As a member of two major hard rock acts, Winger and Whitesnake, Reb Beach knows a thing or two about the intricate art of crafting an arena-worthy guitar solo.

Now, with both bands calling it quits and Beach looking back on his formidable career, the question is: which one allowed him to fully flex his guitar chops – and, more importantly, his individual playing style?

“Winger, for sure,” he replies matter-of-factly in a new interview with Guitar World. “I did a record with Doug Aldrich [one of Whitesnake’s guitarists] at his house, but we didn’t have an amp, so I went direct. He said he would do the thing where you mic up the amp later – re-amp it.”

Beach insists that not only did it not sound good, he was far from happy with that. However, it all stemmed from the boss’ orders.

“David Coverdale, for some reason, wanted my solos to be a certain way,” Beach explains.

“The record I wrote with him, he said to Joel Hoekstra [another one of Whitesnake’s guitarists] [in a regal voice], ‘You can play whatever you want, but Reb, I am going to take you under my wing.’ He had to kind of approve my solos.”

Beach pinpoints one album in particular on which he had to get all his guitar solos signed off by Coverdale.

“It wasn't as much on the one I wrote with him, Flesh and Blood, but The Purple Album, he was all over my…” he quips. “What’s that Deep Purple song? Mistreated! Yeah, he was all over me on that one. I had to make David happy on that.”

As for Winger, it was a whole different story. While Beach admits that he also had to make [frontman, lead singer, and bass player] Kip Winger “happy,” their long-term dynamic helped ease the pangs of criticism, notwithstanding that Beach considers him “a musical genius” who “had some great ideas for me as well.”

“I’ve worked with Kip since I was a kid. I don't know… I felt more freedom,” he admits. “I wrote the songs, too; we would always write the solo sections for me. Kip would say [in a dry voice], ‘Okay, and that's good to solo over.’”

Guitar World’s full interview with Reb Beach will be published in the coming weeks.

And if you need a refresher on all the guitarists Whitesnake had over the decades, check out Guitar World's ultimate guide to the shredders who graced the stage – from the project's inception to Coverdale's retirement.

Legendary British rock vocalist David Coverdale has announced his retirement, bringing to a close an iconic career that has seen him perform with the biggest names in rock music.

He joined Ritchie Blackmore's Deep Purple, replacing Ian Gillan in 1973. He fronted the band for three records, including the barnstorming Burn and Come Taste the Band, their only record with Tommy Bolin.

Before the decade was out, he formed Whitesnake in 1978, a band that has played host to a legion of six-string talents, from Bernie Marsden to Steve Vai and many more beyond.

In the 1990s, he linked up with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page for the cult classic LP, Coverdale–Page. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 when Deep Purple were rightfully inducted alongside Cheap Trick and Chicago.

“After 50 plus years of an incredible journey with you with Deep Purple, Whitesnake, and Jimmy Page, the last few years have been very evident to me that it's time really for me to hang up my rock and roll platform shoes and my skintight jeans,” he says in a video statement.

“I thank everyone who's assisted and supported me on this incredible journey. All the musicians, the crew, the fans, the family. It's amazing. But it really is time for me to just enjoy my retirement, and I hope you can appreciate that. I love you with all my heart. Fare thee well.”

His announcement presumably brings Whitesnake to an end, but with no official confirmation, the door still seems slightly ajar for a possible replacement. The band launched a farewell tour in 2022, but Coverdale’s health issues forced the run to be cut short.

Whitesnake evolved out of David Coverdale’s post-Deep Purple solo project, and fittingly, Coverdale has been the only consistent member across the band’s history.

There haven’t been two Whitesnake albums with the same lineup since 1982, and Coverdale’s revolving door of talent has included some of the finest rock guitarists of all time.

Blues luminary Bernie Marsden, shred god Steve Vai, and journeymen Reb Beach and Vivian Campbell have all filled out the ranks. Here are all 12 of them, in chronological order.

Micky Moody – (1977–1983)

Moody played on David Coverdale’s first two solo albums, White Snake (1977) and Northwinds (1978), meaning he was in Whitesnake before the band even had a name. Moody co-wrote three songs on the second album, starting one of rock’s classic songwriting partnerships.

