středa 30. dubna 2008

Kansas





























Kansas is an American progressive rock band which became a popular arena rock group in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind". Kansas has remained a classic rock radio staple and a popular touring act in North America and Europe.
1970–1973: Early years
Dave Hope (bass), Phil Ehart (drums), and Kerry Livgren (guitar, and later keyboards) formed the progressive rock group named Kansas in 1970 in their hometown of Topeka, Kansas, along with vocalist Lynn Meredith from Manhattan, Kansas, keyboardist Don Montre, keyboardist Dan Wright, and saxophonist Larry Baker.
A year earlier, Lynn Meredith, Don Montre,
Dan Wright and Kerry Livgren were performing in a band called The Reasons Why. After the band changed their name to Saratoga, they started playing Livgren's original material with Scott Kessler playing bass and Zeke Lowe on drums. In 1970, they changed their name again to Kansas and added band members. This first lineup of Kansas, which lasted until 1971, when Ehart left for England, is referred to as Kansas I.
Ehart was replaced by
Zeke Lowe and later Brad Schulz, Hope was replaced by Rod Mikinski on bass, and Baker was replaced by John Bolton on saxophone and flute. In the meantime, Ehart and Hope formed a group called White Clover with Robby Steinhardt (violin, vocals), Steve Walsh (keyboards, vocals) and Rich Williams (guitar). They changed their name to Kansas when they recruited Livgren from the second Kansas group, which then folded.[1] The third line-up of the band, called Kansas III, received a record deal with Don Kirshner's eponymous label, and they recorded the first Kansas album shortly thereafter.

1974–1979: Rise to national prominence
The debut album,
Kansas (#174), which was released in 1974, showcased Kansas' signature mix of guitars, keyboards, vocals, and Steinhardt's violin style, which merged American-style boogie-rock with complex, symphonic arrangements and changing time signatures. Their sound bore the marks of late-1960s, early 1970s progressive rock, such as Genesis and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. Promotion by Kirshner and touring behind the debut album and its two follow ups, Song for America (#57) and Masque (#70), increased awareness of Kansas.
On the strength of the major hit single "
Carry On Wayward Son" (#11) the band's fourth album, Leftoverture, released in 1976, on which Steinhardt added viola and Walsh added vibraphone to their work, (#5), was a hit which garnered a lot of airplay on the burgeoning AOR radio format. The follow up Point of Know Return (#4), released in 1977, featured the title track (#28) and "Dust in the Wind" (#6), both hit singles.
Both albums had unique album covers, with Leftoverture featuring a
DaVinci-like old man on the cover, and Point of Know Return depicting a ship teetering over the edge of the world. Both albums have sold over 4 million copies in the USA alone. Both Carry On Wayward Son and Dust in the Wind were certified Gold singles, selling over one million units each.
During this period, Kansas became an important
arena rock act, becoming a major headlining act for several years, and selling out the largest venues available to rock bands at the time (e.g. New York City's Madison Square Garden). The band documented this era with its first live recording, 1978's double live album Two For The Show, a snapshot of various performances from the 1977 and 1978 tours supporting Point Of Know Return.
Kansas self-produced their follow-up to Point Of Know Return. The 1979 album
Monolith (#10) featured lyrics influenced by The Urantia Book and Native American themes. "Kansas" itself is a toponym derived from the Kansa tribe, whose name is widely believed to mean "People of the South Wind."[2] The starkly expressive album cover depicts Plains Indians in traditional dress and space suit helmets living in a settlement under the ruins of highway overpasses. While the album produced a top 40 single in "People of the South Wind" (#23), both the band and the label were disappointed in Monolith's failure to produce sales or radio airplay close to its two predecessors. Nevertheless, the album went Platinum and the Platinum record hangs in the Kansas State Historical Society.[3]

