a word with david coverdale

Right, folks, we can hardly believe this ourselves but we did make an interview with David Coverdale. Call it luck or whatever, but we did it. How? - you might ask. Well basically, the answer is: being good at English helps. A Russian project Afisha.nu (now closed down) was to do an interview with him, but since they didn’t have anyone in the office who would be fluent with the language they turned to Rag Doll for help and she referred them to yours truly. So we came over and helped them do it, getting the exclusive right for the English, original version of this interview. Some of the questions were given to us in advance some were made up right there and then. The rest of it is on the paper...

DAVID COVERDALE SPEAKS TO TTI

TTI: Hello

Coverdale: How are you doing?

Pretty good, how about you?

Very well, just a little cold outside at this time of morning. I think we’re entering autumn.

Well, its autumn in Moscow all right now.

Oh, God!

Yeah it’s something like plus 15

Are you having an early winter? (oops, I should have said it was Celsius... :) -- ed.)

I don’t know, probably. OK, so if you don’t mind let’s proceed with the questions.

Of course

Will you, please, tell us a bit about your new album «Into the Light». How did the work over the album go and was recording it any different from making Whitesnake records?

I discovered that for many years I was writing most of my songs to accommodate the group identity or group image. And I don’t wanna do that anymore...

Err, well, three questions in one, do you make it easy for me this time of the morning? Number one, I’m probably happier with this record than any other, that I’ve been involved with. Not only with the songs and the performances but with the technical aspect. I feel, after so many years, I feel that I have the studio team together, that I’ve always wanted. A guy called John Axe, Bjorn Vorswod, Norwegian guy, and my trustee right-hand Michael McAntire, who you just spoke to. Michael recorded all of my vocals for the album. And I love the diversity, I love the fact that I had no compromises to make to accommodate my guitar-heroes. And that was very pleasing for me just to feel very natural. It’s interesting because I discovered that for many years I was writing most of my songs to accommodate the group identity or group image. And I don’t wanna do that anymore. When I start to write I want to let the songs flow wherever it naturally want to go. Do you know what I’m saying?

Well, you’ve mentioned some guitar heroes which brings us to the next question. What can you say about the musicians that you helped you working over this album?

Yeah, well the circumstance was, instead of writing once again for a group and thinking ‘Oh, I must have something interesting for my drummer, I must have something interesting for my guitarist’ this time I just focused on the songs. And what I did when I had the songs together I looked around for musicians who I felt could bring these songs to life, though it was a small and very simple reversal: instead of writing my songs for musicians I actually found musicians that I felt appropriate to bring my songs to life. That’s what I did and these musicians were fantastic. I picked them, you know, personally obviously, because I felt it would be the right players to make the most for my music.

Talking about the songs, which you were focusing on this time. You see, as far as we remember during the most of your career you wrote a lot about tears. We were wondering, why?

Well, I think, there’s a great deal of pain in any relationship, there’s a great deal of pain in the world. But I must say first that when I sit down with my guitar or when I sit down at the piano, I do not think ‘I must write a love song. I must write a song about tears.’ What comes out of me... and I don’t wanna compromise that flow anymore. The circumstance is that I have been exploring my personal experience now for... well, for most of my life. As a child I would write poetry and I could say some certain things with poems that I could say to my friends who just wanted to play soccer, you know. Once I learned to play an instrument certainly the poems became songs. I’ve never been uncomfortable putting my emotions on display, do you understand? And, as I say, when I start to

when I start to write a piece of music it’s never really ‘Let’s write a song about broken heart’ - it’s what comes to me...

write a piece of music it’s never really ‘Let’s write a song about broken heart’ - it’s what comes to me. And I think a lot of my songs not only helped me in a kind of therapeutic sense but I think they also help a lot of other people too.

That’s true. Well, the ‘River Song,’ an absolutely fabulous song that opens your album. You dedicated it too Jimmy Hendrix. Could you compare the life of Jimmy Hendrix to any particular river?

Oh no, the actual, the musical elements of the song are my tribute to Jimmy Hendrix. The actual song is about my spiritual journey through my life. And maybe yours too? My experiences are not unique. You know, because I’m English and you’re Russian doesn’t mean any difference to me at all. The same emotions, the same physical problems, the same anxieties, the same stress. And I’m very fortunate that I have a great vehicle for me to get a lot of my emotions out through my music. You know all my worries, all my concerns.