Moody’s wicked vibrato, fat Les Paul tone, and excellent moustache made his partnership with Bernie Marsden the definitive Whitesnake guitar lineup for many. Live… In the Heart of the City (1980) in particular is considered one of the classic live rock albums, showcasing the early ’Snake at their finest. Moody also notably co-wrote Fool for Your Loving, a UK hit originally intended for BB King.

Post-Snake, Moody worked with Graham Bonnet and Roger Chapman before reuniting with Bernie Marsden under various names including M3, Company of Snakes, and the Moody Marsden Band. He also showed his pure blues credentials by performing with Mud Morganfield, son of Muddy Waters.

Bernie Marsden – (1978–1982)

Marsden’s early career saw him playing with a pre-Michael Schenker UFO, doing one infamous tour with Suzi Quatro, and then joining Deep Purple founders Ian Paice and Jon Lord in Paice Ashton Lord.

Marsden joined Whitesnake for their first EP as a band, Snakebite (1978), and remained in situ until 1982, when he was replaced by Mel Galley. Marsden’s approach was more melodic than Mick Moody’s, and they made a formidable combination. Marsden co-wrote Here I Go Again, playing on the original 1982 version and making bank from the 1987 smash hit remake.

Marsden has been recognized with both a signature PRS guitar and a limited edition Gibson Custom Shop run of his ’59 Les Paul, ‘The Beast’. He was also invited on Joe Bonamassa’s Blues Cruises, a symbol of his stature in the blues community. He died in 2023 of bacterial meningitis, aged 72.

Mel Galley – (1982–1984)

In the 70s, Galley had been in Trapeze with Glenn Hughes, and he also played on Hughes’ post-Deep Purple solo album, Play Me Out (1977). With Coverdale frequently raiding the Deep Purple talent pool, it was no surprise he ended up working with Galley.

Galley co-wrote the singles Give Me More Time and Love Ain’t No Stranger for Slide It In (1984), with the latter becoming an enduring live favorite. In 1984, though, the guitarist broke his arm, resulting in nerve damage that meant he could no longer play.

He left Whitesnake, but developed ‘the claw’, a device that enabled him to play again, and joined Phenomena in 1985. Galley died in 2008 following a diagnosis of esophageal cancer, aged 60.

John Sykes – (1984–1987)

Thin Lizzy alumnus John Sykes was still playing with Phil Lynott when David Coverdale came calling. Whitesnake were huge in Europe but unknown in the USA, and Cov had ambitions to change that.

For their next act, Whitesnake would combine British blues-rock with American glam metal. Sykes, whose style was part Jimmy Page and part Eddie Van Halen, was the perfect choice. The guitarist initially refused to join, but Coverdale kept offering more money until he could no longer refuse.

Sykes’ first Whitesnake job was re-recording guitars for a remixed Slide It In for the American market. With Whitesnake finally making a US breakthrough, Sykes and Coverdale co-wrote the band’s 1987 album (released as Whitesnake in the USA), including the uber-hit ballad Is This Love.

Their relationship was strained, though, and Coverdale claims that when he took time off for vocal recovery, Sykes tried to replace him with a different singer. Sykes vehemently denied these claims for the rest of his life, but either way, he and producer Mike Stone were sacked. Sykes and other Whitesnake refugees formed Blue Murder, whose 1989 debut album is the spiritual successor to 1987.

Although Sykes only made one full Whitesnake album, it sold over eight million copies in the USA alone. For many listeners, the Sykes era is the definitive Whitesnake.

The guitarist died in January 2025, after a battle with cancer. He was 65 years old.

Adrian Vandenberg – (1987–1998)

The Flying Dutchman refused to join Whitesnake in 1985, but accepted the invitation in 1987, joining the band just as they exploded in America.

John Sykes had been fired before 1987 was completed, and Vandenberg’s first job was to record the guitar solo for the new version of Here I Go Again. Vandenberg’s solo appears on the album and in the video. For US radio, session legend Dann Huff recorded a new solo.

Coverdale got on well with Vandenberg, and elected to write Slip of the Tongue (1989) exclusively with him. A wrist injury sidelined Vandenberg from recording, though, and Steve Vai played all guitars on the album.

Uniquely among former Whitesnake guitarists, Vandenberg maintained a good relationship with Coverdale into the 1990s. The two co-wrote the 1997 album Restless Heart, which was slated to be a Coverdale solo album until the label insisted on Whitesnake’s logo. Vandenberg also appeared on the 1998 unplugged live album, Starkers in Tokyo.

