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Coverdale in Goldmine
Goldmine magazine has a feature article on David Coverdale, complete with an extensive interview covering everything from The Government to Good To Be Bad, including his Purple years:
I left Purple after the show in Liverpool. It was so f**king embarrassing. I did not want to be part of dragging Purple into the mud, the details of which I don’t really want to go into right now because it would involve personal critiques of several of the members. The circumstance was I left and was asked to keep it quiet until some of the members had decided what course to pursue. But I was an emotional wreck at the end of it. Drugs had come in in a much more overt way, and it was awful to turn around and see some of the founding members playing with their heads down out of shame. I just went, ‘F**k it; I’m out of here.’ I just couldn’t do it anymore. I didn’t want to be part of the demise of the legacy of Deep Purple. Deep Purple was an unbelievably beloved band and still is in Europe.
Read the rest of it at goldminemag.com.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
I have said this countless of times, but her I go again:
August 28th, 2008 at 08:44I would love Mrk III to get back together or at laest Coverdale – Blackmore – Hughes and Lord. The drummer could be any first calss drummer. Paice is with Purple and I dont want him out of that.
Does he mean Lord and Paicie were druged ??
I dont believe it !! i think he is speaking only about Hughes and Bolin and littel of him …
August 28th, 2008 at 10:03As i read it, he wasn’t insinuating that Lord and Paicy were on drugs. i think he implied that there heads were down in embarassment. People seem to focus on David sounding like Robert Plant, but those of us that were first introduced to him via the Burn album know that he was chosen becsuae he had a similar baritone cadence to Paul Rodgers…Great interview antway!
August 28th, 2008 at 10:59The life and split of MK 4 deserves a book. Lets see what we get on the matter from Glenn Hughes in his upcoming biography (and in the Tommy Bolin book that is now in the works). You don´t end a money machine like DP unless there are huge problems. Drugs was certainly part of this (not exactly a secret), and alcohol as well. Jon Lord has admitted that alcohol was his thing at the time. But it´s all water under the bridge now. They produced a very good album in “Come Taste The Band” that has certainly stood the test of time, and to me as a kid at that time I just loved the whole thing so much. It was devestating when they broke up. Nice interview with David, thanks for the link.
Mike
August 28th, 2008 at 12:39personally I think Coverdale own a much better voice than Rodgers and Plant(overrated) and he have a wider vocal range too.
August 28th, 2008 at 12:52come taste the band is a great album while ‘live california ’76’ is the best deep purple live album after made in japan.
tommy bolin is a wonderful guitar palyer much underrated that could play funk jazz hard rock blues samba etc. at the same time.
They had up and down , ok , but I prefer this than a boring ‘normal’…
First time I see you around here Mike E. I know of you from DPFE.
August 28th, 2008 at 17:18roberto? please clarify……….do you prefer half a band on drugs to a band that just plays “normal”?????
August 28th, 2008 at 23:57where are your priorities..please clarify!
Roberto,
August 29th, 2008 at 00:34You’re right… Only a rock guitarist on acid can play samba!
I was embarassed when I bought the “king Biscuit” CD’s and it is really frustrating to see David on that Stormbringer live video…
‘musicians on drugs’…………never in this world…….a revelation!!!
I dont see the need for drugs…….unless of course Im attending A Blackmore Night gig……..then I use them exclusively…… it dulls the pain
August 29th, 2008 at 08:19Roberto…I love all Mks of Deep Purple and I always feel that Purple fans are musically educated and broad minded partly because of the diverse levels of music that the band and there offshoots have bought to us ie. Hard Rock, blues, ballads, classic, jazz related, country etc. How can you as a rock and Purple fan say that Robert Plant is overated? That’s like saying that Ian gillan is overated! without Plant, Gillan and Rodgers there would be no modern rock singers. they laid down the gauntlet for all who followed…I challenge you to name me a hard rock singer that has come along since this trio’s prime who doesn’t have some sort of influence from one of these three?
Cheers
Jeff
August 29th, 2008 at 09:15me too Jeffs,
I think like Roberto
I think that there is nothing criminal to say that Plant is overrated…is a good singer sure,but nothing to compare to many others..sure he was full of charisma (mainly on stage with..with his movements and curly golden %-),but the voice..his voice never caught me on high notes..I want respect him and all the fans love him,the fans love LZ,the fans love DP..but frankly I’ve always thought that RP was always overrated by magazines,more than by people…
jeff,don’t hate me,plese!! 🙂
ciao&cheers
August 29th, 2008 at 13:47Ah, what a studio can do…
August 29th, 2008 at 14:59listen to any LZ bootleg and see what Plant could really do: not too much. The guy obviously never practiced. Coverdale and Rodgers had a natural ability. Heck, even Daltrey could only sing well in the mid-range, live.
