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Coverdale going acoustic
David Coverdale recently talked to ultimate-guitar.com Lots of history and topics were covered. One of them being Coverdale’s idea of ease up on the screaming and go acoustic as his moves into his 60’s.
I’m 60 years old in September so I want to work this for at least another three years. God knows how long physically I’ll be able to manage “Still Of the Night” without compromise and that’s what I’m not interested in. However, it doesn’t stop me doing intimate venues and telling my stories and singing acoustic versions of certain songs ‘cause I’ve done a little bit of that. And just adored the energy and the intimate experience of being close with people; close enough just to talk. You saw Beck at Ronnie Scott’s and that type of thing [referring to the Performing This Week…Live at Ronnie Scott’s DVD]. That kind of venue where I could actually interact and not the big Tarzan rock star but an evening with David Coverdale. So that’s gonna be an interesting transition if indeed that’s how the future unfolds.
Will a Whitesnake audience accept David Coverdale as an acoustic artist? Is there a line stylistically you can’t cross as this famous hard rock singer?
Well, I don’t know; it’s nothing to do with them. I have to please myself first. One of the feelings that I have with the relationship with the hardcore of Whitesnake fans, we have a website that gets 100,000 to 200,000 hits a day all over the world. I’ve never betrayed them. I’ve let them down now and again, which is human; that happens. But I’ve pissed and made up. There are things that I wanna do and thankfully I have a core audience that goes there and sticks with me. I mean the response we had from a 90-second sound bite, in two days we had over 600,000 hits and the website was filled with, “Oh, my god, I can’t wait for the album. This is amazing.” So it feels fantastic, it really does. The song “Forevermore” incidentally is about a love that crosses all barriers and indeed lifetimes; it’s an eternal love. It’s a message not only to my beloved wife to the fans who I love and who are helping me keep the flame of Whitesnake still burning bright all of these years later.
About his friendship with old Whitesnake members:
But the good news is Bernie and I are speaking and we’re friends again after several years in the wilderness.
Could this mean Marsden is one of the names for the “special guests” show at Sweden Rock Festival this summer?
About the noodling in vintage Deep Purple:
I’d finish some songs in concert with Purple and forgot what the fuck it was we started with.
About writing lyrics for someone else:
With Blackmore, wanting to be his disciple of course in those early days, I wrote the only two sci-fi song lyrics that I’ve ever done in order to please him: “Burn” and “Stormbringer.” You know the version that I actually preferred of “Burn” was called “The Road” and it was much more a bluesy lyric.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
So where is ” The Road”?
In your shack, Mister Coverdale?
March 15th, 2011 at 20:58Mr Coverdale has such a beautiful voice, he should preserve it as much as he can. We heard enough of screaming Still of the night, and going acoustic could be a nice alternative. “Starkers” was maybe a bit too bare, with the addition of a couple of strings and stripped down drum set, this could be perfect!
I have a hard time imagining David and Glenn shouting “Road” instead of “Burn”…Don’t you? 🙂
March 16th, 2011 at 07:14Yeah, it’s about time for David to start acting his age. I’ve seen “Love Will Set You Free” on TV the other day and it was horrible in all respects. It’s difficult to pretend you’re a 30-and-something five-girls-a-day rock star when your voice and looks are not up to it.
March 16th, 2011 at 08:08Why Coverdale still ironically talking about Deep Purple?
March 16th, 2011 at 08:09Probably because it is worth less than Deep Purple!
Rudy you are so right, but it could be SO easy for Coverdale to be around for MANY years more. Go back to the early Whitesnake. Get some first class blues-rock people around you (NOT these you have now – they cant even spell to feeling and blues. Yes Marsden would fit perfect again. Then on top of it you selv stop singing “Still of the Night”. Gillan are not singing Child in time anymore.
March 16th, 2011 at 13:06Whitesnak could be Whitesnake again – if you Mr. Coverdale wants it.
And Burn is still one of the 3 or 4 best Purple songs or Coverdale songs ever. Dont change it.
can anyone tell me, please, where I can find those 3 early pre-Purple songs Dave mentioned in the interview?
March 16th, 2011 at 14:47Re: Coverdale’s move to acoustic. It was on the cards with his 2000 solo album “Into the Light”. Many songs on that album showed just how good DC’s voice still was at that point. He should’ve taken the Robert Plant route. If he had done he’d have a 10 year solo career behind him by now with a loyal and dedicated fan base. Now I seriously wonder if he’s blown his voice completely. It would be good to hear him sing again.
March 16th, 2011 at 15:41@ 7
You can locate them on the Internet.
Look on YouTube and download them.
I also think he put things like these songs on his website.
March 16th, 2011 at 20:51that would be a good decision. i said some time ago already, that his voice is still great with the acoustic stuff, but not so great when he tries to scream his balls off. so mr. coverdale, stop pretending you still can scream every night and give us some great acoustice performances when you can still shine 😉
March 16th, 2011 at 21:34If David were to put some humour into his stage presence & lyrical content, he could easily keep rocking into the next decade. Rockers who sell music partly on the strength of their Sex appeal can get away with it in the Autumn of their careers, but when in ‘the Winter of their Discount Tents’, it borders on the ridiculous!
Happy to see Angus & Brian fronting AC/DC because they always took the P**s out of themselves & if Angus can only move accross the stage whilst being supported on a Roadie’s shoulders – it would still be good entertainment! (When the fans tried to dismount Angus from ‘Plugg’s shoulders, during the classic ‘Walk about’ part of the show, both Plugg & Angus would Kick & Punch their way through the audience – only to be adored even more by the injured parties – Only in Rock ‘n’ Roll & Rugby could that ever happen!)
Even ELP can still ‘Cut the Mustard’ & look visably appropriate for that genre.
But, lets hope DC doesn’t do a Jagger & act 21 when he looks 70!
Always loved DC’s vocal & would love to see him & Glenn do a few numbers together one day!
As I told my Wife when the Cat scratched her arm the other day ‘Ther ain’t no Love in the Heart of the Kitty’
I’m here all week & to quote ig “there’s plenty more where that came from”
Did anyone else who posts on this site get hit by one of Mr Blackmore’s sacrifices as the splintered instrument was launched into the audience? – I’ve still got a Stratocaster bridge of his on my guitar from a rainbow concert!
March 17th, 2011 at 00:28” With Blackmore, wanting to be his disciple of course in those early days, I wrote the only two sci-fi song lyrics that I’ve ever done in order to please him: ‘Burn’ and ‘Stormbringer’. ”
Thank God Ritchie insisted, that’s all I can say! Those songs have the best lyrics Coverdale ever wrote, and I dread to think what ‘The Road’ might have been about.
March 21st, 2011 at 14:04Maybe the lyrics inthat one song on Slip Of The Tongue dates from ” The Road” days.
Fire and water.
Ice and snow.
On and on, the road goes on and little lasts forever…..
WINGS OF THE STORM.
March 28th, 2011 at 23:50