – Little Box ‘O’ Snakes (The Sunburst Years 1978-1982) – Box Set (2013)
  9. Whitesnake – Washington State Wipeout (Spokane & Glasgow Broadcasts 1984) – (Bootleg)
  10. Whitesnake – Nagoya 1980: The Japanese Broadcast (Bootleg)
  11. Whitesnake – Saints And Sinners Tour 82-83 (Bootleg)

Whitesnake – Nagoya 1980: The Japanese Broadcast (Bootleg)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic6 Comments

Whitesnake was touring Japan in the Spring of 1980 in support of the band’s 1979 album ‘Love Hunter’. This was only a month prior to the release of their new album ‘Ready ‘an Willing’ and surprisingly they didn’t test out any of those songs yet so close to the album release. So, we are getting some really old school songs and Deep Purple cuts here and I am thrilled about that myself. The show on April 12, 1980 at Aichi-Ken Kinro Kaikan in Nagoya, Japan was a live broadcast on FM radio. This is the entire show which is awesome. The band is David Coverdale (obviously), Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden on guitars, Neil Murray on bass, Ian Paice on drums and the great Jon Lord on keyboards.

This bootleg was released recently back in 2023 like the last one we discussed from Whitesnake. I love getting a newer version of such an old show. I love old school Snake so this was a no-brainer for me. This is a 2 LP set and both are on a beautiful white vinyl. It is a beautiful set and the sound quality is off a soundboard with some roughness on the mix the first couple songs, but all-in-all in it fantastic sounding for what it is.

LP 1:

The show opens with “Come On” which is from the ‘Snakebite’ E.P. from 1978. Written by David Coverdale and Bernie Marsden and right away you can hear how big the guitar sound is.  The song is a pure rock song with a great groove and a blistering solo.  A great opener and I love the fact that David has two Deep Purple references in the song…“Soldier of Fortune” and “Gypsy”. They go in to “You ‘N Me” from ‘Lovehunter’, and this is normally a real bluesy track with some slide guitar, but here it feels more straight-up rock & roll. The guitars are a little weak in the mix these first two tracks, but you can still hear them and know they are the main focus behind David of course. You can hear the organ, barely, as Jon Lord is going to town, wish it was higher in the mix as I love Jon Lord and as soon as I wish that, the organs get louder and bam, Lord is killing it. Much better live then studio version for this one.

Then it is a couple of down & dirty blues tracks with “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues” and “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City”. The first from ‘Lovehunter” and the latter from ‘Snakebite’. Both are dang brilliant and just listen to the rip roaring guitars and organ again. David is fine form and sounds awesome. Two of their best songs played with one of the best line-ups Whitesnake has seen!! What more do you need? I’ll tell you…nothing. And finally we end Side A with one of three solos on the album. This one is Micky Moody’s and well…you know what you are going to get so sit back and enjoy! Micky does a really cool slide-guitar solo and it is brilliant.

Flipping over to Side B, it starts out with the title track, “Lovehunter”, and it is full of David’s sexually inappropriate lyrics and even in today’s #MeToo movement, I don’t give a shit.  His lyrics still rock even if his vocals are a little rough on this one. Not quite hitting the notes..  The song has the that blues tone and some serious slide guitar by Micky Moody accompanied by Neil Murray’s bass line and it is fantastic as he lays down the coolest groove.  Along with Moody’s slide guitar you get a twin solo with both Moody and Marsden.  It is that duo that really brings this one home.

The we get double treat of Deep Purple tracks with “Mistreated” and “Soldier of Fortune” brought together for a musical enjoyment. In 1980, smart move to still play off that Deep Purple connection. “Mistreated” is down and dirty with a slow nasty groove and things slow down even more with some great guitar picking that turns in to a beast of a solo and back to “Mistreated”. And then music stops and David sings a little “Soldier of Fortune” and it is a little too quiet and hard to hear (and it doesn’t help my neighbor is mowing his lawn!) Let’s just say with “Mistreated” portion was pretty killer.