1980–1984: Creative tensions
Kansas' band members began to drift apart in the early 1980s. Kerry Livgren became a
born-again Christian, and this was reflected in his lyrics on the next three albums, beginning with Audio-Visions (#26), and especially on the top 40 single ("Hold On") released from that album. Dave Hope soon converted to Christianity as well. Walsh left to form a new band, Streets. Walsh was replaced by vocalist John Elefante, also a born-again Christian, who along with his brother Dino, later became known for producing albums for Christian rock bands including Sweet Comfort Band, Petra, Bride, Rick Cua, and Guardian.
Kansas' first album with Elefante,
Vinyl Confessions (#16), released in 1982, was their most successful studio release since Point of Know Return. The record renewed interest in the group and generated the band's first top twenty hit in several years with "Play the Game Tonight" (#17). The album's overtly Christian lyrics attracted an entirely new audience of evangelical Christians, who used lyrics from the record in religious tracts handed out after Kansas concerts. However, sales of the album fell just shy of gold status, and to this day the album has not been certified gold, unlike all of the band's prior releases.
By 1983, Kansas had scheduled time to record their next album, but Robby Steinhardt failed to show up to record the album. Kerry Livgren was holding back some of the more Christian content for his second solo album. Kansas' next release
Drastic Measures (#41) was written mostly by the Elefante brothers, with just three tracks from Livgren. The change in musical direction was closer to the sound of 1980's bands Loverboy or Foreigner than Kansas' earlier work. In fact, the first single from the album, Elefante's "Fight Fire With Fire," had a synthesizer/guitar-driven hard-rock sound similar to Loverboy. The single didn't crack the Top 40 on the Pop Charts, but reached #3 on the then recently created Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart, making the highest chart position of any Kansas release on any chart.
Livgren had always felt that he wanted the music industry to produce more commercially viable material, and ironically such attempts always led to commercial failure, while their most successful material was never intended as hits. But the band's new direction did seem more commercially directed on
Drastic Measures, and this was reflected in the lyrics of "Mainstream", which was a criticism of the dominant mindset within the music industry, which ironically the very album it was on was coming closer to reflecting.
During the Elefante years, Livgren and Hope had been feeling more distant with the rest of the band, and Livgren was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with Kansas representing his Christian worldview. After a final New Years' Eve performance on
December 31, 1983, Livgren and Hope left to form AD with former Bloodrock member Warren Ham, who had toured with Kansas in 1982, and Michael Gleason, who had toured with Kansas in 1983. They were joined by drummer Dennis Holt. Elefante, Ehart, and Williams sought to continue, as demonstrated by their recording of one more song ("Perfect Lover") which would appear on 1984's retrospective The Best of Kansas, but that was the last effort by the band with Elefante, whose main attraction to the band had been Livgren, and Kansas came to an end later that year. In recent years, Elefante has become a popular contemporary Christian music singer and has never again performed with Kansas in any of its reconstituted lineups.

1985–present: Reformation and touring
In 1985, the band came back together with Walsh but without Livgren, Hope, and Steinhardt. They released
Power in 1986 with new bassist Billy Greer (whom Walsh had worked with in Streets), guitarist Steve Morse (formerly of the Dixie Dregs, who has since gone on to rejoin that band and has been a member of Deep Purple since the mid-1990's) and, notably, no violin player (though in concert, Morse would perform the solo on "Dust in the Wind" on a violin). "All I Wanted," from Power became the last Kansas single to hit the Billboard Magazine Top 20 charts. 1988 saw the release of this lineup's second album, In the Spirit of Things, a favorite of several band members but a commercial failure. Morse left the band at the end of this tour. The band made promotional videos for a number of songs during this era, several of which received regular play on MTV.
In 1990, a German promoter arranged to reunite all the original members of Kansas III except Steinhardt for a European tour. Greer joined them, along with keyboardist Greg Robert, who had been touring with them in the Steve Morse years. At the end of the tour, Hope left again but Livgren remained on into 1991, which also saw the return of the violin but this time in the hands of
David Ragsdale. Livgren left during the 1991 tour, to be replaced temporarily by Steve Morse again. After the tour, Morse left, saying that David Ragsdale could cover the extra guitar parts, leaving Rich Williams as the primary guitar player. The resulting lineup of Ehart, Greer, Ragsdale, Robert, Walsh, Williams lasted from 1992 through 1997. This period saw one live album and videocassette, Live at the Whisky, in 1992, and the 1995 Freaks of Nature. On July 28 1996, Kansas was inducted into the RockWalk of Fame in Hollywood.
In 1997, Robert and Ragsdale left the band, and Robby Steinhardt returned. The following year they recorded
Always Never the Same with the London Symphony Orchestra as a sixth band member, featuring mostly older songs alongside a few new ones and one cover (Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles). Kansas has continued to tour, but the band has never been able to regain mass popularity or critical notice despite the media attention generated by the reunion album Somewhere to Elsewhere, an album that featured all original members of Kansas III plus Greer, with all songs written by Livgren. The album sold well on the Internet when it was first released, charting at Number 13 on the Billboard Internet album chart its first week.
In 2000 Kansas toured as opening act support of
Yes during their "Masterworks" tour. In 2002, Kansas II, the Kansas lineup before the group that recorded the first album, released an album of demos and live material they had recorded from 1971-1973. For legal reasons and a desire not to ride on the success of Kansas III, they decided to use the name Proto-Kaw. This led to a new album by most of the Kansas II members called Before Became After in 2004 and simultaneous tours by both Kansas groups. Proto-Kaw released a third album in 2006, entitled The Wait of Glory.
Kansas toured again in 2006. The tour was delayed for a few weeks in connection with the announcement that original violinist and secondary lead singer Robby Steinhardt had left the band.
[4] He had left in 1983 but returned in 1997. Robby was a central part of the band's live shows, acting as the emcee during both tenures with the band. David Ragsdale has subsequently returned to the lineup at violin. The band is on tour again in 2007. As announced on the Kansas website, four of the five members of the current Kansas lineup (Phil Ehart, David Ragsdale, Richard Williams and Billy Greer) have formed a recording project entitled Native Window. The lineup (featuring Greer on lead vocals) is intent on recording an album throughout Summer 2007. A mid to late 2008 release date is likely.