After Whitesnake, Adrian formed Manic Eden and eventually revived his original band, Vandenberg, in 2020.

“I definitely regret that the lineup with Steve [Vai] and I didn't get to continue,” Vandenberg told Guitar World in 2023. “But grunge came up, and I've always been the kind of guy who sticks to his guns and does what he does best.

“So, if I could go back, I would have chosen to stay together and make at least one more album. I wish we had stuck to our guns, stayed together, and gotten back in the saddle like good cowboys.”

Vivian Campbell – (1987–1989)

The former Dio guitarist was recruited for Whitesnake’s mammoth 1987 world tour. It was a good decision for Campbell, who earned more money from that tour than he did in his entire time with Dio.

Campbell managed just one studio visit during his time in the band, recording a guitar solo for the single version of Give Me All Your Love ’88 which sounded as though he was using a Floyd Rose for the first time.

In 1989, Coverdale announced he would be writing the next album with Vandenberg alone, and Campbell got his marching orders from Whitesnake’s tour manager soon afterwards.

The guitarist busied himself playing on Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm’s solo album Long Hard Look, and in Gramm’s new band, Shadow King, until he bailed in 1992 to join Def Leppard.

Campbell and Coverdale did eventually bury the hatchet, and in 2015, Campbell joined Whitesnake on stage in Sheffield, England to perform Still of the Night.

Steve Vai – (1989–1990)

Whitesnake's label wanted the band to have a superstar guitarist, and did not feel that Adrian Vandenberg was the one. The solution was to also employ Steve Vai, then the hottest name in shred thanks to his stint with David Lee Roth and his appearance as Jack Butler in that guitar-centered classic of '80s cinema, Crossroads.

With Vandenberg injured, Vai played all the guitars on 1989’s Slip of the Tongue, turning in a performance almost as over-the-top as Coverdale’s lyrics.

The recording started just as Vai received his prototype Ibanez Universe 7-string, and he used it on every track, making Slip of the Tongue the first mainstream rock album ever recorded with a 7-string electric.

Vai left in 1990 to pursue his solo career. Given how things turned out for hair metal over the next few years, this was probably wise.

“David was a prince! He had a lot of confidence in me and basically knew he needed to just let me do my thing,” Vai – reflecting on his time with the band – told Guitar World in 2020.

“David knew what I was capable of and didn’t really interfere with what I wanted to do. I just did it, and if there was something he didn’t like I was happy to change it because it was his thing.

“Working with David was great and there was something in his phrasing as a singer that I just adored.”

Warren DeMartini – (1994)

Steve Vai once named Ratt guitarist Warren DeMartini as one of the guitarists he most admired in the ’80s, so perhaps he was a natural choice as Whitesnake’s next axeslinger.

DeMartini never recorded with Whitesnake, but toured with the band in Europe and Russia, where hard rock’s popularity hadn’t taken quite the kicking it did in the USA. DeMartini reunited with Ratt in 1999.

Steve Farris – (1997)

Farris’ first brush with fame was playing the guitar solo on Kiss’ Creatures of the Night in 1982. He was asked to audition for the band, but lost out because he couldn’t sing.

Instead, he formed Mr Mister, scoring hits with tracks like Kyrie and Broken Wings. He played second guitar on the tour to support Restless Heart in 1997, though he had not played on the album.

“I was recommended to [Coverdale] by my friend Marco Mendoza,” Farris recounted to Guitar World in 2024. “David called me after hearing my tape and asked me to go on the road. So I met up with him and we went out drinking, then I went on the road with him.

“I could have stayed on and never turned down any gig with Whitesnake. We came off the road, and Whitesnake was going to be done. Of course, David has had multiple versions of the band since.”

Doug Aldrich – (2003–2014)

When Coverdale decided to reactivate Whitesnake in the early 2000s, Aldrich was the perfect foil. Like John Sykes, he combined a healthy respect for blues with a ferocious high gain tone, and if anything, his shred chops were even sharper than Sykes’. Even more importantly, he brought the Les Paul back to the band for the first time since 1987.

With Aldrich as musical director, the reinvigorated ’Snake were so aggressive that former bassist Neil Murray complained, “the modern Whitesnake play the old stuff in a very heavy-handed, rather bludgeoning way.” The live albums from this era are essential for anyone who thinks this sounds like a compliment.

