Sykes was Whitesnake’s monster that couldn’t be tamed. The guy has like paranormal songwriting, vocal, and guitar talents and is to this day just criminally underrated.
if it wasnt for Sykes' contributions Whitesnake would've been completely different. Coverdale was keen to write with skilled guitarists who were also songwriters. eventually he even got Steve Vai to join.
Neil Murray is a MONSTER bassist. Some of those early Whitesnake albums, man, those bass lines, could make someone like Steve Harris blush. Awesome work, underrated dude.
I agree! I couldn't understand how complicated his bass lines were within a blues context until I found out later he comes from a jazz fusion background - he played in National Health and Colosseum II before Whitesnake.
Absolutely. I've seen him back in the day with Gary Moore, and he was astounding... But he's written and played so many consistently great and memorable basslines over the years!
I met John in 1989 and all the bandmates of Blue Murder. What a great bunch of guys!!!! 🤘Had a real old camera, and of course....the pictures did Not turn out 😢 but my autographs are framed.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." --Hunter S. Thompson
Personally, I'm partial to the early Whitesnake with Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody. Albums like Trouble, Love Hunter, Ready an' Willing & Come an' Get It. That's when they were a real Rock band.
I saw them about 10 years ago and they're great onstage. Tommy Aldridge is always great to watch. Im not even sure who the lead guitarist was but he was good. They are a live band that knows how it's done. They sounded big and powerful
I had Vandenburg’s self-titled album (with Burning Hesrt), Dio’s Holy Diver, had seen Ozzy live with Randy, Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge and so thought the band Coverdale put together for the 1987 tour (which I saw 2X) was unbelievable. I don’t think your average rocker in the 80s had any idea that the group he put together was a dream team of musical icons. But as much as I loved these guys, what I wanted to see as a fan of guitar who was cursed with a terminal coordination deficit (meaning as hard as I tried, I just could play on that level) was John Sykes, Ainsley Dunbar, and Neil Murray because the music they made was pure magic. Ozzy did the same thing replacing his touring staff after albums dropped. I think a lot of it was just the 80s pretty boy thing. You could be the most incredibly talented musician, but if you looked like the Hunchback of Norte Dame, you were doomed to session work (KISS could easily have replaced Ace Frehley with Bob Kulick but chose not to because Bob was bald). Sykes was more a player than a poseur, though he had the looks. I just don’t think Coverdale would get Sykes into spandex and Aquanet. Whitesnake is and long has been a real musician’s band. They tripped a couple of pop triggers and made a bit of fame, but longevity has been on the music, itself. Like Dream Theater, they just weren’t your average Motley Crue. No offense, but the first time I saw Whitesnake, they were opening for the Crue on the Girls, Girls, Girls tour. Yeah, it was the pretty boy lineup, but these guys were also demigods. Vandenburg, Campbell, Aldridge, Sarzo and Coverdale. I thought the marquee was upside down. And Coverdale left the stage at the end of their much too short for me set, shaking his head as if he knew it, too. I can’t help wondering if the change in lineups didn’t constitute just enough of an alteration in the music that it was noticeable on some subconscious level and that’s part of the reason Whitesnake didn’t get as big as they should have been? That and if you look at the 80s formula for massive success, Whitesnake took WAY too long between album releases and the turnstile on personnel never did stop. No other band committed both “crimes” - changing players AND touring endlessly on ONE album… there were plenty that did one or the other and made it out okay, but not both. Live music is like breathing pure oxygen. It’s not just hearing the songs. If that were the case, people would pay money to see my iPod playlist performed by a rack stereo system. And it’s not just the show or any lip-synching boy band would rule the world. Sure, there are people who still pay money to see Neil Schon’s Journey tribute band, or Bobby Blotzer’s or Gene Simmons’, or… but I’m not one of them. I can’t help feeling like people like me make the difference between a fair tour and a massive success. Maybe I’m probably giving the musically attuned fans too much credit. But I think not. I think the bands and record companies don’t give us enough credit. How many of you wanted Guns ‘n Roses back ALL THE WAY? How many would spend decent money to see Bas front Skid Row, again? Steve Perry back with the marquee lineup from Frontiers? I think the answer lies in the little difference between the KISS 1996 Reunion Tour and every tour they’ve done, since. No more multi-night sellouts of Madison Square Garden. What does that tell you? Coverdale should have recognized the gift he’d been given in Sykes and company, made a dozen albums and grown the reputation of the band around the music. Instead, we have two records that touched on the miraculous and 35 years of touring, remixing, and re-recording those songs. When the genius advised that success comes from doing one thing better than everybody else, I don’t think he meant doing the SAME thing with it every day. After the 1987 album (and Steve Vai’s short contribution) there was never any Whitesnake that didn’t feel like a copy of the original that was just a bit out of focus, lacked originality. If you listen to the Beatles catalog, or the Eagles, or Metallica, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, or Michael Jackson, or Elvis, or even Buddy Holly, the one thing you’ll find in common is that they grew in their quests to create great music. And never just cloned old records. KISS makes money touring because the show was the thing holding it all together. How do their studio albums work out, now? Simmons thinks the market is broken. I think KISS is broken, but that’s just me. I think Whitesnake ‘87 was a massive missed opportunity for Coverdale and he STILL doesn’t get it.
