David Coverdale turns 60 in 2011. John Harrell photo.

INFINITELY CHARMING AND CHARISMATIC MUSICALLY as he is personally, David Coverdale took time to catch up with Goldmine’s Carol Anne Szel just before the release the band’s 11th CD, “Forevermore,” on the Frontiers Records label.

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By Carol Anne Szel

Recorded, produced and mixed by Coverdale, Doug Aldrich and Michael McIntyre at Snakebyte Studios and Grumblenott Studios & Villas in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, with additional work at Casa Dala in California, Coverdale has restored Whitesnake to its prime with this balls-to-the-walls, bluesy, soulful, rock and roll endeavor. In addition to Aldrich (guitars), the band is rounded out by Reb Beach (Winger, Alice Cooper) on guitar, Brian Tichy (Ozzy, Billy Idol, Foreigner) on drums and Michael Devin (Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Lynch Mob) on bass.

“Oh, Carol, don’t let me steal your heart away,” Coverdale croons as I answer the phone for our interview. “Hi dahling.” No wonder he’s in such a good mood; he’s been nestled in his Lake Tahoe digs for years now, staying away from the trappings of many of his peers, enjoying the rewards of his life’s work. “I’ve got almost a 365-degree angle where I can look out at the beauty of Lake Tahoe. It’s postcards from God on a daily basis,” he tells me.

I understand that in addition to releasing this new album, you’ve been working on a Whitesnake DVD of 1990 footage? How did you handle that while recording the new CD?

Whitesnake released its 11th album, "Forevermore," on Frontiers Records.

DC: My life’s a three-ring circus, honey, with all the acts playing at the same time. I was in such incredible shape back then. Yes, you’re talking 20 years; it was the 20th anniversary last August. But watching this son of a bitch Coverdale, I’ve seen more fat on a french fry, going around like some trollop. Literally, I’m going ‘Christ Almighty.’ I mean, I’m in pretty good shape, but this (1990) was like crazy stuff. So, it was intimidating, but also really inspiring for me to go ‘OK, f**k this, I’m going to get back into it.’ You know, acknowledging where I am in age or whatever. Still it was very encouraging for me to take on a healthier regime, workout regime, you know? Now I am weighing in, this morning at 177 which is pretty happening. For an almost six-footer, it ain’t bad.

Holy hair band, Batman! This incarnation of Whitesnake eagerly embraced the look of the day. Photo courtesy Warner Brothers.

How have your musical inspirations changed over the years?
DC: Well, you know, I’m not digging into the old negative. I did an album some years ago called “Restless Heart” (1997). A lot of the time the music comes first and then I make songs out of that. But some of the music was giving me inspiration for negative physical relationships. And I have such an incredibly positive relationship that I found I was digging back. You know, to get the kind of resentment vibe (laughing). For me, resentment is like taking poison and hoping someone else will die. I just do not recommend it. I can see that I was in a dark time because of that. And I made up my mind that I ain’t wastin’ no more time.

So I think that album was the last time I did one of those. Now it’s going to be a fun lyric like it is on “Good to Be Bad” and “A Fool in Love.” So it’s not that poisonous, venomous that woman sucks. You know, I don’t want that. That was then. That is just a theme that is not interesting to me anymore, and I feel a lot better going into something significantly more positive and legitimately where I am.  I wrote a song on “Good To Be Bad” called “Best Years.” “These are the best years of my life.” Are you kidding? These are even better than when I wrote it!
So that’s what I have to celebrate. Music is a celebration. You know, naughtiness, search for direction, love on an assortment of levels. And all the elements are secure as they were from the very beginning. Which is hard rock, rhythm and blues, soul, melody, and tongue-in-cheek.

Now you produced and co-produced with Doug Aldridge and Michael Macintyre?

Whitesnake at the beginning of its commercial peak in 1984 featured (from left) Mel Galley, John Sykes, Neil Murrary, David Coverdale, Cozy Powell and Jon Lord. Courtesy Geffen Records/Simon Fowler.

