DAVID COVERDALE: 'I Don't Appreciate Anyone Pissing On The WHITESNAKE Parade'

Patrick Prince of Powerline recently conducted an interview with former DEEP PURPLE and current WHITESNAKE frontman David Coverdale. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Powerline: As far as live performances are now concerned, bands need to entertain more. Unlike the old days of, say, DEEP PURPLE when you could just stand there, put your head down and overindulge in a long jam on stage. Do you agree?

Coverdale: It's up to the musicians. I feel WHITESNAKE has always worked hard for the crowd and we've been rewarded for it. There's no shame in entertaining people, particularly now in such challenging economic times. Whatever anyone else wants to do on stage is of no consequence to me, to be honest. I just do what I do. Hopefully others have as much fun doing it as we do.

Powerline: Listening to the WHITESNAKE catalog, there always seemed to be a similar structure throughout, which ties it all together. Will the next studio album follow suit? Are you writing new material for a studio LP?

Coverdale: It's the "WHITESNAKE identity." Forged from years of heartache, celebration, debauchery and doing the naughty. Yes, all the ol' familiar elements: hard rock, blues, rhythm and blues… melodic and human themes anyone and everyone can identify with and relate to. And why not? I've never been one to "bottle it up."

Powerline: You once said that you had found a perfect songwriting partner in Adrian Vandenberg. Did you expect that to continue or pick up somewhere in the future?

Coverdale: Indeed. Adrian and I wrote and collaborated on some super songs — as Doug [Aldrich] and I are doing now. I must include Doug. He has been and is a partner to die for. I am so very happy with everyone I am involved with now that I don't even think of working with anyone else. No disrespect meant to any of my associates.

Powerline: In a Powerline interview in 1990 you've said that "a lot of people tend to let their personalities, private egos or whatever, interfere with the big picture. And that's something that I have to stop. It's a team. And whatever the reputation, if I'm supposed to be a dictator, then I'm comfortable with it." Do you still need to take this kind of hard stance still? Or are those days long gone?

Coverdale: I don't appreciate anyone pissing on the WHITESNAKE parade… so, yes, I probably still embrace a lot of that philosophy. I'm firm, but, I would draw the line at dictatorial. [laughs]

Powerline: Then again you once commented that "talking about music was like singing about football; it doesn't make a whole lot of sense." Maybe it's best to not take yourself too seriously?

Coverdale: Agreed, but, one must respond seriously if the situation calls for it. The music business is not all a piss up and a sloppy rock show. Sometimes I have to wear a business man's hat. But, that's fine. I can compartmentalize. I don't let it affect the "fun" side of things.

Read the entire interview from Powerline.