Aldrich had made his name playing on the Transformers: The Movie theme in 1986 with Lion, and in Hurricane with future Foreigner vocalist Kelly Hansen. From 2003 to 2010 he managed to juggle being in both Whitesnake and Dio, recording with both bands. He left Whitesnake in 2014 to join the Dead Daisies.

Reb Beach – (2003–present)

Beach already had a pretty strong CV when he joined Whitesnake, having played in Winger, Dokken, and Alice Cooper’s band. Despite having some of the most impressive tapping chops in the game, he ended up somewhat playing second fiddle to Doug Aldrich.

Beach appeared on Good to Be Bad (2008) and Forevermore (2011). When Aldrich departed in 2014, Beach finally got to write with Coverdale, receiving credits for five tracks on Flesh & Blood (2019). He’s still in the band, making him the longest-serving Whitesnake member in history.

Reflecting on his unique place within the band in a 2021 Guitar World interview, Beach said, “You want to know something wild? I’m the 46th member of the band! Isn’t that crazy? There’s been so many incarnations of Whitesnake, and I’ve been a member for 17 years. That’s longer than anybody except David.

“If I can attribute it to anything, I think it’s because I’m very easy to work with. I don’t like to make waves. I have a strong singing voice, so that’s a good thing. It’s hard to find a guitar player who can sing in tune and has a pleasing voice. So I’ve got that going for me.”

Joel Hoekstra – (2014–present)

After Doug Aldrich, Whitesnake needed another heir to John Sykes: blond, toting a low-slung Les Paul, and equipped with terrifying chops. Enter Joel Hoekstra, who had demonstrated his shred abilities in Night Ranger, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and in the Broadway production of Rock of Ages.

Where Aldrich was best known for his hammer-on licks and alternate picking, Hoekstra had a terrifying way with eight-finger tapping, taking Whitesnake even further from their blues roots.

His Whitesnake debut was The Purple Album (2015), a collection of re-imagined songs from Coverdale’s Deep Purple stint. He also co-wrote tracks and recorded on Flesh & Blood (2019), Whitesnake’s last original album to date.

On his decision to join the hard-rock juggernaut, Hoekstra told Guitar World in 2014, “David [Coverdale] is rock royalty, so any chance you get to work with him, you take seriously. Not to mention that the material in Whitesnake is also a guitarist’s dream!”

To the uninitiated, Bernie Marsden might have been easy to miss. In an industry of leather, motorbikes and top hats – and from a generation where ‘lead guitarist’ was shorthand for ‘show-off’ – the man once dubbed ‘British blues-rock’s secret weapon’ had the unstarry, affable, anecdote-ready demeanour of a pub regular. 

But as the guitar community well knows, there was much more to Marsden, who died at the age of 72 as this issue went to press. The myriad reasons to toast the great journeyman’s final flight span from the anthems he wrote (which included Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again) through to the young musicians he mentored, the sweetness of his touch and the treasures of his superb vintage guitar collection. 

Perhaps above all, among the pan-generational cohort of Guitarist journalists, we will miss a marvellous storyteller who often felt more like a friend than an interviewee – and whose generosity even extended to letting us play his fabled ‘Beast’ 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard.     

Born in Buckingham on 7 May, 1951, Marsden caught a glimpse of the world he wanted to occupy, at a young age: “People would take me to pubs when I was 14 because there was a band playing. Once I’d had a taste, that was it”. And then Clapton did the rest. Bernie shared that the Yardbirds and Bluesbreakers ace was “the first guitar player I really adored, because I was old enough to relate to it”. 

But it was perhaps Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac that made the defining impression, Marsden following his future friend’s live itinerary across the UK and later recalling in Guitarist that he was incandescent when Green recruited the 19-year-old Danny Kirwan: “How dare they get a guitar player the same age as me?”

Coming up in the early ’70s, Marsden made his own mark, though his career would prove a slower burn than Kirwan’s precocious rise (and fall). Early outfit Skinny Cat was an invaluable apprenticeship that went nowhere, and while Marsden hoped that moving to London in 1972 after passing an audition for UFO would “be like the cover of a Beatles EP, with everyone jumping in the air”, what briefly seemed like his big break crumbled into onstage fist-fights and a sour exit. 