DC: Well we are “The Brutal Brothers.” It started way back when. I did a deal with an European independent company for a live greatest hits. And then I said ‘well, I don’t want to just keep re-working the old stuff. What about if we included a couple of songs?’ And I didn’t want to get myself too overwrought by writing a whole record because when I revamped Whitesnake I didn’t intend to make another record. That just unfolded that way. Thank God.

So we did four songs. Michael Macintyre has worked with me for years. He’s a fabulous Pro-Tools engineer and a dear friend. He’s my right hand guy. Michael, as I say, he’s recorded my voice for the last bunch of projects, and he has my total trust.

Doug, of course, came in as a guitar hotshot. We developed a great friendship and discovered we could write simply as an extension of our friendship. I’ve been in relationships that have been the equivalent of 12 root canals writing songs. Whereas this is more or less natural. You know, it’s a marriage made in heaven in other words. So we did these songs and it went very, very well. And then f**k it, the next album unfolded.
But we are really hard on each other to get the best out of each other. I turned around and I made a remark one day and Doug went ‘DC, man, that’s brutal.’ I said, ‘We’re the f**king brutal brothers, what do you expect!’ The way there’s the Glimmer Twins or the Toxic Twins, it’s just fun. But the three of us work together extraordinarily well. It’s just worked out really, really well for us.

Have you always been involved in production with Whitesnake?
DC: Basically I’ve always been involved in the production, from the very, very beginning. But the engineers I’ve wanted to work with to get that big bottom-end sound on records, they’d end up getting managers. And the managers would insist that these guys are producers. You know a real producer is somebody like Keith Olsen. All the albums I did with other people, they weren’t really producers, they were more engineers. So with this I’m very happy to now start taking production credits. You know, keep it all in-house, family.

Musicians seem to be doing that now.
DC: Well, it just makes sense. Because before you’d be paying a hundred grand plus enormous points. Which nobody could afford because it’s economically ridiculous. But the circumstances are, if you need it. I don’t.
Forgive me if I sound arrogant, but I don’t.

Not at all, it sounds real. It must be a challenge at times, though.
DC: Well Whitesnake’s no f**kin’ walk in the park. Because some of the songs are deceptively simple. Until you start playing them. And then you go, ‘Oh my God.’ It’s a full physical workout to do that.

Tell me about the new Whitesnake lineup.
DC: Doug and Reb, these are guitar slingers to die for. They’ve been with me for eight years, which is pretty long to last with Coverdale. They’ve kept their eye on the ball, they’ve kept focused, kept motivated, inspiring, and it was blissful to see those guys cooperating in the studio.

And these new guys, we have Brian Tichy, I’m sure you know. And he brought me Michael Devin, who has fantastic chops and is a beautiful boy; you’ll fall in love with him immediately. He and Reb are largely responsible for the backgrounds on this.

For many, many, many years I’ve worked with drunken sailors. So to have such accomplished singers now is lovely. I mean for singing, we’re going to have the f**kin’ Beach Boys up there! I’m very, very happy with them.

With all the celebrities going to rehab these days, how have you stayed away from all the partying and addictions that seem to have befallen many musicians over the years?
DC: I pretty much have indulged in all the naughtiness. Without the problem. And, of course, I’ve been involved with people who actually have been in a program.

When I first came back to the states in the early ’80s, the mid-’80s, a lot of the people I was familiar with, partying with, were in programs which I never f**kin’ heard of. I mean, if you have a problem in England or Germany, you go to the pub with your mates and get rat-assed drunk and spill the beans. Then they’d be like ‘don’t be so stupid. Snap out of it.’ Not to belittle the program because I’ve seen how extraordinarily beneficial it is, and I’ve been very supportive. I think it’s an amazing program and long may it be there. Because that support mechanism is extraordinarily necessary. But I’m truly grateful that I love my wine, my single malt, and my whiskies. But when it’s coming up to work time, I haven’t had a drink for six months. You know, when I finish in November I’ll probably indulge in some extraordinarily fine wine, but nothing is going to compromise my work.