LP 2:

The second LP kicks off with one of my favorite parts and that is a Jon Lord solo. I generally don’t care too much for keyboard solos, but this is Jon Lord. So, hell to the yeah for this one. The man is a legend and a master. He even mixes a little 2001 Space Odyssey in to his solo. The solo then turns in to the instrumental track “Belgian’s Tom Hat Trick” from the ‘Trouble’ album. The band jumps in and it is an all out master class of greatness. The song has a great melody and a real blast to hear, especially live. If I’m not mistaken, there are at least 3 solos racing through this song.

And since everyone has had a chance to shine, it is now Ian Paice’s turn for a solo on the drums. It plays beautifully out of “Belgian” without missing a beat. Ian goes to town on those drums and doesn’t hold back. And after the barrage of beats, we slip back in to “Belgian” where they all slam it home. After some Ian Paice chants, we go in to the final song on Side C with the Deep Purple track, “Might Just Take Your Life” after David goes “Here’s a song for ya!”…which we know he rarely says before a song (cough, cough – dripping with sarcasm). The band plays it well, but I do miss having Glenn Hughes on the song. They hand over the vocals to Bernie Marsden and he does a great job actually. But I still miss Glenn.

Flipping over to Side D, they kick it off with “Lie Down” and it is time for some sleazy cock rock as the song is really only about one thing. I love the honky tonk boogie of the keys from Lord. Speaking of Lord, he rails through a solo that is crazy. Another track where someone else sings a little and Bernie is back on the mic. Aside from a Lord solo, Micky Moody he gets a killer solo as well. This was definitely a band and not David focused which is great to see. A fun, upbeat track that has no artistic value, but who cares…have some fun. They then go in to “Take Me With You” and this is where David introduces the band and they each do a little notes. This drags the song down for me, but you know, he needs to do it. But when the song comes back in, it completely rocks out.

Then it was time for “Rock Me Baby” which is an old blues song. It has been covered by Muddy Waters and B.B. King. This is part of the encore and it is pretty rock & roll, although there are some blues elements to their performance like the slide guitar and the groove. The Micky Moody solo is the coolest part of the song for sure. Then we end the night with a little ‘Northwinds’ with “Breakdown” and mixed with some “Whitesnake Boogie”. A high energy, bluesy rock ending to a show that showcases the talent that is early Whitesnake. The band sounds like they are having fun and that is a good thing.

And there you have it. A great 1980’s Whitesnake show. I love the early years of Whitesnake about as much as the later years. You know what, I guess I like all the years. The sound quality is really good for what it is, which is a bootleg. A soundboard recording with some minor sound issues, mostly with sound levels. What I loved about this is how much it is the boys jamming and all the solos. There is nothing but talent in this band and it is showcased throughout. A great show so grab it if you ever see it. My Overall Score is a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars. It is the band as raw as they are with not fixes…I like that. This is how the show sounded and is as it should be.

The David Coverdale Series:

  1. Deep Purple – Burn
  2. Deep Purple – Stormbringer
  3. Deep Purple – Come Taste the Band
  4. Deep Purple – Made in Europe
  5. David Coverdale – Whitesnake
  6. Deep Purple – Last Concert in Japan
  7. David Coverdale – Northwinds
  8. David Coverdale’s Whitesnake – Snakebite
  9. Whitesnake – Trouble
  10. Whitesnake – Lovehunter
  11. Whitesnake – Ready an’ Willing
  12. Whitesnake – “Fool For Your Loving” 7″ Single (Bonus Review)
  13. Whitesnake – Live at Hammersmith
  14. Whitesnake – Live…in the Heart of the City
  15. Whitesnake – Come An’ Get it
  16. Deep Purple – Live in London
  17. Whitesnake – Saints & Sinners
  18. Whitesnake – Slide It In
  19. Whitesnake – “Give Me More Time” 12″ Single (Bonus Review)
  20. Whitesnake – ‘The Best of Whitesnake (Bonus Review – 1982 release)
  21. Whitesnake – Whitesnake (1987)
  22. Whitesnake – “Is This Love” 12″ Promo (Bonus Review)
  23. Whitesnake – ‘Best’ (Greece Version)
  24. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue
  25. David Coverdale – “The Last Note of Freedom” – Single Review
  26. Coverdale/Page – Coverdale/Page
  27. Coverdale/Page – “Take Me For A Little While 12” Single (Bonus Review)
  28. David Coverdale & Whitesnake – Restless Heart
  29. Whitesnake – Starkers in Tokyo
  30. David Coverdale – Into the Night
  31. Whitesnake – Live…In the Still of the Night (DVD)
  32. Whitesnake – Live…In the Shadow of the Blues
  33. Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad
  34. Whitesnake – Forevermore
  35. Whitesnake – Live at Donington 1990: Monsters of Rock
  36. Whitesnake – The Purple Album
  37. Whitesnake – The Purple Tour (Live)
  38. Whitesnake – Flesh & Blood
  39. Whitesnake – The Rock Album
  40. Whitesnake – Love Songs
  41. Whitesnake – The Blues Album
  42. Whitesnake – The Albums Ranked Worst to First
  43. David Coverdale – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

