The modern rock scene tapestry has been woven together with the fabric of the Coverdale clan for something approaching forty years now. Firstly when he joined the legendary Deep Purple in 1973 and then post Purple with his tenure at the helm of Whitesnake, which amazingly he started back in 1977.  Since that time he and the band have been slithering up the charts and continue to strike a perfected rock chord with fans worldwide, generating sales in the process that has seen the band take on the same legendary status as Deep Purple.  Whitesnake's ascent to the very top of the Rock n' Roll heap was confirmed with 1987's mega-platinum album '1987', which saw two massive Top 10 hits, two number1 singles in the U.S. with 'Here I Go Again' and 'Is This Love' and virtual 24-hour domination of MTV around the world. Now in 2011 with the release of 'Forevermore', Whitesnake is coiled for yet another strike at the Rock 'n' Roll world's top spot and it is clear that the band are very much here to stay. Released in the US in March, the band's all new album 'Forevermore' finds founder/singer/songwriter David Coverdale and company returning to their no-holds-barred, bluesy, sexiest Rock n' Roll roots, and joining Lord Coverdale this time around are Doug Aldrich (guitar), Reb Beach (guitar), Michael Devin (bass) and Briian Tichy (drums), all weaving their way into the sound of a Whitesnake very much Ready and Willing to once again take on the world.

I had the opportunity to talk with the legendary David Coverdale recently and as expected he was quite the snake charmer, and to paraphrase the great man himself "Here's an interview for ya!"

New album, new tour, new band mates. Whitesnake has definitely been shedding some skin lately.  After 3 decades and an irreplaceable mark on rock history no one would blame you for resting on your laurels, so why aren't you resting?

Well, I, I've actually had more retirements than Sinatra. ... But it's something that, that appears to be in my blood.  Probably my destiny to do this and when I revamped Whitesnake back in '03, you know, I'd kind of been retired from performing for like six years I think and my, friends, the Scorpions invited me to participate a co-headline tour of the States.  And at the same time, my record companies had asked me to put some compilation CD's together to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of Whitesnake.  So, it was this synchronicity of all of these elements that came together and of course, the support of my family, and I was like okay, I'll go out for two or three months and, see what happens.  I came home like nine months later; I had a blast (chuckle).  So, you know, I think my wife was aware much more than I, umm...how much I missed performing.  I didn't miss the business per say, but, I missed performing, the interaction with audiences, and what lead me to actually make records again not with the majors even though I am still involved with a large corporate record companies with my catalogue, but I work with independents now because primarily they are fans of music.  You know, they got into the business because they enjoy the music and it was when I first started.  But that is an inspiration in itself.  Some of my old songs were getting, distinctly dusty for me to perform.  And, and I thought if it feels that way for me, it must feel that way for an element of my audience. So that was a huge inspiration for me to go back into the studio and record some new music and I'm delighted I did.  Because it definitely has recharged the Snake without a doubt.

You've worked with the industry's most extraordinary guitar players, including Reb and Doug, , whilst also reaching into the pantheon of Page and Vai along the way. Its clear Whitesnake is two things Coverdale and guitar. What do you look for in a guitarist?

Yeah, I understand but I can not let that go without saying I've also worked with amazing keyboard players, amazing drummers, amazing bass players, ya know, Whitesnake has had an extraordinary journey with exceptional musicians.  In fact, I've been blessed with fabulous players since I started as a local musician.  Um, for some reason, it, people ya know want to be Snakes, which is fine for me.  And if I feel they can help take Whitesnake to another level than they are absolutely welcome.  Reb and Doug have been with me exemplary musicians and great people for eight years and Doug is my song writing partner, a very close friend and those transitions into our working relationship.  I regard him highly and rely on him also as part of, the team that makes Whitesnake what it is now.  Yes we've changed, like in nature, it looks like we have to shed our skin now and again for another chapter and we're blessed now with a new rhythm section of Briian Tichy and Michael Devin.  We just signed on a new keyboard player, which was announced on whitesnake.com yesterday called Brian Ruedy.  Brian has one eye so we'd like to probably call him Cyclops meaning Briian is known as Briian Tichy likes two I's in his name (Chuckles) Now I don't know whether Mr. Ruedy is going to embrace the name Cyclops but we shall see...(Chuckles). 

Well you could always just go with " May I call you Bruce"?

Yeah, I've never! I'm surrounded by Brians, umm, the "Life of Brian". But yes, my guitarists, yeah, are astonishing, you know this stuff started for me with Ritchie Blackmore of course. Yeah, amazing, Pagey? Are you kidding?  Definitely a blessing to work with yeah.

So what do you look for in general when recruiting band mates? You must have specifics?

Yeah, absolutely as Whitesnake has its necessary elements, what I don't look for in musicians is for somebody to recreate what their predecessors have done.  The most important question I ask myself when I'm looking for someone "is can this musician help take Whitesnake to the next level". That's the big deal.  I mean we couldn't make albums like "Good To Be Bad" or "Forevermore" if this was a group of people who didn't care.  I am working with very vital and passionate musicians. And thank God we all agree to channel all our energies into this entity known as Whitesnake.

So let's talk about the new album...did you approach it differently from your previous work?

Oh no, it's, it's exactly the same.   It's looking at songs, and of course, my exceptional writing partner, Doug Aldrich helps.  I was quite happy with "Good To Be Bad" to be honest, (laughs), and it did very, very well.  But, at the end of '09, I had a succession of companies get in touch with me about the idea of making another record. And I already had an agenda for 2010, which was to mix and edit, 'Live at Donington' from 1990 which is like the most requested project on my website (www.whitesnake.com).  I put some greatest hits stuff in the can, edited some film stuff, yeah, I did all of these things that I've had on what one would call the back burner, so I would be able to just tour, not nonstop because I'll be celebrating 60 in September but the circumstance are set now so I don't have to stop. 