I mean, I’m so grateful number one, I’m going to be 60 this year … I’m going to be 60 in September. And I feel healthier than I was at 30. Which I certainly f**king am! I’ll indulge now and again in a beer or this-and-that, but if you don’t have the recovery, then you’re kidding yourself.

Well what do you want to say to your fans about the new music?
DC: Well what Whitesnake is, the musicians do the kind of music that they like to sing and play. Whitesnake has something for everyone. I tried years ago to keep everyone happy, and guess what? It doesn’t f**king work.

We’ve done an album that we are extraordinarily happy with. If you want to jump on board, you will fall in love. Because it’s a f**king good time, a guaranteed good time for all.

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GIVEAWAY: Five (5) lucky winners will get a copy of Whitesnake’s newest release from Frontiers Records, “Live at Donington 1990.” All you have to do is go to the GOLDMINE twitter page, follow us and then type in what your favorite Whitesnake song is under #WhitesnakeGoldmine

Get our last cover story on WHITESNAKE: “Good to be…’ Whitesnake,” Goldmine August 15, 2008. Get the Digital Download for the issue for only $4.99.

By John Curley

Gary Numan’s current tour, which features his landmark 1979 album The Pleasure Principle performed in full, hit the Best Buy Theater in New York City’s Times Square on Saturday night, October 23rd. (The Best Buy Theater is the new name of the former Nokia Theatre Times Square.) Numan’s devoted and sizable NYC fanbase saw the  52-year-old musician put on a killer show that was very much a concert in two parts. 

The material from The Pleasure Principle was performed first. While they don’t seem particularly dated, the songs from The Pleasure Principle are markedly different from the material that Numan released later in his career. The songs on The Pleasure Principle could be classified as synth rock while Numan’s later output borders on heavy-duty industrial. The shift in the show could even be seen onstage when, after The Pleasure Principle portion of the show had ended, a roadie walked onstage and removed Numan’s synth and microphone, and replaced them with a standup microphone. Numan, seemingly freed from the shackles of having to sing while also playing the synth, joyfully picked up the microphone stand and twirled it around.  It was quite the extroverted move and, not having seen Numan in concert before, it wasn’t something that I expected him to do. The crowd loved it. Numan also struck many rock-star-as-Christ poses throughout the concert. He didn’t speak much to the crowd, but let his music and gestures do the talking.

While Numan had a few chart hits in his native UK, he is primarily known in America for “Cars,” the huge 1980 international hit single from The Pleasure Principle album. And “Cars” did get a nice reaction when it was performed at the concert. But The Pleasure Principle certainly is not just “Cars” and a bunch of filler. The entire album—which also includes “Airlane,” “Metal,” and “M.E.”—is terrific, and it was quite a privilege to get to hear it performed live in its entirety.

Following The Pleasure Principle portion of the show, Numan played guitar on a few songs. Numan favorites “Down In The Park” and “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” from his Tubeway Army days were also performed in the show.

Numan performed for 95 minutes. His show featured an 18-song main set and three-song encore. He was backed by a five-piece band that featured a drummer, a bassist, and three synth players. One of the synth players switched to lead guitar after The Pleasure Principle part of the show concluded.

During the show, which was part of New York City’s CMJ Festival, Numan revealed that he was under the weather and had cancelled a show earlier in the week due to his illness. He warned the crowd that he might not be able to hit some of the high notes in The Pleasure Principle songs. His voice sounded pretty good for the most part and only showed wear toward the end of the show.

Numan’s North American tour runs through November 4th. Full tour dates can be found on Numan’s MySpace page.