Yeah but Murray didn’t look bad either, he looked like a member of Helloween or Maiden but not as old fashioned as Mardsen or Moody. I think David should’ve kept him and tried to keep Powell. I don’t like most Whitesnake after Murray left, not that he had a lot to do with the music writing but the albums after he left, not to mention live performances were not the same, agreed with the rest of your post for sure, what a wasted opportunity
The best album Coverdale made after that was with Jimmy Page but it didn't last. He needs someone to challenge him creatively on par which I imagine John Sykes was able to do.
Кодакреатор.Внимательно прочитал ваше мнение. Много рассуждений. Думаю,что Ковердейл рассуждал намного проще .Не такой уж он стратег.Он тогда был совсем молодым человеком. Его голос - его богатство.Но для длительного успеха требуются отличные помощники. И он их менял.Причин было много: разногласия, поведение каждого( одинаковых людей нет), внутренняя зависть, личные предпочтения, просто обстоятельства и что-то нам неизвестное. Главное,что новые составы оставили такое замечательное наследие. И мы это помним!
Whitesnake couldn't get arrested in the USA, Sykes helped to change all that, and he was repaid by being kicked out of the band. Which even now seems a really dumb thing to do. If Coverdale went on a solo run then it must be the biggest error he made. Kalodner should have knocked some sense into him . Whitesnake never recovered, but more so. Fans were robbed of at least one or perhaps two more killer albums with Sykes on board. Coversnake certainly dropped the ball regards a Sykes / Powell / Murray line up. Slip of the tongue... it's just not that good.
@@AnthonyEmery1970 It's an incredible album, top to bottom. John's singing is a revelation. It still blows me away on how it never took off, but Geffen treated a lot of their acts poorly at the time, expecting them to do it by themselves half the time. I believe when MTV had Jellyroll on rotation (maybe Valley of the Kings), Geffen didn't press enough copies for a single, which sounds just moronic. Geffen stunted Blue Murder.
Sykes was fired because he suggested that they replace Coverdale when the singer caught a sinus infection and the 1987-recordings therefore were put on hold. How would you react, when a guy you hired wanted you out of your own band? Granted, Whitesnake were better off with Sykes playing and Slip Of The Tongue isn't as great as 1987 but the resolution of that matter is very understandable.
1987 is a overproduced and overrated MTV-album. They really put money into that album to promote it. To say the success is because of John Sykes is ridiculous. We all se where he is today. Coverdale did better with Steve Vai and Adrian Vandenberg on Slip Of The Tongue.
Look folks , there was a power struggle over a singer David Coverdale that named the band , and a Guitarist John Sykes that made the sound and lyrics of 2 of the Greatest Metal albums ever for that band . Slide It In and Whitesnake 1987 Albums from 1984 - 1987 John Sykes primarily created , and David Coverdale took the credit . ✨🌟💫💥🔥🙉🙈😏😎😬😵🤑🤒😳😉🤔🙄👌😧🌞
John did not write anything on slide it in . When first released it had a different line up . Was re-recorded with Sykes and Murray for the US release . Definitely beefed up the sound for sure . 87 was a monster and def BS what happened after it’s release 🙄
That album was the Monster that it was because of Sykes...They couldn't match the success of that album after he left and they declined....Coverdale should have compromised. They could've possibly got another amazing album with him before Grunge hit.