Influence
With classic rock continuing to be a strong genre of music, Kansas's influence has continued to inspire bands. "Carry On Wayward Son" has been covered by bands such as
Rachel Rachel, Critical Mass, Dream Theater, The Showdown, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, and even country superstars The Oak Ridge Boys. The song has appeared on album soundtracks for the movies Heroes and Anchorman, and being played during a scene in the Adam Sandler film Happy Gilmore. (where it is featured as the ending credits song). "Carry On Wayward Son" is also featured in Guitar Hero II. Most recently the song was featured in an episode of the popular animated TV series South Park. It has also been played on the hit tv series Supernatural (TV series) and the band is mentioned as one of Dean Winchester's favourites.
Progressive metal band Vanden Plas has covered Kansas, making a somewhat heavier cover of "Point of Know Return." The band's biggest single, "Dust in the Wind," was later used in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, a Subaru commercial, and in the film Old School. It was also prominently featured in several episodes of the television series Highlander.
The single was certified Gold as a digital download by the RIAA in 2005, almost 30 years after it sold 1 million copies as a single. "Dust in the Wind" has been covered by
Sarah Brightman, the German rock band Scorpions (during their 2001 acoustic album Acoustica), Christian artists Billy Smiley and Acappella and by former New York Yankees center fielder and aspiring jazz guitarist Bernie Williams on his 2004 debut album The Journey Within. In 2006, ex-Kansas lead singer John Elefante also covered "Dust in the Wind" as a single.

Discography

Studio albums
1974
Kansas #174 US Gold
1974
Song for America #57 US Gold
1975
Masque #70 US Gold
1976
Leftoverture #5 US 5x Platinum (certified in 2001 according to RIAA website at that time)
1977 Point of Know Return #4 US 4x Platinum
1979
Monolith #10 US Platinum
1980
Audio-Visions #26 US Gold
1982
Vinyl Confessions #16 US
1983
Drastic Measures #41 US
1986
Power #35 US
1988
In the Spirit of Things #114 US
1995
Freaks of Nature
1998
Always Never the Same
2000
Somewhere to Elsewhere #13 [Top Internet Albums]

Live albums
1978
Two for the Show #32 US Platinum
1992
Live at the Whisky
1998
King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Kansas [recorded in 1988]
2001
Dust in the Wind [re-release of King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Kansas]
2002
Device, Voice, Drum [CD/DVD]
2003
Greatest Hits Live [re-release of King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Kansas]

Compilations
1984
The Best of Kansas 4X Platinum
1992
Carry On
1994
The Kansas Boxed Set
1999
The Best of Kansas [expanded]
2002
The Ultimate Kansas
2004
Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection [2CD/1DVD]
2005
On the Other Side [re-release of Carry On]
2006
Works in Progress [CD/DVD]























Walsh, Steve




Steve Walsh (born June 15, 1951 in St. Joseph, Missouri) has been a singer and songwriter for the progressive rock group Kansas from 1970 up through the present. Steve Walsh was adopted by his parents and he grew up in Saint Joseph, Missouri. He now lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and two children. He is a career musician and he makes his living performing with Kansas and releasing solo projects.
Although best known as
lead singer and keyboardist for Kansas, he has three solo albums and two albums in the early 1980s with the band Streets.
In 1980, while taking a break from Kansas, he had a solo hit called "Every Step Of The Way."
In 1986, after leaving Kansas a few years earlier to form Streets, Walsh rejoined a newly reformed Kansas that included guitar virtuoso
Steve Morse. Walsh has remained the lead singer of Kansas ever since, and has battled through drug and alcohol problems, personnel changes in the band and a grueling touring schedule. He is a physical fitness devotee and although you won't see him dancing all over the stage, performing handstands on the keyboard anymore, his healthy living has restored much of his soaring tenor that at one point was reduced to a hoarse rasp in the 90's because of hard living.
Walsh may not have achieved the commercial success of contemporaries such as
Steven Tyler or Freddie Mercury, but he does have an impressive body of work to his credit. He was the lead vocalist on "Dust in the Wind" and "Carry On Wayward Son", both timeless rock classics. He is regarded by rock critics and peers as one of the great rock tenors of the 70's.[citation needed] Steve Walsh has been a participant in the annual Rockin' Christmas Fund charity fundraiser event held each year to help needy kids.