It's a process for me to create new music and to record it.  You know what? That as I'm getting older, is something that I'm embracing.  But, the pursuit of one particular company, Frontiers Records, an Italian company got me very excited, the owner is a fabulous character and they are very few and far between in the music business nowadays.  And, he was relentless in his pursuit of some Snake.  I felt like Juliet, you know with Romeo at my foot of my balcony.  It got to the point where I said, "okay, okay give me a week and I'll get back to you with a yea or a nay" and I drove down to see Doug in Los Angeles. I always have ideas, he always has ideas and as I said I had no intentions of making a new record, we sat down together to see what each other had, and we wrote 'One Of These Days' in about two hours, then we went into 'Whipping Boy Blues' and the next day we did 'All Out Of Luck' and I thought, "not a problem".  It was very easy to make this new album, and I'm certainly glad we did it because I'm thoroughly enjoying the album and everything associated with the record.

It sounds like you and the band had a great method?

But, that's the process for Whitesnake.  I'm a consumer. So If I buy an album for $14 bucks or whatever, and there are two songs on it and the rest is filler, I feel robbed.  You know, Whitesnake has always tried to make it complete, I've always considered myself a kind of 60's 70's, album artist but one whose had remarkable good luck with singles, commercial success and singles.  Still, I've always considered myself an album artist.  I mean albums are the blueprints for live performances., you know, so that's it.  'Forevermore' was more of a band process.  And when you've got a drummer as passionate and as us musically aware as Brian Tichy, you can't keep him out of a studio.   I think we came up with 13 great Whitesnake songs on 'Forevermore' that sum up where Whitesnake is at right now and not where it's been before.

From The Government, to Deep Purple, solo, Whitesnake, Coverdale and Page and the reformation of Whitesnake, you have always stretched yourself musically. What has been the most challenging part of your career thus far?

Oh my god, yeah. The Government. (laughs)

I went right back to the beginning there didn't I (laughs)

You did! Well, in general I'm not nostalgic, I enjoy other aspects of nostalgia, but not related to my life. There's no part at all where I go, ""Oh, I wish it was like that again" and as you know for most of my life, I've avoided contentment. Relatively recently, I've realised that in my private life and in my professional life.  And it was an extraordinary discovery for me because it was really comfortable clothes to wear, and I think that's, you know related a great deal to my spiritual journey, meditation, and certainly hats off to my beloved wife, my partner of the last 20 years plus. I've got balance in my life now, which I didn't have before.  I wrote a song on the last studio record called 'Best Years' that was three years ago and I should write one now called 'Even Better Years' you know and, and so there's absolutely nothing in my make up that I wish to go back to. I'm so happy with now and, and I'm so happy with what I've done how full the breadth of music is, but I'm the Edith Piaf of rock you know, I have no regrets, I have no regrets. (laughing loudly).

Non, je ne regrette rien, eh?

Exactly!

The new album has hit the industry like a rock meteor shower, LPs, special edition magazines, posters, what can fans expect for this new wave of the band?

Well, for me to take a year off now to do a new album would cost somebody an awful lot of money.  So, right now, I think it's as we did with 'Good to Be Bad', that album gave us two incredibly successful years touring, in other words it fueled that.  And we seem to have even more momentum right now with 'Forevermore'.  So, you know, we already have a full card, as far as touring is concerned. Umm, we have an interactive website, which has 100 to 200,000 hits per day from all over the world at www.whitesnake.com.  We've an incredible amount of support, and they basically tell me what they want, so I listen.  But right now our priority will be to get out there, to maximize the potential of this record. Thank God, I have people who twitter on my behalf! (laughs)  I think I'm a little too mature for twittering, but the circumstance is, there are all of these new avenues.  I consider myself like the Lewis and Clark of rock. 

Of these avenues that have been around for the almost four decades I've been in this industry, most of it is unrecognizable from when I started though you know, for me the glass is never half empty it is always half full. I'm always looking at how we get from here to there.  In essence to me, the music business is the same playing field.  Just every so often they move the goalposts.  Though, you just have to look very carefully because I like to score fucking goals, Kim...ya know?  So that's it, and it keeps me on my toes. I've got as they say an immensely powerful family domestic foundation to launch from, an incredible band that covers every aspect and it's a wonderful orchestra for me to have the pleasure of working with.  I've got all the elements in place, the passion of the record company, I think those guys are going to be, walking with me every step of the way, it's like all of the ducks in a row although it's a sexless cliché.  That's, something I think, I need now is a Whitesnake fragrance, a manly fragrance which I'm thinking of calling "Penetration".  It's all that matters...(laughing)

Well, and for women, you could always go with "Venom"...(laughing)

Oh, well that would be expected but "Penetration" I thought was you know all that matters.  And of course for the girl it would be "Forevermore"...(laughing).

Perfection! David it's been a personal and professional pleasure.  Thank you for all that you and Whitesnake have given to the music business.

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, Kim.

No problem...this will be one hell of a cover feature!

Oh lovely, it's very much appreciated.   Thank you darling, I appreciate your support. God bless. 

Whilst I have the opportunity I'd just like to send out some special thanks to Carise Yatter of Hired Gun Media, Jen Abbinett for initially transcribing the interview in the U.S, Ash Newell for the fantastic new line up pictures, and of course Mr. David Coverdale for his time and graciousness. 

For all your up to the minute information needs regarding David Coverdale and his snakes we suggest you go to www.whitesnake.com and tell David Uber Rock sent you over.

Until we meet again Mr. Coverdale, everyone here at URHQ wishes you well.