The guitarist moved on, repeatedly. He was variously spotted in Glenn Cornick’s Wild Turkey, Cozy Powell’s Hammer, and Hertfordshire rockers Babe Ruth. He filled the gaps with session work and reflected on his higher-profile stint in Paice Ashton Lord as “a flash in the pan, but one of the best things I’ve ever done”. He might even have auditioned for Bad Company, had housemate Mick Ralphs not been first in line for the gig. 

Next, meeting singer and fellow blues fanatic David Coverdale at a Munich studio led to the partnership in Whitesnake that many fans consider to be the band’s best period. 

Let off the leash creatively for the first time, Marsden – always a disciple of The Beatles’ pop smarts – began writing hooks for the ages on the Beast LP he had bought for £600 in ’74 and played on every Whitesnake record. “When I played Here I Go Again to Jon Lord he had a certain look in his eye,” Marsden told Rob Hughes. “He said, ‘You’re a clever little sod, aren’t you?’”

True to form, Marsden would be long gone by the time a reboot of Here I Go Again topped the US chart in 1987, and “only started to see royalties after taking the company to court many years later”. 

Post-Whitesnake, the 30-something guitarist worried he was washed up, but his later period heralded some of his most soulful playing, whether in bands like Alaska, across his prolific solo blues career (his work ethic sometimes stretching to two studio albums in a single year) or as a foil to such luminaries as Ringo Starr, Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa and Robert Plant. 

With Marsden also latterly serving as a guiding light to younger players such as Laurence Jones, he often seemed like the glue that held the blues-rock scene together, a figure so omnipresent you sometimes wondered if he had a team of doppelgängers (this writer once found him in Walter Trout’s dressing room, debating whether to step in on bass after the US bluesman’s own four-stringer went AWOL).    

Decades earlier, as a teenage gunslinger, Marsden had teased his mother when she worried her would-be-musician son was headed for a wayward life of bacchanals (“I said, ‘That’s what I want to do this for!’”).

In truth, the boundless joy of making music with those who felt the same way was reward enough for this most modest of guitar heroes. “I suppose I am proud of what has gone on,” Marsden wrote on his website. “After all, I only ever wanted to play the guitar for a living.” 

Whitesnake have announced they’ve recruited bassist Tanya O’Callaghan for their upcoming farewell tour, who will replace outgoing bass guitar player Michael Devin.

O’Callaghan, an Irish musician who operates as an established freelance bassist, has a star-studded resume, which includes stints with Dee Snider, Steven Adler and Maynard Keenan, as well as numerous TV appearances.

Breaking the news in a statement on the band’s official website, Whitesnake wrote, “Well, well well, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. We are very proud to announce and introduce you all to our newest Snake… or should I say, Snakette!

“A whirling dervish of a performer whom we feel will bring a fresh, new, exciting musicality and welcome energy to the band, both in the studio and onstage.”

“For whatever reasons,” Coverdale added, “Whitesnake has never featured a female musician in the band before. Bad boys! We are thrilled and delighted to welcome Tanya O’Callaghan to Whitesnake. Let the music do the talking!”

Coverdale went on to say that O’Callaghan was the first person Whitesnake reached out to following Devin’s departure after being “blown away” by her performance at the 2019 M3 Festival, where she played in Stephen Adler’s band.

On her own social media account, O’Callaghan wrote, “I guess the snake’s out of the bag. What an absolute honor to be joining Whitesnake/David Coverdale for their worldwide farewell tour.

“This small town gal still pinches herself over the amount of legends I’ve had the joy to work, tour and record with over the past few years since I made the terrifying solo leap across the Pacific with no clue how everything would unfold.

“It’s been a wild ride and just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, who calls, only Whitesnake!” she continued. “And the best part, to step into the snake shoes of my bass brothers Rudy Sarzo, Tony Franklin, Neil Murray and Micahel Devin… are you kidding me.

“What an honor beyond belief. My heart is exploding.”

O’Callaghan’s swift recruitment comes after Devin’s departure was announced over the weekend by the Coverdale-fronted outfit, with Devin describing his decade-long tenure with Whitesnake as “pure magic”.

In a statement shared to social media, Devin wrote, “I will sincerely miss the guys. They are my family. I wish David Coverdale a most rewarding Farewell tour, he deserves all the love and support on his Farewell that I know the fans will bring to the concert hall.”