Discography
Solo
(1980)
Schemer Dreamer
(2000)
Glossolalia
(2005)
Shadowman
(2007)
Steve Walsh - Dark Day, Faule dr Roane
Streets
(1983) 1st
(1985)
Crimes in Mind
(1987)
King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Streets or Live-Shakedown



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What can I say about a person like Steve Walsh? There is much information about him available in magazines, interviews and on the world wide web. You can describe him simply as "The Greatest Voice Ever" or you can try to have a little look at the man behind the voice! I had the opportunity to ask himself some questions and I decided to choose these few to give some basic information about him.

I asked him:
What's your favourite meal? (The most important question!)
My favorite meals involve raw fish in some instances, but anything I fix at my home usually ends up being pretty good.
-
What are your favourite bands/musicians?
Kate Bush, NIN, Peter Gabriel, Rage against the Machine and Tool.
-
What is your favourite song?
I have many songs that I enjoy - my favorite changes like the weather.
-
Take only one album to a lonely island!
Kate Bush "Hounds of Love".
-
What's your favourite Kansas-Album?
In the Spirit of Things.
-
What's your favourite Kansas-Song?
Icarus - Borne on Wings of Steel.
-
Do you have a dream of doing something special?
Being involved with a visual art - either a movie project or a play.
-
Do you have a vision?
I only have hopes and aspirations - I imagine my life going in certain directions, but I think I can adapt if and when the time comes. And who knows, I might win the lottery!!
-
What was the most important day in your life?
There were two incredible days in my life. They were the birth of mylatest daughter, and the day I was presented with my first-born, who we adopted.
-
If you were not a musician, what occupation would you like to do?
I would love to do something outside-perhaps to help the environment. I think it's in sad shape.
-
If you could turn back time, what in your life would you like tocorrect or do in another way?
Without making the mistakes I have made, I never could have grasped certain realizations about myself. I am thankful I have such good friends as I do in the band Kansas, and a wonderful wife and family.
-
There are many rumors about the reason you left Kansas in 1981. Just a few words from you.
The rumors are probably mostly true. I left the band because the lyrics which were written by Kerry were pointing in a direction which I did not feel I could or should portray. As an interpreter of the song it falls to me to verbalize the meaning, and if I don't feel it or believe it in my heart, I don't have any business trying to make people's minds up for them.
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Regards2Steve@steve-walsh.de

Jeden ohlas ve Stevově poště z roku 2006 :
______________________________

To:Steve Walsh & Kansas: Friend! I Speak Not English ( or Bad ). I Am 45 Age . Kansas Played In My Life 31 Years.I Love " Point Of Know Return" And "Leftoverture." Your Music Is My : Symphony,History,Love,Tragedy,mainly Very,Very Much Invention And Good Relax, Virgin Island Beautiful Melodies In Commercional Sea Of Other Music. Very Happy And Very New CD´s !!!! Your FanPetr Galatik Slunecna 4555 760 05 ZLIN Czech Republic, 02-Jun-2006.

A několik dalších :

Hi Steve, I'm an Indonesian progressive rock musician with several albums out on Eurpean labels. My band Discus is considered to be the pioneer of Indonesian progressive rock. I grew up as a huge fan of you and Kansas. Thanks for your great music! It has influenced mine A LOT! I have a few wishes if you don't mind: 1. Please make a new Kansas album with Ragsdale, 2. Make it great as I know you guys can, and 3. Please play those great organ / keyboard solos again we haven't heard for too many years on record. You're such a GREAT Hammond soloist - I can't understand why that fact is so rarely mentioned anywhere. Regards, Iwan Hasan, 11-Oct-2006

Hi Steve- Where do I start...It was 1976 and I had just moved to Utah from Texas. I was 12 years old and had no idea of who I was. The following year I was headed up the mountain for my first ski trip with some friends. Dust in the Wind came on the radio-from that moment on I knew who Kansas was. I became aware of the other Kansas songs that had already been receiving airplay and I was amazed that I had never noticed them before. My life changed at that moment. Two things happened that impacted my life because of you and the band: First, I knew that I wanted to become a musician and have the same effect on people that you had. I eventually learned the drums and have been in many bands since the late 80s. It still gets to me when I see the audience dancing or singing along or signing the occasional autograph. The second thing that happened was that, after attending a Kansas concert in 1980 (Audio-Visions tour) in Salt Lake City, I got laid for the first time! I don't know if my girlfriend was just feeling generous that night or if it was the "smoke" blowing around the arena, but she let me have some. You guys rule!! I wish you all the best and remember, your music is forever. Ron Wise.