Other David Coverdale Albums reviewed – (Box Sets and Bootlegs):

  1. Whitesnake – 1987 (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  2. Whitesnake – Slide It In (35th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  3. Whitesnake – Unzipped – Box Set
  4. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  5. Whitesnake (Snake) – Still of the Night Live in Battle Creek, Mich. July 26, 1987 (Bootleg)
  6. Whitesnake – Restless Heart (25th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) – Box Set
  7. Whitesnake – Still…Good to Be Bad (15th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) – Box Set
  8. Whitesnake – Little Box ‘O’ Snakes (The Sunburst Years 1978-1982) – Box Set (2013)
  9. Whitesnake – Washington State Wipeout (Spokane & Glasgow Broadcasts 1984) – (Bootleg)
  10. Whitesnake – Nagoya 1980: The Japanese Broadcast (Bootleg)

Whitesnake – Washington State Wipeout (Spokane & Glasgow Broadcasts 1984) – Bootleg (The David Coverdale Series)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic10 Comments

Out on my constant vinyl digging adventures, I found a couple Whitesnake bootlegs at the same store. They weren’t old bootlegs, rather they were released recently in 2023 out of Europe. The shows, however, are not recent. First one up is one called Washington State Wipeout and is a 2 LP set that comes in a nice gatefold with a picture of the band included. The vinyl that comes with the set are a beautiful clear color and they look stunning as you will see in one of the pictures below. It was a brand new set, unopened…well at least until I got my hands on it obviously. Now, it is open and has been played!

The 2 LPs carry a different a show for each. On LP 1, we get the Spokane Washington show that was on July 24, 1984. This would’ve been after the release of their 1984 album, ‘Slide it In’, which came out on January 30, 1984. The show was at the Spokane Coliseum and had the line-up of David Coverdale, John Sykes, Richard Bailey (no Jon Lord), Neil Murray and Cozy Powell. A stellar line-up, just wish Lord was still playing. They opened for Dio so not a long setlist and it is all captured here on LP 1. The recording was an FM Radio Broadcast.

On LP 2, we get a show that was recorded on March 1, 1984 and was another FM Radio Broadcast. It was recorded at the Apollo Theater in Glasgow, Scotland where they were the headliner with Great White opening. The full show is 16 tracks so we don’t get the whole show, but we do get 5 tracks at least. If you want the full show, pick up the Slide It In Super Deluxe Edition as Whitesnake issued it officially in that box set. I believe this show would include Jon Lord as he left the band in April. Correct me if I’m wrong.

LP 1:

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

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic12 Comments

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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Whitesnake – ‘Live…in the Heart of the City” – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic69 Comments

Towards the end of 1980, Whitesnake released their first live album called ‘Live…in the Heart of the City’.  It was released on November 3rd, 1980 and was originally released as a double LP with 2 different shows. The first being from June 1980 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London and the second show as from November 23rd, 1978  at the same place.  This review, however, is only on the LP version that I have which is only a single LP version with only the 1980 Hammersmith show and missing one song the original had (“Ready an’ Willing”).

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The tour recorded for this one is the ‘Ready ‘n’ Willing’ Tour that features new drummer, former Deep Purple master Ian Paice.  And it caught the band at a time when they were starting to finally come into their own.  The track list of the single LP is as follows:

  1. Come on
  2. Sweet Talker
  3. Walking in the Shadow of the Blues
  4. Love Hunter
  5. AIn’t No Love in the Heart of the City
  6. Fool For Your Loving
  7. Take Me With You

It is short at only 7 songs, but one is 11 minutes long and 2 are over 6 minutes each and all a blast.