The set list for Gary Numan’s show on Saturday, October 23rd at the Best Buy Theater in New York City was as follows:

Random
Airlane
Metal
Complex
Films
M.E.
Tracks
Observer
Conversation
Cars
Engineers
The Fall
Pure
Down In The Park
Haunted
Halo
BLEED
Are ‘Friends’ Electric? 

Encore:
Zulu
I Die You Die
Prayer For The Unborn

Gary Numan brought his tour, which features a full run-through of The Pleasure Principle album, to the Best Buy Theater in New York City’s Times Square on Saturday, October 23rd.

By Carol Anne Szel

So since when has rock and roll ever played it safe?  And why is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame being so politically correct?

This year’s nominated artists into the 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are all, well, musicians who meet the criteria.  In one very calculatedly way.  They had their first hit in the music industry on or after 1986.  But rock and roll?  Really?

Let’s take a look at who is out instead of who is in.  How is it possible for Chic to even be nominated before KISS?  Are they nuts?  This makes The Grammy’s embarrassingly awarding Jethro Tull Best Hard Rock/Metal band in 1989 look like an ace-in-the-hole!

Okay, obvious and quite deserved in their own right nomination nods to Alice Cooper, Dr. John, J.Geils, and Bon Jovi.  Agreed.  They are rock and rollers.  They play rock music.

But LL Cool J.  Really?  Everything ever written about him, everything he has ever been about musically is rap.  My gosh, he’s a rap icon.  Actor.  Writer.  But rocker? I think not!

And after disco/funk/R&B Chic, whose hit song was “Dance, Dance, Dance,”  we hit upon Donna Summer.  WHAT?  When I was growing up I remember going to a Peter Frampton concert at Madison Square Garden where banner after banner draped the rafters with the now iconic “Disco Sucks” flags flying high and proud.  C’mon now.  We are nominating the rock and roll adversary into our hall of fame!

Now please do not get me wrong.  Donna Summer is a musical legend.  Hands down.  But rock and roll she is not.

So this begs to be questioned.  Since when has rock and roll become so politically correct that it has to somehow embarrassingly include all musical genres into the mix?  Either stick to rock or change the name of the Hall of Fame.  Don’t play us for a fool, don’t walk on musical eggshells, people.  Long live rock and roll !  (and bowing down to beg the forgiveness of KISS as you hand them the key to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would be a nice follow-up while you’re at it!)

POISON’S TOP HITS AND ROOF-RAISING CONCERT PERFORMANCES GATHERED FOR NEW 2CD BOXED SET,

‘NOTHIN’ BUT A GOOD TIME: THE POISON COLLECTION,’ TO BE RELEASED NOVEMBER 9 BY CAPITOL/EMI

Collectible Box Features 34 Studio Hits and Concert Recordings, Plus an Exclusive, Limited Edition

“Every Rose Has Its Thorn” Bandanna

Hollywood, California – October 4, 2010 – Poison’s biggest hits and classic concert performances have been gathered for a new 2CD boxed collection to be released November 9 by Capitol/EMI.  Nothin’ But A Good Time: The Poison Collection features the band’s most popular hits, including “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” “Unskinny Bop,” and “Something To Believe In,” as well as roof-raising 1991 concert recordings of “I Want Action,” “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” “Nothin’ But A Good Time,” and many more.  The new collection also includes an exclusive, limited edition “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” bandanna and a full-color booklet with band photos.

Since first bursting onto the scene in 1986, Poison has been one of rock’s top acts, with more than 21 million multi-platinum album sales and major sold-out tours.  The success of the band’s most recent releases and tours shows that Poison is as potent now, 24 years after the release of their debut album, Look What The Cat Dragged In, as ever.

Poison’s singer Bret Michaels will return to national television this fall with an all-new VH1 series, “Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It,” premiering October 18.  The new show follows Bret’s life on the road and also reveals more about his home life than ever before, showing Bret hard at work and play on his sprawling compound where his daughters Raine and Jorja, who affectionately refer to him as “Poppa Rocka,” and their mother, Kristi Gibson, also reside.

www.poisonweb.com