Hello Steve, When I was 15 years old I bought the album Leftoverture. Because I loved the music on this album, I bought the older Kansas albums and all the new releases until Vinyl Confessions. But Kansas without you, it wasn’t really Kansas for me. Then, a few years ago I walked into a record store and to my surprise I found the CD “Freaks of nature”. At that point I didn’t knew that you were back in the band for 10 years. And then a week ago I discovered in the record store that Kansas made a DVD in 2003: Device Voice Drum. Wow, what luck. This is one of the best DVD’s I’ve ever heard! Yesterday I read on the internet that Kansas toured in Europe in 2005. I’m 2 years to late to find it out! So I hope Kansas will return to the Netherlands or Germany one day. Then I’ll be there! This is reallly great music, with great playing and singing. Steve, I wish you all the luck and hope I can see you perform one day. Thank you and the rest of the band for your excellent music. Ad Manders, the Netherlands.

Since 1977 I´m listening your voice and music with Kansas. I just need a concert dvd from those years! Everytime I heard your songs you make me feel a lot of emotions and feelings.... thats great! Sorry for my english. From Málaga (SPAIN) GRACIAS!!! Steve Andrés Luengo, Coronado 23-Jun-2004

Hey Steve, My name is Tom and I live in N. New Jersey, just outside NYC. I have Been an avid fan of You and Kansas since 1976, just after the release of the single Carry on Wayward Son, on your fourth album Leftoverature. You guys were fantastic back then, and you, Robby, Rich, Phil, and Billy sounded just as teriffic at the Patriots Theatre in Trenton, this past Saturday night Feb 21. This is the first time in all the years I've loved Kansas that I have actually tried to get in touch with you and the Kansas band members to let you guys know how great you(s) are. Once, back in 1982, I was able to get back stage at the Palladium theatre in NYC, and shook the hands of Robbie Steinhart and Dave Hope. Robby Steinhart said this past Saturday night, "Almost 54 years old STILL ROCKIN!!!!" That was excellent!!! Hope Kansas rocks on for another 25 years..So you'll be getting close to 80..so what..lol I'm getting my son into Kansas so that he can appreciate good rock and roll, and not that hip hop grunge/rap music of today. P.S., Even my screen name was inspired from your third album "Masque". 25-Feb-2004


Whitesnake





Whitesnake je anglická hard rocková kapela založená Davidem Coverdalem (slavného z doby, kdy hrál s Deep Purple) v roce 1977. Hráli hlavně v 80. letech ale koncertují dodnes, i když v úplně jiném složení.
Na nějaký čas hráli v kapele i takoví muzikanti jako
Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray, Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, John Sykes, Brian Robertson, Adrian Vandenberg, Vivian Campbell nebo třeba Steve Vai.
Během celé své existence se kapela nejvíce blížila
Deep Purple, nejenom proto, že tři členové s nimi kdysi hráli ale také protože Deep Purple prostě v té době ovlivňovali hudební scénu hodně.

[editovat] Historie
Po tom, co bývalý zpěvák
Deep Purple David Coverdale nahrál dvě sólová alba, založil v roce 1977 kapelu Whitesnake. V 70. letech bylo ale hard rocku a heavy metalu všude plno, takže se jejich první alba jaksi ztratila (ale např. v Evropě a Japonsku byli docela populární).[zdroj?] V roce 1982 si Coverdale vzal volno, aby se mohl starat o svoji nemocnou dceru. Když se pak Whitesnake v roce 1984 znovu objevili v úplně novém složení, zněli daleko živěji a energičtěji.
Píseň Slide it in byla možná založená na starých tricích Deep Purple a
Led Zeppelin, ale kapela byla schopná psát chytlavé fráze - byla to jejich první platinová nahrávka. O tři roky později vydali stejnojmené album, které bylo ještě úspěšnější.[zdroj?] Části sice byli nestydatě podobné právě věcem od Led Zeppelin nebo Deep Purple (například píseň Still of the Night jako by z oka vypadla začátkům Led Zeppelin), ale kapela byla schopná psát opravdu úchvatné rockové skladby jako například Here I Go Again, které byly poháněné jak melodií, tak riffy, stejně jako rockové balady (např. Is This Love). Whitesnake měl obrovský celosvětový úspěch, jenom v USA prodali šest milionů kopií.[zdroj?]
Než v roce
1989 nahráli jejich další album Slip of The Tongue, Coverdale kapelu opět úplně předělal, v nové sestavě byl například kytarový virtuóz Steve Vai. I když album bylo platinové, bylo to po celosvětovém úspěchu Whitesnake celkem zklamání. Kapela si po tomto albu dala pauzu. V roce 1993 vydal Coverdale společně s bývalým kytaristou Led Zeppelin Jimmy Pagem společné album, které ale bylo dost nevýrazné. V dalším roce vydali Whitesnake v Kanadě a USA hitové album, zaměřené pouze na jejich poslední tři alba (obsahovalo i některé nevydané písně ale převážně materiál, který už v minulosti vyšel).
V roce
1997 Coverdale oživil Whitesnake (kytarista Adrian Vandenberg byl jediný člen, který zůstal z druhé sestavy) a v tom samém roce vydali album Restless Heart. Překvapivě album ani nebylo vydáno ve Spojených státech. Na následujícím turné Coverdale s Vandenbergem udělali unplugged koncert v Japonsku, který byl nahrán a vydán pod názvem Starkers in Tokyo. Každopádně na konci 90. let kapela opět přerušila činnost, protože Coverdale se koncentroval na první sólové album po 22 letech. Toto album s hostujícím kytaristou Earlem Slickem Into the Light bylo vydáno v září 2000.