SIDE ONE:

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Side one opens with the screamer “Come On” from the ‘Snakebite’ E.P. and what a fantastic way to open the show. A high energy romp that gets everyone on their feet and in to the groove of what is to come.  The band is on fire and David sounds in top form. The band glides effortlessly in to “Sweet Talker” from ‘Ready an’ Willing’ with loads of Micky Moody’s slide guitar and let me tell you the guitars on here are killer.  The tempo of the song is ramped up to 10 and the fly through this one at warp speed.  And don’t forget the Jon Lord keyboard solo in this one that goes right in to Micky’s guitar solo…hell yeah baby!  Keep it coming!

The band goes in to two straight ‘Lovehunter’ songs starting with the blues song “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues”.  Bernie Marsden takes over the lead on the guitar work in this one accompanied by the great Lord on keyboards.  Ian supplying just the right amount of drum fills and as he Neil Murray on bass lay down that all essential groove.  But it is the song “Love Hunter” that is the showcase on this side.  At 11 minutes, including a Micky Moody showcase of his slide guitar work, the live version takes the song in to so many different directions and is what I love about live shows.  David singing here is great as well as he isn’t trying to over sing it and he has seem to found his comfort zone.

SIDE TWO:

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“Aint’ No Love in the Heart of the City” opens up Side Two and gives us the name to the album.  It is a bluesy track that keeps a slow groove and let me tell you that the guitar work Moody does is sensational.  The crowd takes over with Murray’s bass thumping away in the background along with Paice keeping time.

And then we get David’s favorite concert saying “Here’s a Song for You” as he does it a lot.  They go in to the classic “Fool For Your Loving” from ‘Ready an’ Willing’.  The song is a little punchier then the album version, it actually reminds me a little more of what was to come with the song in the late 80’s and I am okay with that.  It is a rocking good song.

The last song is the only song from the album ‘Trouble’, “Take Me With You”.  The band is amped up on something as they speed this one up to an exhausting tempo that would leave a lesser band spent.  They feed off the energy and everyone gets a moment to shine with Jon Lord’s blistering keyboard solo, Bernie’s raging guitar solo, a little of Murray’s bass, and Moody blasting through some riffs.  David and company brought all home on this one.

And that is the album.  It is a great live set that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Short and sweet and captures some great moments.  The band was really cooking at this time and they boiled over some fine work with this release.  The first of many live albums to come with Whitesnake and this one started it off right. I will give it a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars mainly for not giving me the whole show.  This one is a must grab if you find it out in the wild.  Don’t let it slip past you.

Up next…Whitesnake – ‘Come An’ Get It’.

The David Coverdale Series:

  1. Deep Purple – Burn
  2. Deep Purple – Stormbringer
  3. Deep Purple – Come Taste the Band
  4. Deep Purple – Made in Europe
  5. David Coverdale – Whitesnake
  6. Deep Purple – Last Concert in Japan
  7. David Coverdale – Northwinds
  8. David Coverdale’s Whitesnake – Snakebite
  9. Whitesnake – Trouble
  10. Whitesnake – Lovehunter
  11. Whitesnake – Ready an’ Willing
  12. Whitesnake – Live…in the Heart of the City
  13. Whitesnake – Come An’ Get it
  14. Deep Purple – Live in London
  15. Whitesnake – Saints & Sinners
  16. Whitesnake – Slide It In
  17. Whitesnake – “Give Me More Time” 12″ Single (Bonus Review)
  18. Whitesnake – ‘The Best of Whitesnake (Bonus Review – 1982 release)
  19. Whitesnake – Whitesnake (1987)
  20. Whitesnake – “Is This Love” 12″ Promo (Bonus Review)
  21. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue
  22. David Coverdale – “The Last Note of Freedom” – Single Review
  23. Coverdale/Page – Coverdale/Page
  24. Coverdale/Page – “Take Me For A Little While 12” Single (Bonus Review)
  25. David Coverdale & Whitesnake – Restless Heart
  26. Whitesnake – Starkers in Tokyo
  27. David Coverdale – Into the Night
  28. Whitesnake – Live…In the Still of the Night (DVD)
  29. Whitesnake – Live…In the Shadow of the Blues
  30. Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad
  31. Whitesnake – Forevermore
  32. Whitesnake – Live at Donington 1990: Monsters of Rock
  33. Whitesnake – The Purple Album
  34. Whitesnake – The Purple Tour (Live)
  35. Whitesnake – Flesh & Blood
  36. Whitesnake – The Rock Album
  37. Whitesnake – The Albums Ranked Worst to First
  38. David Coverdale – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