Like Chris Holmes says, LSD = Lead Singer Disease will kill a band. Sykes took Whitesnake to a whole new level. Whitesnake could never repeat the success of the 1987 album either.
@@christervainio I love Steve Vai and I was excited when I found out Steve was with Whitesnake, but when I listened to SOTT, it wasn't that great to me. There are some crap songs on there. And Steve's playing sounds tamed and held back.
They really did fool everyone into believing these guys played on this album and sold it to all of us like we were a bunch of idiots. I remember being a sophomore in hs when this came out and eating it up.
Sykes is a diva too who takes too long in the studio. Just look how he took to record the second Blue Murder album - and he had his own state-of-the-art home studio by then!
No one got screwed. Whitesnake was and has always been Coverdales backning band. He was the star from Deep Purple and the unit was initially formed around him. He's been very successful in finding great musicians, but that doesn't mean they could take over the main spotlight. Anybody, try walking up to your CEO at work and tell him to step aside cuz you want to be CEO. There's a good chance you'll be fired and rightfully so. Coverdale is still doing shows (for another year at least). His former bandmates, not so much. That's a testament to how he professionally survived the crybabies IMO. Thank's for a great channel. 🤘
David was such a great vocalist. Its really a shame the egos of John and himself destroyed the greatest lineup of the band IMO. The 1987 album pushed whitesnake to super group status but without John, they couldn't hold the title going forward.
Of course the band got screwed! David professionally survived by doin the same thing Dio and Ozzy (aka Sharon) did. Pay the band the smallest amount you can and fire them if they object or say something that you don't like. Management standard from the 80's! :D
@@mikemischievous2091 Granted, but how is that different from any other type of low paying job, ever? John would have lasted alot longer if he knew his place. Funny story; he didn't even want to be with the band to begin with, so the aftermath just reeks 80ies egocentrism.
As bad as it sounds I consider him to use an old labor movement term, a scab. He even played with the fake Geoff Tate Queensryche. He’s always replacing or posing in videos or pictures for other people though purportedly he’s a nice guy
I know the truth hurts..Rudy Sarzo spent more time wearing his bass than.playing...he appears on lot of albums covers that he did not play a note on...please watch a live video ..he as bad of a bassist as Nikki Sixx
I was asked to take John Sykes place when he left Whitesnake....but I was already touring with Genesis and recording guitars for the new Ozzy Osborne and Guns n Roses albums
Coverdale was, is and always will be the boss of Whitesnake. D.C. started Whitesnake way back in the 70's. It's his band...everyone else is just there to back him up. That's just the way it is.
This is interesting because the bass COULD be a little bigger-sounding on 1987. When Slide It In was first released in England, Colin "Bomber" Hodgkinson's bass was inaudible; when Murray rejoined and added bass to the album, it was loud and clear. Compared with two other albums, both featuring Cozy Powell - Rainbow Rising and MSG's 2nd - 1987 had enough bass to keep it powerful. (Rising's problem was remedied with a different mix, in which Jimmy Bain's bass was brought up - it's clear on the (what irony) rough mixes too. The MSG album has never been righted, and Chris Glen remains almost inaudible - I can't listen to it.) A remix of 1987 should address the bass problem first.
As great as Sykes was (is), it's always going to be a power struggle within any band he joins. It barely worked in Thin Lizzy, but Tigers Of Pantang was a full-on clash, Whitesnake too. Hence: Blue Murder. And that debut album was absolutely stellar!! Too bad he couldn't follow it up... The second album "Nothing But Trouble" was good enough, but simply couldn't compete with the first. There have been a fair few "supergroups" over the years, and I think John Sykes could do exceedingly well in those!! Usually there's multiple people involved with their own experience of fronting a longstanding major band, and they tend to keep themselves in check. That said, I've always had a musical soft spot for Neil Murray. The guy can *PLAY* and has done so for many huge names for decades.... A bit like Bob Daisley, in a sense - a go-to guy if you want go on the road, or if your touring band falls apart 🤣 I hope he's doing well!!
