Fan-filmed video footage of WHITESNAKE’s August 16 performance in St. Charles, Missouri can be seen below.
WHITESNAKE’s new touring lineup — David Coverdale (vocals), Joel Hoekstra (guitar), Reb Beach (guitar), Michael Devin (bass), Tommy Aldridge (drums) and Michele Luppi (keyboards) — made its live debut on May 28 at Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights, Washington.
Singer David Coverdale is celebrating his past in the present with the release of WHITESNAKE’s 12th studio album, “The Purple Album”. The new set is billed as “a re-imagination of classic songs from David Coverdale’s time as the lead singer for DEEP PURPLE’s Mark III and Mark IV studio albums.” PURPLE classics revamped for the new set include “Stormbringer”, “Lady Double Dealer”, “Soldier Of Fortune” and “Sail Away”. Coverdale was DEEP PURPLE’s frontman from late 1973 to early 1976 and sang on the albums “Burn”, “Stormbringer” and “Come Taste The Band”.
Asked if he saw himself approaching the classic DEEP PURPLE songs differently now as opposed to when he was that guy in his early twenties, Coverdale told Noisey: “Yes. I was looking at how can I redecorate them, but at the same time maintain the integrity of the songs, and, apparently, I’m pretty good at it, according to my record label. [Laughs] Remember, though, that my lessons were primarily learned from Ritchie [Blackmore] and Jon [Lord], who were the colossi of worlds to me. Jon taught me so much. I was this rough diamond out of North England, and Jon introduced me to elegant wines and charm and classical music that I hadn’t been exposed to. He was just a beautiful mentor, a Renaissance man and raconteur. Ritchie was more internalized but an insanely capable musician, and, of course, my muse was Jimi Hendrix and still is. For me to sit next to Ritchie, who was just this astonishingly good guitar player and very complete musician writing music, was just a gift from God. The whole experience changed my life and my perspective and started me on the voyage that I’m still on. I’ve always been like a sponge, just learning stuff. I’ve never been one to rest on my laurels. I’m always challenging myself to be better at singing, better at writing a story, better at writing a more poetic lyric. All of these things still apply to me. If you stuck a plug up my ass, I could still light up a decent size city to do what I do. [Laughs] God forbid that diminishes, but I only have positive and inspiring things in my life. Anything that isn’t doesn’t last very long, and I bring all of that to dinner. I bring all that to shows. Being able to devour Muddy Waters and then switch over to Frank Sinatra, then comfortably switch over to Otis Redding and then over to Luciano Pavarotti — all of this stuff goes into the Coverdale blender. I’m not just inspired by a couple of rock singers from the ’60s or the ’70s. My history goes as far back as music itself.”
Source: Blabbermouth