Other David Coverdale Albums reviewed – (Box Sets and Bootlegs):

  1. Whitesnake – 1987 (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  2. Whitesnake – Slide It In (35th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  3. Whitesnake – Unzipped – Box Set
  4. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  5. Whitesnake (Snake) – Still of the Night Live in Battle Creek, Mich. July 26, 1987 (Bootleg)

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

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic61 Comments

After David Coverdale finished recording his last solo album, ‘Northwinds’, he found that his touring band was already trying out new songs and ‘Northwinds’ hadn’t even come out yet.  The album finally came out in March of 1978, but by this time, David had already figured that his current touring line-up was already a band and needed to record its own album, which it did in March and April of 1978.  By June 1978, the band released a four song E.P. titled ‘Snakebite’. It was listed as David Coverdale’s Whitesnake and it was the start of something amazing.

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By September 1978, the album was released as an 8 song double E.P..  That is the copy I have and I will be reviewing.  If I ever find an original ‘Snakebite’, you can bet your ass I will be grabbing it.

The 8 song double E.P. has the 4 original songs plus it steals 4 tracks from David’s last solo album ‘Northwinds’.  It took the 4 best and now we have a pretty smokin’ album.

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Since this was now a band, let’s see who was in it at this time.

  • David Coverdale – vocals
  • Micky Moody – guitar
  • Bernie Marsden – guitar
  • Neil Murray – bass guitar
  • Dave Dowle – drums
  • Pete Solley – keyboards

Yes, it is a quite a lethal combo on guitars with Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden.  That double guitar work is what makes Whitesnake so incredible.  This line-up changes again for the next album, but by only one person and that person makes a huge difference.  That is a little teaser on what is to come with the next review.

The insert I have for the vinyl sleeve is still in tact and has the lyrics to all the songs and writing credits.  And I think my album might have been a promo or on a cut-out sell as the bottom right corner has a nice slice out of it.

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Okay, enough chit chat, let’s get to the heart of the matter…the music.

SIDE ONE:

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The first song is “Come On” written by David Coverdale and Bernie Marsden and right away you can hear how big the guitar sound is.  The song is a pure rock song with a great groove and a blistering solo.  A great opener and I love the fact that David has two Deep Purple references in the song…“Soldier of Fortune” and “Gypsy”.

Then we get into the Coverdale penned “Bloody Mary” which opens with a piano and Pete slamming the keys.  Jump up and dance and feel the music. It is pure joy and magic and two songs in and I am already loving every minute of it.

David goes back to his blues roots as he covers Bobby Bland’s “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” written by Michael Price and Dan Wise.  This love song is down and dirty, a blues rock song slowed down into a beautiful ballad.  Oh, and the solo…wow!  It fit the song so well and pulled out even more emotion.  Not even an original, this song is a signature Whitesnake classic as they are still known to pull this one out and play it live.

The last song from the original E.P. is “Steal Away”.  The writing credits on this one are for everyone in the band which is nice to see.  The opening riff on the  slide guitar is nothing short of spectacular.  The song is gritty and a dirty and I love the blues rock feel.  David’s vocals are spot on and for me this is my highlight on the whole album.

SIDE TWO:

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Side two has 4 songs from ‘Northwinds’ as I mentioned earlier.  The first one up is “Keep on Giving Me Love”.  It has a funkalicious guitar riff by Moody that could have come from Glenn Hughes playbook.  “Keep on Giving Me Love” has a great groove and is a rocking opening track and excites me as what is to come.  Coverdale’s vocals have an edginess to it and Moody rips through a nice solo.