25th anniversary reformation (2002-present)
In December 2002, Coverdale reunited Whitesnake for a 25 year anniversary tour. By the time of the anniversary in 2003, the band was ready. Joining Coverdale was;
Doug Aldrich (guitar), Reb Beach (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass), Tommy Aldridge (drums), and Timothy Drury (keyboards). That same year, they headlined the "Rock Never Stops Tour", with other popular 1980s rock bands. This line-up remained stable until early 2005, when Mendoza left to pursue the Soul SirkUS project and was replaced by Uriah Duffy.
In February 2006, Whitesnake released a live DVD titled, Live... In The Still of the Night, and announced a Spring/Summer tour taking in Japan and Europe.
In June 2006, it was announced Coverdale had signed Whitesnake to a new record deal, with Steamhammer/SPV records, to release a double live album entitled,
Live: In The Shadow Of The Blues, on November 27, 2006 (November 24 in Germany, Switzerland and Austria). It was made up of recordings from tours since the reformation in 2003. It also included four new studio tracks (the first new studio recordings since 1997's Restless Heart): "Ready to Rock", "If You Want Me (I'll Come Running)", "All I Want Is You" and "Dog". These songs have been described by Coverdale as "three balls-to-the-walls rockers and a ballad". [3]

Recent events
In June 2007 the band released a dual CD / DVD titled "1987 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition" to mark the 20th anniversary of the mega-selling album '1987'. The album was remastered along with a host of bonus material like four live tracks from the recent Shadow Of The Blues Live set. It also includes the four promo videos for the album on the DVD.
[4]
On
December 26, 2007 the band unveiled drummer Chris Frazier as the latest member of Whitesnake, replacing Tommy Aldridge. [5]
Whitesnake played at the
Rock2Wgtn two day festival held on the 22nd and 23rd March 2008; also featuring Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, Poison, Alice Cooper and Lordi, with special effects by Peter Jackson's Academy Award winning WETA Workshop of Lord of the Rings and King Kong fame.
On April 22nd, 2008, the band released a studio album called
Good to Be Bad, which reached the position No. 5 at the UK album chart.[6]
The band will Join Def Leppard in summer of 2008 for UK dates.
Black Stone Cherry will open the UK arena shows in June, while the second UK leg, comprising of three concerts in July will see Thunder open the shows.

In popular culture
In the animated television series, "Family Guy", Peter's wife, Lois, explains to one of her kids that Whitesnake is: "...music that mommies and daddies listen to."
In the
Venture Bros episode Fallen Arches, Dr Venture tries to teach his son Dean Venture about relationships and sex in an awkward montage that ends with Dr Venture making pelvic thrusts in the air and semi-hysterically asking Dean, "And there she was, writhing on top of the car! What was David Coverdale to do?" The scene was a reference to Whitesnake's Here I Go Again video.
They are the favorite band of
Family Guy character Lois Griffin.
During
The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror X episode, Dick Clark celebrates the millennium with his New Year's Rockin' Eve special in Springfield instead of Times Square. He introduces the band playing that night as Whitesnake, although the members don't seem to agree, believing that they are Poison, Quiet Riot and/or Ratt (as seen on the drums).
In
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Susan imitates how Tawny Kitaen climbs on the table in a Whitesnake video when making out with Ricky Bobby.
They are mentioned in the lyrics of "
1985" by the Texan pop-punk band Bowling for Soup.
When Lois Lane's character joined the Smallville ensemble references were made early on to her extensive Whitesnake music collection. In the episode "Crimson" (Season 6) Lois gives Clark a mix CD of Whitesnake power ballads while temporarily under the influence of a "love lipstick" - When she comes out of the love spell Clark gives her back the CD and she remarks that if she had given him a Whitesnake love collection she must have really liked him.
There is regular reference to Whitesnake in the movie
Old School starring Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell
In the computer game World in Conflict the song Here I Go Again can be heard from the headphones of a soldiers portable CD player in the final cutscene.