OK, you started your singer career in the bands like Rivers International and Fabulosa Brothers. Any reminiscences about the times?

(Laughs) I don’t really think back that far. When I’m making interviews with Europeans it’s very strange to me at times to be talking about Deep Purple, which was 30 years ago.

Ooops, I think we’ve got a couple of Deep Purple questions down here...

Exactly, it’s like I think a lot of people... It’s fantastic that the legacy of Deep Purple touched so many people and continues to do so. But I must tell you that I do not live in the past. I remember the past and I remember it very strongly, but the interesting thing to me is, I think that some people think that I go to sleep thinking about Deep Purple, or wake up thinking of Deep Purple. I actually only think about Deep Purple when you ask.

I think that some people think that I go to sleep thinking about Deep Purple, or wake up thinking of Deep Purple...

But still, alright, what is your favourite Deep Purple album you did?

‘Burn’, I like the ‘Burn’ record. Although, I must tell you that I’m not really a fan of albums, I’m a fan of songs.

Then probably your favourite Deep Purple songs you did?

Yeah, I have some favourite songs - ‘Mistreated’, I love ‘Burn’, I really enjoy ‘Love Soldier of Fortune,’ which touched a lot of people, connected with a lot of people. I only made three studio albums with Deep Purple. And I was actually only in Deep Purple for three years. But it was an incredible education, an incredible journey. I look upon it as my college years, my university, my learning school.

Well, the song ‘Fool For Your Loving’ which you’ve written together with Bernie Marston and that is considered by many like THE Whitesnake song, but is it true that initially...

(erupts in laughter) But it’s another song about tears!

It is! Well, the questions is, is it true that initially it was written for B. B. King?

That’s correct, yes.

So, how come he didn’t do it?

Well Bernie Marston was doing an interview with B. B. King. And he said it to B. B. King that we were big fans of his and all this. And he said: ‘Why don’t you guys write me a song?’ So Bernie told me about this and he went off to Africa on safari. So basically I put most of the elements of that song together. And this was at the time when B. B. King was working with an American group, kind of jazz group called ‘The Crucaders.’ And, you know, that was the idea of the arrangement but when we made the demo of this song it sounded very powerful, and I felt that it could be more appropriate for my group than for B. B. King. Basically the first hit of Whitesnake.

Now, your co-operation with Jimmy Page ended in only one record really...

And lots of bootlegs!

Yeah that’s certainly true. Well have you heard what he is doing now in Black Crows. And what do you think of it?

I spoke to Jimmy a couple of days ago and I think its great deal of fun. I love hearing the songs with Chris Robinson singing. He’s playing great, he looks great, but he has just recently had an injury, so he had to postpone his tour.

What happened to him?

I think he hurt his back. He is back in England now, I’m actually going to be calling him this morning to see how he’s doing. But I’ve spoken to him a couple of times over the last two weeks and I know he’ll come out of this. Apart from his injury, he’s feeling better than he’s felt for many years, which is always a good thing to hear.

Ok, I hope he’s getting well soon.

Right, I’ll send your best.

How do you manage to keep your voice in such a good shape for such a long time? Any special secrets?

Well, It’s just my passion, I think.

Is that it?

I think, God definitely shines the light on me. And, you know, I try to be not so restless as I used to be. Not so many late nights, not so much... not so much vodka! Though my favourite Russian drink is Starka. You know that?

If you’re ever coming to Russia we’ll try to arrange this for you.

OK, next time I come here - you and I have Starka. That’s a deal.

Talking about modern singers, is there anyone that sort of impresses you?

Oh God, let me see. I tell you I like very much and my wife is a big fan of an American singer called Rob Thomas. He made a big hit with Santana. The song is smooth. He had a very nicely contained soul for it. I like his singing, yeah. Of course, I really enjoy what Chris [Robinson] is doing with Jimmy [Page] for the Black Crows. It’s what people call, old school which is the big bluesy kind voice. I suppose it’s my favourite voice. I love Loren Hill, D’Angelo, I just love anybody who uses that instrument, who is in favourite E with love and emotion. And of course I love Pavarotti, Maria Calals. I love expressionism, you know.

Well, hard rock and blues is very popular in Japan. Do you have any ideas why it is so and why so many bands record their live albums there?