“Queen of Hearts” is full of pianos and there is a nice bass thump before the song slams into gear and really gets going.  A groovy and bluesy song that becomes a banging good time.

“Only My Soul” is a fantastic rock ballad with a great soulful feel to it in the guitars playing.  This has Whitesnake all over it.  Alan Spenner, on bass, lays down a nice groove with the keyboards playing along with it during the musical interlude before David comes back and brings it home.

The final track is the most rocking song, “Breakdown”.  It is pure Whitesnake.  Moody & Coverdale hit it out of the park with this one and they rock it out like nothing else. The song is about the downfall of Deep Purple. The 4 songs pulled off ‘Northwinds’ were the most rocking tracks and 3 of the 4 were written by Moody and Coverdale.  When he writes with the guitarists, we tend to get the most kick ass tracks.

Track Listing:

  1. Come On – Keeper
  2. Bloody Mary – Keeper
  3. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City – Keeper
  4. Steal Away – Keeper
  5. Keep On Giving Me Love – Keeper
  6. Queen of Hearts – Keeper
  7. Only My Soul – Keeper
  8. Breakdown – Keeper

Track score is easily a 100% with 8 out of 8 tracks being keepers.  As far as the albums overall score, I will break it down in to two scores.  As a 4 song E.P., this is easily a 5 out of 5 Stars as those 4 songs on Side One are spectacular.  What a slamming introduction to the band.  Now, as an 8 song double E.P., I will ding it a little as I think only two of the extra 4 songs are Whitesnake contenders and the other two are just good songs, but not necessarily Whitesnake material.  For that, I give the version I have a 4.5 out of 5.0 Stars which is still pretty freaking great!!  This is a an absolute must have for any Whitesnake fan.

Up next…Whitesnake – ‘Trouble’.

The David Coverdale Series:

  1. Deep Purple – Burn
  2. Deep Purple – Stormbringer
  3. Deep Purple – Come Taste the Band
  4. Deep Purple – Made in Europe
  5. David Coverdale – Whitesnake
  6. Deep Purple – Last Concert in Japan
  7. David Coverdale – Northwinds
  8. David Coverdale’s Whitesnake – Snakebite
  9. Whitesnake – Trouble
  10. Whitesnake – Lovehunter
  11. Whitesnake – Ready an’ Willing
  12. Whitesnake – Live…in the Heart of the City
  13. Whitesnake – Come An’ Get it
  14. Deep Purple – Live in London
  15. Whitesnake – Saints & Sinners
  16. Whitesnake – Slide It In
  17. Whitesnake – “Give Me More Time” 12″ Single (Bonus Review)
  18. Whitesnake – ‘The Best of Whitesnake (Bonus Review – 1982 release)
  19. Whitesnake – Whitesnake (1987)
  20. Whitesnake – “Is This Love” 12″ Promo (Bonus Review)
  21. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue
  22. David Coverdale – “The Last Note of Freedom” – Single Review
  23. Coverdale/Page – Coverdale/Page
  24. Coverdale/Page – “Take Me For A Little While 12” Single (Bonus Review)
  25. David Coverdale & Whitesnake – Restless Heart
  26. Whitesnake – Starkers in Tokyo
  27. David Coverdale – Into the Night
  28. Whitesnake – Live…In the Still of the Night (DVD)
  29. Whitesnake – Live…In the Shadow of the Blues
  30. Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad
  31. Whitesnake – Forevermore
  32. Whitesnake – Live at Donington 1990: Monsters of Rock
  33. Whitesnake – The Purple Album
  34. Whitesnake – The Purple Tour (Live)
  35. Whitesnake – Flesh & Blood
  36. Whitesnake – The Rock Album
  37. Whitesnake – The Albums Ranked Worst to First
  38. David Coverdale – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

Other David Coverdale Albums reviewed – (Box Sets and Bootlegs):

  1. Whitesnake – 1987 (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  2. Whitesnake – Slide It In (35th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  3. Whitesnake – Unzipped – Box Set
  4. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  5. Whitesnake (Snake) – Still of the Night Live in Battle Creek, Mich. July 26, 1987 (Bootleg)