I agree that he changed the way he sang live post 73, but the early stuff live is fantastic (in my opinion…) He was never as good live as Gillan (who was??)But either way just as influential!!
Andrea…i don’t hate you 🙂 You and I are dedicated Purple fans:-)
all the best guys… have a great weekend and thanks for the chat…
Jeff
August 29th, 2008 at 16:44For me the best living rock/blues/singer is: Paul Rodgers! I am also a huge fan of Ian Gillan, David Coverdale, Ronnie James Dio and John Lawton (a very underrated singer that I know very well from Lucifer’s Friend and Uriah Heep)! Those of you who don’t know him (Lawton) should watch (I have the DVD) “The Butterfly Ball” (1975) written by Roger Glover and with many famous guests like David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Ian Gillan, John Lawton, Jon Lord, Tony Ashton, John Gustafson, Ray Fenwick, Roger Glover (naturally) and others! Well John, with his performance, was the star of the show and just blew all the other singers away! On the record he only sang on one song but at the live show he had to replace Ronnie James Dio (who was also on the record but didn’t participate on the live show) by singing his songs cos Ronnie couldn’t attend as he was on tour with Rainbow…
And yes, I think that Robert Plant is very overrated as is Jimmy Page! I don’t consider him a genious like Ritchie Blackmore, Eric Clapton, Steve Morse, Joe Satriani or Steve Vai and some others that are first quality guitar players! I watched Jimmy Page play a lot of times and never saw in him the sparkles of a genious…
Only my opinion(s) naturally…
P.S. Still concerning John Lawton listen to his solo album “Still paying my dues to the blues” (2000) and I assure you that you won’t be deceived…
August 29th, 2008 at 20:53so much water has flown under so many bridges since liverpool on the 16th march 1976. Maybe, the only way that the reality will become public will be if [and when] jon lord writes his autobiography [no i don’t know if he is doing it!]. Lets remember he is an archivist when it comes to his career. Like most fans [i was at wembley and leicester in 1976], we only have media to rely on. What a great insight into the last knockings of a great band, a book by someone who was actually around to share their views would be
August 29th, 2008 at 21:23Well,
August 29th, 2008 at 22:05I’ve seen Whitesnake and Purple a number of times on the last tours they´ve done. Coverdale is lucky to have such great people around him, and a supportive wife… I’ll never pay another cent to see him live.. Purple blows Whitesnake off stage, always excellent sound. Saw Purple recently and Gillan was awesome, not something I can say about Coverdale. If he makes that much money, he should start with paying a vocal coach and good sound guy..
I totally agree, Coverdale is an embarrasment. I saw him in Iceland two months ago, no voice, just an old sad pervert man.
August 29th, 2008 at 23:33stoffer
August 30th, 2008 at 11:22my priority is the music, is what I hear,I don’t care what they do with their lives.When I listen to the music I wanna listen something good and live california ’76 is one of the best live of all times.
Coverdale is much better than Plant and Rodgers(the second one is not so popular in my country).He is second only to Gillan.I don’t care what the people think.That’s my taste and it’s the only one I care…
August 30th, 2008 at 11:25my favourite singers:
1-Ian Gillan
2-David Coverdale
3-Ronnie James Dio
4-Dan Mccafferty
5-Jhon Lawton
Paul Rodgers not in my top 10
August 30th, 2008 at 11:28and then:
-Jhon Fogerty
-Mark Farner
-janis joplin
My favourite ‘modern’ singers:
August 30th, 2008 at 13:22Jorn lande,Mark Boals,Cris Cornell,Jhon Garcia
and David Byron?
🙂
but mainly nobody says GLENN HUGHES!
August 30th, 2008 at 19:27I like what Bo says,
they could make a studio work,sure..my doubt are about live on stages..Jon L. is over 70,perhaps he feel bad to have concert along the year..but a little reunion would be good.
but we all know that Blackmore likes living into his “magic castle”…
so dear Bo..
August 30th, 2008 at 19:36Roberto
August 30th, 2008 at 20:02I agree with you about Coverdale being better than Plant (not even close), I do not however agree with you about peoples music being more important than peoples lives
cheers…………..
I have a long and passionate relationship with Mr.Coverdale and Whitesnake,and have met him on a couple of occassions!I am very concerned though…the man can´t sing no more!!!!
