Ex-WHITESNAKE Guitarist ADRIAN VANDENBERG Reflects On Recording 'Here I Go Again' Solo

Legendary Dutch guitarist and songwriter Adrian Vandenberg recently joined Mark Strigl on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard (Channel 38) for an in-depth conversation on Mark's live-from-New York City show, the home of hard and heavy classic rock. The wide-ranging interview covered Vandenberg's career from his early days with VANDENBERG, opening for Ozzy Osbourne and being invited to join Ozzy's band, to his years with WHITESNAKE, his recent VANDENBERG album "Sin", working on the "Slip Of The Tongue" and "Restless Heart" albums with David Coverdale, and what fans can expect from his upcoming "My Whitesnake Years" tour. He revealed that there soon will be more dates added to this tour in 2027 on the West Coast of North America. Vandenberg also said that fans can expect to hear music from his own catalog, including "Burning Heart", during the tour.

The complete interview is now available on the SiriusXM app.

During the interview, Strigl asked Vandenberg about joining WHITESNAKE and recording the now-iconic guitar solo on "Here I Go Again" from WHITESNAKE's 1987 self-titled album. Vandenberg recalled: "David had been asking me to join the band ever since the first VANDENBERG came out in 1982, I think it was. He invited me to come to a show where he played with the old lineup of WHITESNAKE. As people know, it was like a blues rock band, but with an amazing vocalist, of course, and he invited me to see the show. After the show backstage, he said, 'Are you happy in your band? How would you think about joining us?'

I said, 'Oh man.' He'd always been one of my favorite singers ever since he joined PURPLE, but I'd just signed a contract with Atlantic and the first VANDENBERG album had just come out. And I said, 'I hope in the future the timing is better.' So we stayed in touch. Over the years he'd approach me either directly or through one of the managers. He'd say, 'You stubborn Dutchman, did you change your mind?' The second time, when we were working on the second VANDENBERG album at Jimmy Page's studio, he invited me to the Donington festival, where a couple years later we would headline when I was in the band, but this was again the old lineup. Backstage he said the same thing, 'You stubborn Dutchman, did you change your mind?' I said, 'Man, you know we are about to finish our second album and I'm still signed to Atlantic. I can't, you know.' So the better time was in '86 when he was in the studio producing the album with Keith Olsen. John Kalodner, who a lot of people know, he was involved with BON JOVI, AEROSMITH, you name it, he invited me to come over to the United States and said, 'I have a new offer for you for a new VANDENBERG contract.' He said, 'Come over.' I got flown over, picked up at the airport by a limo. I thought, 'Man, this is the life.' So the next day I met him in his office. He was, like, 'I haven't been completely honest because I have two offers for you. One is to form a brand new VANDENBERG lineup with the best musicians around L.A., and the other one is to join WHITESNAKE.' I thought, 'That sounds familiar.' I said, 'I'll really have to think about it because it meant I'd have to let the guys in VANDENBERG go.' He said, 'Okay, while you are here, I'd like for you to come up with a new guitar arrangement for 'Here I Go Again' and play a solo on it.' I said, 'Oh great, because I have always loved the song, with the old version.' So we went into the studio. In the back of the studio I was working with a four-track cassette recorder with some arrangement ideas for 'Here I Go Again' and jamming a little bit so I could come up with some ideas for myself. I heard a lot of noise in the control room and I peeked my head around the corner. I could not see who was in there, but later I heard it was John Sykes, who flew to L.A. because he did not accept being, uh, fired from WHITESNAKE. So no wonder there was a lot of discussion going on, and I just thought this is not my business. I just thought there is a screaming match going on. I didn't know it was John, but later on I heard it was him. The next day I recorded the solo and changed some of the guitar parts. That was it. The rest is history."

Adrian is bringing a powerhouse night of classic hard rock to U.S. audiences this August with "My Whitesnake Years" tour. The tour features an all-star lineup including acclaimed guitarist Vinnie Moore and veteran bassist/vocalist Marco Mendoza, celebrating decades of iconic rock music spanning WHITESNAKE, THIN LIZZY, UFO, Ted Nugent and beyond.

Vandenberg first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with his band VANDENBERG, earning international success with hits including "Burning Heart" and "Friday Night". His success led to a longtime collaboration with David Coverdale and WHITESNAKE, where he contributed the unforgettable guitar solo to the multi-platinum smash "Here I Go Again" and co-wrote material for the "Slip Of The Tongue" and "Restless Heart" releases. He also appeared on WHITESNAKE's "Starkers In Tokyo", "Live At Donington" and the band's celebrated "Greatest Hits" reunion tour.

Beyond WHITESNAKE, Vandenberg has continued an extensive recording career with multiple solo releases and albums with VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS. In 2024, he co-headlined with Geoff Tate on the latter's "Operation: Mindcrime" tour, followed by performances aboard the 2025 Monsters Of Rock cruise and a successful East Coast headline run.

Vandenberg was a member of WHITESNAKE for 13 years at the height of the band's fame. He was also part of supergroup MANIC EDEN, and more recently released a number of albums with the aforementioned VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS.

Vandenberg's namesake band released its comeback album, titled "2020", in May 2020 via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group. A follow-up LP, "Sin", arrived in August 2023. The group's fifth full-length offering, "Sin", was produced by Bob Marlette (OZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE COOPER, ROB ZOMBIE).

Image credit: Hans van der Waart