Studio albums
Snakebite(1978)Geffen Records
Trouble(1978)Geffen Records
Lovehunter(1979)Geffen Records
Ready an' Willing(1980)Geffen Records
Come an' Get It(1981)Geffen Records
Saints & Sinners(1982)Geffen Records
Slide It In(1984)Geffen Records- European/Canadian release
Slide It In(1984)Geffen Records- USA Release2X Platinum
Whitesnake (released as 1987 in Europe)(1987)Geffen Records8X Platinum
Slip of the Tongue(1989)Geffen Records4X Platinum
Restless Heart(1997)EMI
Good to Be Bad(2008)SPV

Live albums
Live at Hammersmith(1978)EMI Japan
Live...In the Heart of the City(1980)Geffen Records
Starkers in Tokyo(1998)EMI
Live: In The Shadow Of The Blues (double CD/DVD)(2006)Steamhammer Europe

Compilations
Whitesnake's Greatest Hits(1994)Features songs from 1984-1989Geffen RecordsUS- Platinum
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Whitesnake(2000)Interscope RecordsUS- Gold
Best Ballads(2000)Lighthouse Records
Here I Go Again: The Whitesnake Collection(2002)Geffen Records
Best of Whitesnake(2003)EMI
The Silver Anniversary Collection(2003)EMI
The Early Years(2004)EMI
The Definitive Collection(2006)Geffen Records
Gold: Whitesnake(2006)Geffen Records
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MEMBERS

David Coverdale backing bands - transformed into Whitesnake (1976-1978)
Whitesnake wasn't so much formed, as evolved. It was put together during the process of David Coverdale's post-
Deep Purple solo career. He began work with classic Whitesnake guitarist Micky Moody on both his solo albums. The touring band in 1978 that Coverdale used (to support his Northwinds album) was the band that would become Whitesnake very shortly.
Period
Lineup
Releases
David Coverdale Band
(1976-1977)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Micky Moody - Guitar
Roger Glover - Bass
Tim Hinkley - Keyboards
with
DeLisle Harper - Bass (session musician)
Simon Phillips - Drums (session musician)
Ron Aspery - Sax (session musician)
White Snake (1977)
David Coverdale Band
(1978)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Mick Moody - Guitar
Alan Spenner - Bass
Tim Hinkley - Keyboards
Tony Newman - drums
Northwinds (1978)
David Coverdale Band/Whitesnake
(1978)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Micky Moody - Guitar
Bernie Marsden - Guitar
Neil Murray - Bass
Brian Johnston - Keyboards
Dave Dowle - Drums

First Whitesnake Era (1978-1982)
Period
Lineup
Releases
David Coverdale's Whitesnake
(1978)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Micky Moody - Guitar
Bernie Marsden - Guitar
Neil Murray - Bass
Pete Solley - Keyboards
Dave Dowle - Drums
Snakebite (1978)
Whitesnake (1978 - 1979)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Micky Moody - Guitar
Bernie Marsden - Guitar
Neil Murray - Bass
Jon Lord - Keyboards
Dave Dowle - Drums
Trouble (1978)
Live at Hammersmith (1978)
Whitesnake (1979 - 1982)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Micky Moody - Guitar
Bernie Marsden - Guitar
Neil Murray - Bass
Jon Lord - Keyboards
Ian Paice - Drums
Lovehunter (1979)
Ready an' Willing (1980)
Live...In the Heart of the City (1980)
Come an' Get It (1981)
Saints & Sinners (1982)

David Coverdale looks after his sick daughter - band on hiatus (1982)