He also offered some words of praise for the band’s incoming instrumentalist, saying, “Best wishes to Tanya O’Callaghan, a badass bassist and friend. She will lay down the low-end in the most righteous way.”

Whitesnake are currently preparing for their worldwide farewell tour, which is set to kick off in May next year.

To find out more, head over to Whitesnake's official website.

It’s been a while since we’ve heard any new music from Jimmy Page. But it’s possible when we finally do, we may have David Coverdale to thank for it.

The Whitesnake front man collaborated with the Zep electric guitar legend for 1993’s Coverdale/Page, and now it appears that Coverdale is hoping to pull out some unheard material – and possibly even some new music – for the record’s impending 30th anniversary.

During an appearance on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Coverdale was asked about a reissue of Coverdale/Page, to which he replied:

“I finally reached a very positive agreement with my former record company regarding missing assets,” said Coverdale. “And I got the rights to the Coverdale/Page album. So, of course, my first phone call was to Jimmy, and I said, ‘We've got it. We've got it back, and we can do with it what we want.’ I literally just texted Jimmy two days ago, and I said, ‘Jimmy, I'm so sorry I haven't been in touch.’

“But we’re resuming contact starting next week to discuss. I've got a couple of ideas. I want to see if we can write courtesy of FaceTime or Zoom. I've got a couple of ideas which I think would be good for if indeed we can get back into the studio and plan for a very big, luxurious, complete box set for the 30th anniversary in 2023.”

As for what we might hear in addition to the original album, Coverdale continued: 

"We've got four unreleased tracks, which just need to be mixed. But since we reconnected, I've been messing around, writing at home. And I have two ideas which could make really fun tracks – just to throw at him and 'see what you can do with this.' The way we did it before – we wrote really very potent music together.”

Despite his hopeful plans, Coverdale also cautioned that the idea of the two getting together in a studio would likely not happen any time soon.

"At this moment in time, at his country estate, I don't think he has a studio," he said of Page. "And he certainly doesn't want to drive into London. He and I are target ages for this dreadful virus.

“So I completely support him in that scenario, because there isn't any rush. Nothing is gonna be going on this year. Even if we have the opportunity of recording, I can record stuff over here, send him the drive for him to do his part, and we can mix it through the technology now, which is something you couldn't do before. 

“But I have a studio at home, and Jimmy doesn't. So I'm hoping we can get some new bits and pieces and ideas and put that into play next year when it will be safer to get around.”

Foreigner, Whitesnake and Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience have announced a joint, summer 2018 tour of the United States.

The trek—dubbed the Juke Box Heroes tour—will take the band to amphitheaters across the country between mid-June and early August.

"I'm excited to join forces with my fellow U.K. countrymen, David Coverdale and Jason Bonham, for what's sure to be a rockin' summer tour in the States," said Foreigner founding member and lead guitarist Mick Jones.

"We are truly excited and looking forward to playing in 2018 with our friends, Foreigner and Jason Bonham, on their North American tour,” added Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale.

You can check out the Juke Box Heroes itinerary below.

For tickets and more, stop by foreigneronline.com.

Juke Box Heroes 2018 Tour

• Jun. 15 - Bangor, ME - Darling's Waterfront Pavilion
• Jun. 16 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
• Jun. 19 - Syracuse, NY - Lakeview Amphitheater
• Jun. 20 - Boston, MA - Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
• Jun. 22 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health at Jones Beach
• Jun. 23 - Camden, NJ - BB&T Pavilion
• Jun. 26 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
• Jun. 27 - Burgettstown, PA - KeyBank Pavilion
• Jun. 29 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
• Jun. 30 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
• Jul. 03 - Raleigh, NC - Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
• Jul. 04 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
• Jul. 06 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater
• Jul. 07 - Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Amphitheatre
• Jul. 08 - Simpsonville, SC - Heritage Park Amphitheatre
• Jul. 10 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
• Jul. 11 - Chicago, IL - Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
• Jul. 13 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
• Jul. 15 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
• Jul. 17 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
• Jul. 18 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
• Jul. 20 - The Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
• Jul. 21 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
• Jul. 24 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
• Jul. 25 - West Valley City, UT - Usana Amphitheater
• Jul. 27 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
• Jul. 28 - Ridgefield, WA - Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre
• Jul. 31 - Chula Vista, CA - Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
• Aug. 01 - Irvine, CA - Five Point Amphitheater

On October 27, Rhino released Whitesnake: Super Deluxe Edition, a 30th anniversary reissue of Whitesnake's classic 1987 album.