To me it’s interesting, because I always look at the culture of the country. And Japan is a very

...with rock’n’roll it is completely and utterly self-expression. And it creates a sense, or a fire inside of you, if the music is right.

(pauses) let me see... Their whole culture is to withhold their emotions, keep their emotions inside and with rock’n’roll it is completely and utterly self-expression. And it creates a sense, or a fire inside of you, if the music is right. And it motivates and inspires you to release your emotions. And I think this was big shock to Japan, for many years ago, 30 years go, when the first bands went there, that people could actually let loose their emotions. I think that changed with all. Rock’n’roll music has definitely made a huge difference to help people express themselves. Quite honestly, I think, whether it’s Japan, Africa, the Middle East, Germany, Russia or whatever, if the music connects with you, it touches your emotions and your body, then that’s good.

Talking about blues, they say that blues is when a good man feels bad, or basically when he is blue, right, do you agree with this?

Yes, but I look upon blues as just a word for «expression». Some of my favourite blues songs are celebrations of joy.

Any examples?

Well, any Muddy Waters, a song he had, called ‘I Feel so Good.’ These are not sad songs, at times its misinformation, I think. It’s kind of journalist propaganda that blues has to be all sad - it’s just another word for «expression». That can be positive, that can be happy as well as sad. It’s the integrity and the sincerity of the emotions of the singer, or the guitarist, or the whatever the musician performs the song with. A very interesting thing for me I was born in 1951. My aunt and my uncle were teenagers so they introduced me to Little Richard and Elvis Presley. And you don’t really know

...yeah, when you hear black American blues, these musicians were completely honest.

why it’s connecting you in the primitive, it’s the drums, the heartbeat of the music, and the celebration of the voice of the song. Because, the music that I was exposed to as a child was very-very safe pop music, you know, which had all hidden sexuality, hidden emotions, there was no honesty, yeah, when you hear black American blues, these musicians were completely honest. And that what was attractive to me about it. Unusual for a British man, because normally, the British keep their emotions very tight inside.

Well, as far as I understand it’s early in the morning something like 8:30? Is it the usual way for you to get up that early?

I get up at 4 o’clock.

Oh, man!

My coffee machines are set for 4 o’clock. Because that’s the only time my house is quiet.

Jesus! Four o’clock, that’s impossible!

Right, that’s the time when I do most of my writing, my European business calls. And then at nine o’clock all hell breaks lose, the phone continues to ring, we have four people who work with it in the house. In the house we have three offices and, of course, I have a four-year-old son who rules the house. Well he usually gets up around now, as we speak he’s watching cartoons and having breakfast in my bed. While I’m talking to Russian journalists.

Right, I’m afraid we’ll have to return to Whitesnake once again, because for the majority of Russian fans Whitesnake has always been like one of the very few bands which were available on the market first and it has always been a really big hit first in the former Soviet Union and then in Russia. And of course all of them really want to know is there any chance whatsoever of any reunion of the band?

Well, number one I must ask a question: why? And the next question would be who would I make a reunion with? Many musicians have been through Whitesnake. I think if I put everybody together it’d like the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.

So no plans for that?

I’m not gonna stop playing Whitesnake music, that was 20 years of my life.

No, I have no plans for that, but you must remember, that working under my own name now I can play any music I want, I can play Deep Purple music, I can play Coverdale/Page music, I can play Whitesnake music. I’m not gonna stop playing Whitesnake music, that was 20 years of my life.

I’m really glad to hear that. Do you have any plans on coming to Moscow or Russia in general, giving some life shows here?

I would hope to be invited. I never go to parties without being invited.

And the final question: do you have any message towards your Russian fans?

I just hope that you find my new music uplifting and positive. I am very happy with it. And this is a new chapter in my book of music. You know, I’m telling you more intimate stories about my life.

Well, thanks a lot and please accept my and the whole editorial’s sincerest congratulations on your coming birthday , which is, as far as I believe, something like 22 of September?

That’s correct and very much appreciated, and thank you for remembering it!

You’re more than welcome, and thank you once again.

Thank you and the best of luck to you, and your colleagues, and your readers!

TTI would like to thank Alex Lord and Olga Smirnova and Maria Yezhukova of (S.B.A./Gala Records) for helping us organise this interview and putting it together.