Second Era Whitesnake (1982-1991)
When reforming Whitesnake, Coverdale brought back only Mood and Lord, and the hurriedly put together band changed as it settled. The session musicians required to complete Whitesnake's self-titled album in 1987 only played on the song Here I Go Again 87 (other than the keyboards), because this song was unfinished when the band was fired.
Period
Lineup
Releases
Whitesnake (1982-1984)
David Coverdale - Lead vocals,
piano, percussion
Micky Moody - Lead guitar
Mel Galley - Lead guitar, backing vocals
Timothy Grace - Lead guitar, backing vocals
James "Weezy" Peters - Rhythm guitar
Colin Hodgkinson - Bass
Jon Lord - Keyboards
Cozy Powell - Drums
Slide It In - UK version (1984)
Whitesnake (1984)
David Coverdale - Lead vocals, piano, percussion
John Sykes - Guitar
Mel Galley - Guitar, backing vocals
Neil Murray - Bass
Jon Lord - Keyboards
Cozy Powell - Drums
Slide It In - US version (1984)
Whitesnake (1984)
David Coverdale - Vocals
John Sykes - Guitar
Neil Murray - Bass
Cozy Powell - Drums
with
Richard Bailey - Keyboards (off-stage touring musician)
Whitesnake (1985 - 1987)
David Coverdale - Vocals
John Sykes - Guitar
Neil Murray - Bass
Aynsley Dunbar - Drums
with
Don Airey - Keyboards (session musician)
Bill Cuomo – Keyboards (session musician)
Adrian Vandenberg - Guitar (session musician)
Dann Huff - Guitar (session musician)
Denny Carmassi - Drums (session musician)
Whitesnake (1987)
Whitesnake (1987 - 1988)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Vivian Campbell - Guitar
Adrian Vandenberg - Guitar
Rudy Sarzo - Bass
Tommy Aldridge - Drums
Amos Sanfilippo- Guitar (off -stage/touring musician)
Whitesnake (1988-1989)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Adrian Vandenberg - Guitar
Rudy Sarzo - Bass
Tommy Aldridge - Drums
with
Don Airey - Keyboards (session musician)
Whitesnake (1989 - 1991)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Steve Vai - Guitar
Adrian Vandenberg - Guitar
Rudy Sarzo - Bass
Tommy Aldridge - Drums
Slip of the Tongue (1989)

Coverdale embarks on Coverdale-Page Collaboration (1991-1993)

Third Era Whitesnake: Temporary reunions (1994-1998)
When Coverdale split up the band in 1991 to work with Jimmy Page, he worked with Denny Carmassi (who had done a little session work in 1987 for Whitesnake), Guy Pratt and Brett Tuggle. Carmassi was on both the album and tour for Coverdale-Page while the other two only appeared on the tour. Carmassi would join Whitesnake for the 1994 Greatest Hits Reunion tour which was organised shortly after Coverdale put the new compilation together. All three would join the band in 1997 for Restless Heart (though this was initially meant to be a David Coverdale solo project, and Pratt left before the support tour).
Period
Lineup
Releases
Whitesnake
Greatest Hits Tour (1994)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Warren DeMartini - Guitar
Adrian Vandenberg – Guitar
Rudy Sarzo - Bass
Denny Carmassi - Drums
Paul Mirkovich - Keyboards
Band split (1995 - 1997)
Coverdale works on solo album, becomes Restless Heart
David Coverdale & Whitesnake
Restless Heart Reunion (1997)
David Coverdale – Lead vocals
Adrian Vandenberg – Guitar
Guy Pratt – Bass
Brett Tuggle – Keyboards
Denny Carmassi - Drums
Restless Heart (1997)
David Coverdale & Whitesnake
Restless Heart Reunion Tour/Whitesnake Farewell Tour (1997)
David Coverdale – Lead vocals
Adrian Vandenberg – Guitar
Steve Farris - Guitar
Tony Franklin – Bass
Brett Tuggle – Keyboards
Denny Carmassi - Drums
with
Derek Hilland – Keyboards (touring musician)
Band split (1997)
Coverdale takes time off after hectic tour
Whitesnake Unplugged (acoustic)
(1997 - 1998)
David Coverdale – Vocals
Adrian Vandenberg – Guitar
Starkers in Tokyo (1998)

David Coverdale returns to solo work and tours (1998-2002)
Hilland, Franklin, and Carmassi all joined Coverdale for his
Into the Light solo album.

Fourth Era Whitesnake: 25th Anniversary reformation (2002-present)
In 2002, Whitesnake reformed fully. Unlike the reunions of the mid 1990s, this is a full time lineup as existed previously in the late 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s.
Period
Lineup
Releases
Whitesnake
25th Anniversary Reformation (2002 - 2005)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Doug Aldrich - Guitar
Reb Beach - Guitar
Marco Mendoza - Bass
Timothy Drury - Keyboards
Tommy Aldridge - Drums
Whitesnake (2005 - 2007)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Doug Aldrich - Guitar
Reb Beach - Guitar
Uriah Duffy - Bass
Timothy Drury - Keyboards
Tommy Aldridge - Drums
Live: In the Shadow of the Blues (2006)
Whitesnake (2007 - present)
David Coverdale - Vocals
Doug Aldrich - Guitar
Reb Beach - Guitar
Uriah Duffy - Bass
Timothy Drury - Keyboards
Chris Frazier - Drums