At the Copenhagen gig june 13th I had the displeasure to witness a legends downfall! All the was left was a squeek and if it hadn´t been for the band and a great audience….I would have left early!I hope and pray it´s temporary but I fear the worst!
For the record, I consider both Plant and Coverdale as two of the best vocalists ever!The only one today that still have full power pipes in the DP family,and in fact has improved over the years is the mighty Glenn Hughes…bless him!!ROCK ON!!
August 31st, 2008 at 00:24Couldn’t agree with you more on this one, Stefan.
Saw Whitesnake this summer here in Finland, and was highly disappointed about DC’s vocal delivery…if you can call it that at all.
Whitesnake came on stage after Graham Bonnet & JLT, and it was a real anti-climax after the ex-Rainbow men had really torn the place apart & lifted the ‘party spirits’, so to speak.
Yep, Plant is overrated, John Lawton criminally underrated!
August 31st, 2008 at 05:57stoffer
August 31st, 2008 at 18:21is it sure that people lives are more important than music, but when I put a cd on my stereo I wanna hear good music and I can’t care about their problems when I’m doing this…
about Coverdale:yes he lost his voice,but where is the problem?he is at the end of his carrer!!
jon lord over 70??
August 31st, 2008 at 18:25David must have heard his own monitor mix, because HE was a big part of the problem that night in Liverpool. He had every right to be embarrassed, he was pathetic that night and much of the tour, actually.
August 31st, 2008 at 19:21Roberto!
Jon Lord was born june 9 in Leicester 1941! I´m no math genius, but that makes him….hmmm…let me see…67!!Rock on!
August 31st, 2008 at 19:25sorry 67,not 70..
September 1st, 2008 at 06:39the difference is not great for what I wanted mean..
are you agree?
I agree and I didn’t remember his born date.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:05Coverdale stopped singing years ago…..he tends to spend most of time screaming and avoiding his actual melodic bluesy voice. Needs someone to constructively criticize him in the band…..
Cheers
September 2nd, 2008 at 20:00He could sing well untill 2003, than he stopped,but he is at the end of his carrer, so it’s normal
September 2nd, 2008 at 20:35Coverdale!!! get a grip man!!
September 3rd, 2008 at 07:55Roberto
why “he is at the end of his carrer”? who knows?!
September 3rd, 2008 at 20:18sorry…whitesnake are at their end, he could even do others solo albums aor/blues that need no high voice notes…
September 3rd, 2008 at 20:43Ciao Roberto,
about the BAND Whitesnake I have closed with SLIDE IT IN (with J.Sykes)..after it I find only special guestes,turnovers,just like a Coverdale’s projects..
Of course I posses 1987,the cd with Steve vai (I don’t remember the title,incredible…) but they are lost somewhere on the dust..
September 4th, 2008 at 15:41I love all the Whitesnake albums,I have them all and I think They are beautiful(even slip of the tongue which is one of my favourite together with ‘troubles’ even if they a have a different sound/production).
September 4th, 2008 at 19:11Now I’m not more interested to see this band live and I think they have to stop due Coverdale vocals problems.
(but I have to say that Coverdale is my favourite singer after gillan and in the past he could scream very very well,just watch monster of rock ’83)
GILLAN, DIO, PLANT , COVERDALE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE BEST ROCK VOCALISTS AROUND , NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS… EVEN IF SOMEONE IN THAT SHORT LIST IS FADING NOW BECAUSE OF AGE AND WAY TOO MUCH SCREAMING, THEY ALL MADE IT TO THE TOP BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY RULED… THAT’S MY OPINION , ALL YOU OTHER FOOLS MAY ARGUE NOW…..
September 5th, 2008 at 02:33For those of you that say coverdale is at its end… you should hear back Gillan more than a decade ago to see that resurection is posible…
Lets hope its just a “bad time”. I went to see whitesnake here a few years ago (oh!,I dont remember!!) and they didnt approach to DP in sound quality. Lots of echoes in the same venue I saw DP twice. his voice wasnt that bad, actually I think was good, up until de last songs when he just lost it.
What was a bit “strange” is to see an old perverted man (as has been correctly described) on stage trying to be a sex symbol….. that was a bit embarrassing…. 🙁
September 11th, 2008 at 02:46David Coverdale is the best singer and front man, but Plant,Rodgers,Gillan,Dio,Fogerty…… Oh my God!!! what a singers!!!
June 25th, 2009 at 22:38IRREPETIBLE.