This reissue is available in four different editions. One of these is a Super Deluxe, 4-CD/DVD collection including the original album with newly remastered sound, unreleased live and studio recordings, classic music videos, concert footage and a 30 minute documentary, featuring a new interview with David Coverdale. It is also available in 2-CD, 2-LP and single-disc editions.

The Super Deluxe Edition is available for $49.98, while the Deluxe, two-disc edition is available for $19.98 (2CD) and $29.98 (2LP). A single-disc edition is also available.

You can pick up a copy for yourself here.

Venerable vocalist David Coverdale—he of Whitesnake, Deep Purple and Coverdale/Page fame—recently discussed Jimmy Page—and the guitarist's ongoing inability to reunite Led Zeppelin.

"The saddest thing for me, and my dear, dear, dear beloved friend Jimmy Page—I think one of the reasons he's explored the Zeppelin catalog so significantly is because he can't get the guys to commit to making a new record or touring," Coverdale told Sweden Rock Magazine (via Blabbermouth).

"Zeppelin's his baby, as Whitesnake is mine, but I'm very happy to say I have a fabulous fresh chapter of Whitesnake. I'm still a recording entity and I'm still a touring entity. The last two years have literally been the most successful we've had forever. It's been fabulous. Next year, God willing, won't be any different. This year, we're gonna be all studio, write a new album and have new product for next year.

"But Jimmy doesn't have that; he doesn't have an opportunity. I've recommended to him for years to do what Carlos Santana did with Supernatural [a successful 1999 album featuring guest vocalists]. Jimmy's got all these great songs. I said, 'I'm there for you. I'll do a couple of songs for you, without a doubt.' I said, 'Do something like Supernatural. At least you're playing.'

"It breaks my heart, 'cause he's such a fucking valuable musician. With what he's already given to us, he doesn't really owe us anything, but I just know that he's still valid and relevant and can still play amazing guitar and write amazing songs. Where do you go after fucking Led Zeppelin, dude? Where do you go?"

Of course, Page was able to get the band back together for a show in London in 2007; that performance was later released as Celebration Day. However, recent rumors that Led Zep would rock this year's Desert Trip have turned out to be, well, nonsense.

Here's a taste of Coverdale/Page performing Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog" and "Kashmir" in 1993.

Nobody expected Whitesnake to release an album of songs originally recorded by Deep Purple—not even David Coverdale, who fronted Purple between 1973 and ’76.

“It was certainly not part of my agenda, but I really couldn’t be happier,” Coverdale says of the twists of fate that prompted him to revisit the Purple catalog. “It looked just like a cosmic plan, like God’s chessboard moving the pieces into place.”

That plan began with Deep Purple keyboard great Jon Lord’s 2012 cancer diagnosis.

“The whole seed of this was Jon’s representative asking me if, on Jon’s recovery, would I be prepared to do some kind of Purple reunion. I was immediately onboard.”

But it was not to be; Lord passed away later that year. Then Coverdale lost several other people he was close to, and in a search for meaning amid tragedy he felt an urge to reconnect with his past. “I gathered a bunch of imaginary olive branches and started reaching out to people,” he says.

That group included Deep Purple guitar legend Ritchie Blackmore, who Coverdale hadn’t spoken to in decades.

“The last time Ritchie and I were actually in the same room together we had a physical confrontation which was unpleasant for both of us,” he explains. “From then on it was an unsavory, competitive energy between his group Rainbow and my Whitesnake, until Whitesnake became so fucking successful there was no competition.” But the former bandmates met to talk out their differences and find their peace. “I wanted to express the sorrow of the loss of Jon and to personally offer my sincere appreciation and gratitude for taking an unknown singer and placing me on a voyage that still continues today. It doesn’t get any better than the university of Deep Purple.”

These experiences circling around the Deep Purple legacy led to what became The Purple Album. With longtime guitarist Doug Aldrich leaving Whitesnake to pursue other endeavors, 13-year Whitesnake veteran Reb Beach (also of Winger) stepped up to take on a musical director role in addition to lead and rhythm guitars while former Night Ranger axman Joel Hoekstra was brought into the band to share guitar duties.

The result is the most overtly “guitar duo” approach on a Whitesnake album since the first half of the Eighties, and Beach couldn’t be happier with the opportunity to pay tribute to elements of Ritchie Blackmore’s approach within the Whitesnake framework.

“Ritchie Blackmore is one of the best guitar players in the world and he had a sound that was totally his own,” says Beach. “Winger opened for Deep Purple in 1993 and it was rough for me. People were shouting out ‘You suck! Blackmore rules!’ and holding up signs. The guy can play! He’s got this unique style; he pulls out these unique notes you aren’t expecting and he’s fast as hell. I had a lot to live up to.”

In honor of Blackmore’s tone Beach changed up his gear for this album, using a custom Suhr Strat-style guitar with single coil pickups alongside his usual Koa-bodied, EMG-loaded main instrument.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever recorded with a single-coil guitar,” he says. “It’s got this real bite about it. I used that on almost every song. We did a couple of passes of me and a couple of passes of Joel; Les Paul and Strat, like the classic Whitesnake.” Beach’s amp of choice is a Custom Audio Electronics OD100. “Nothing beats it! It’s smooth, it’s Marshally, it’s crunchy as hell and the clean sound kills everything.”

The two guitarists immediately developed a language together. “Joel is like a machine,” says Beach. “He did a big long solo—I think it was ‘Burn’—first take all the way through, and when the smoke had cleared I said, ‘You’ve got it!’ Then he said ‘Let me double it.’ So he doubled it perfectly. Then he said ‘Nah, I’m not sure about that one, let me try another solo.’ So he tried another solo that was just as good as the first one and he did it first take. Then he goes ‘Let me double it.’ So he doubles it absolutely perfectly. It was so perfect it was flanging! Freaked me out! He can just blow out a perfect solo for however long he wants and then double it. Forget it. That’s just insane.”

Whitesnake now begin rehearsals for an extensive world tour that will see more Deep Purple material in the set, calling back to the day in 1972 when Coverdale first stepped on a stage to play these songs. “It’s as if my life has come full circle,” the singer concludes. “There’s a feeling of completion.”

Photo: Ari Michelson

Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of a new — and old — music video by Bernie Marsden.

The song, "Trouble," is a reworking of the title track from Whitesnake's 1978 debut album — and it even features Whitesnake's David Coverdale on vocals.

This updated version of "Trouble" is from Marsden's new album, Shine, which was released September 30 through Mascot Label Group's Provogue Records.

“I’m very happy to have reconnected with David a few years back," says Marsden, who has been a member of Whitesnake, UFO, Wild Turkey, Babe Ruth, Paice Ashton & Lord, Cozy Powell’s Hammer, M3 and more. "When I asked him to sing this reworking of ‘Trouble,’ I expected him to say: ‘Oh, get your people to talk to my people.’ Instead he replied, 'Absolutely, dear boy.'

"His lead vocal was very different to the laid-back feel of my original backing track, so we re-did the whole thing. When it came to putting some drums on it, there was only one person to call — that bloke from Deep Purple [Ian Paice]. We also put the Hammond organ part in as a tribute to Jon [Lord, the late Deep Purple/Whitesnake keyboaridist].

“This video is very special," Marsden continues. "A few months ago, I was given a reel of film by a fan of a Whitesnake gig at Newcastle City Hall on the Ready an' Willing tour in 1980. It is unique and unseen footage of the classic early Whitesnake lineup [David Coverdale, Micky Moody, Bernie Marsden, Jon Lord, Neil Murray and Ian Paice].

"Having had the enormous pleasure of hearing David Coverdale as a guest vocalist, and Ian Paice on drums on the track, it seemed a perfect time to release just a little piece of [the film]. It's a little grainy, but it's the real deal. Watch Jon Lord in classic style on the Hammond organ! To put together the original footage alongside this all-new studio version was a great pleasure.

"I'll be talking to David re the rest of the film later this year. There is audio as well! Many thanks to the people of the North East in the film, and of course the whole of the Whitesnake army out there. Special thanks to Mark Smith for his camera work and great editing. Hope you enjoy it. Those on-tour Snake memories flood back!”

For more about Marsden and Shine, visit berniemarsden.co.uk and mascotlabelgroup.com.