Sykes seemed to do much better in Thin Lizzy in terms of getting a long . He clearly respected and loved Phil Lynott. Always did tribute shows with the other members , to show his support for Phil . While in over 30 years , he wants nothing to do with Coverdale . I don't blame him .. he was robbed of touring the bands most successful album ever .
And ? That is something that condition quality ? Did you know WS had 8 records since 1978 before Sykes came in and WS was celebrated everyfucking where in Europe and Japan ? 1987 is just a more commercial typically US oriented phase in their career. Not their only career.
Hmm. I always heard that there was a period of time where David lost his voice and Sykes and the rest got antsy and pushed to maybe have a different singer. since that's not mentioned here at all I wonder if that was a story made up by Coverdale? Either way, losing Sykes was a huge loss although Slip of the tongue had it's moments.
The definition of a dysfunctional band headed by the most narcissistic and conniving lead singer rock has ever seen. Coverdale has screwed so many people in his life, I’m surprised someone hasn’t taken him out.
I'm a guitar player, Sykes is my hero....but every interview Sykes did, he was a d-bag....seems he was difficult to work with....I don't know. David is always a gentleman in interviews. Maybe is just a feeling that I has.
It has always been David's band. He founded it and it bears the name of his first solo album (White Snake). Sykes tried to replace David when he was sick and that's why he got kicked out
I respectfully disagree. Their albums with Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach were amazing. As were the albums with Reb and Hoekstra on guitar. ANd live, both those line-ups were phenominal!!
I really hate it whenever UA-cam uses somebody's name just a bad mouth them especially whenever you know that they're actually quite talented and fair 100%
David wanted to be boss? No...he was the boss. He formed the band and he's the main songwriter and creative director. And he's the only member to have appeared on all releases. As much as I loved Whitesnake with Sykes powering up some of the most savage heavy rock/metal guitar assaults ever committed to tape and that I do agree that the thing between Sykes and Coverdale turned very ugly and might have been handled differently, ultimately Whitesnake is David's baby.
without sykes he never couldnt make it big in USA also since Sykes he changed the direction...the guys who played after sykes never could do something remotely close to 1987 ...aldo sykes still can sing....
@@jonfaerman7518 That's absolutely irrelevant in the context of my comment. My comment was about the fact that first and foremost that Whitesnake is and has always been David's band first and foremost. John Sykes might have helped propel them into Stateside success but he was a massively talented employee of the band, not a founding member. He was fired after recording and never got to play those songs live.
@Vinay Mulukutla Just one thing though, Coverdale apparently was not the main songwriter for 1987 album. He could never ever write or create stuff like that without Sykes. All he could do was hiring Doug Aldrich to make the band sound somewhat like Sykes' version of Whitesnake.
@@JJ-ho3cx The songs on that album were written by both David and John (Sykes). Of course he couldn't do it alone, let alone get that success but ultimately, Whitesnake is his band and his trademark (the name came from the title of one of his solo albums). I don't really know the fine details of the acrimonious split between him and Sykes but ultimately, Coverdale was in the driving seat and in a position to hire and fire.
@@vinaymulukutla358 Yes, written by both. Now, be honest and say that album sounds full of Coverdale. It is all Sykes in that album. Again, Coverdale can never make music like that, but Sykes can and did with his blue murder albums. Coverdale for sure is a founding member and? Dictator with less talent?
Two Giant Ego's that made the 87' Album one of the best. Sykes may have been right, but he lost his cool and cost himself a boatload of fame and fortune. He was ALMOST not replaceable, almost.. Had he submitted to the label and Dave on 1987, he could have asked for the world on the next album. Because HE was the sound, He would have been irreplaceable. If only...........
Neil is a great bassist; very under appreciated. I personally don’t like the overall mix of the Whitesnake album- it’s all about the vocals and guitar. The bass and drums are buried and the whole thing sounds too big and there’s not enough separation between instruments.
Brilliantly put, lot of the 80s band had that syrupy reverb and mastered to death. Never liked 80s metal mainly cause the production and all guitarists wanting to wank
@@dreadpp I know it's remixed but there's different notes especially the middle instrumental section...sounds like a pick player to me, Neil plays with his fingers...I know they added some guitar solos to some tracks using the current line up.
Well Whitesnake obviously hasn't done anything as good as the 87 album since - but - John Sykes hasn't exactly set the world on fire either since then.
Listen to Sykes’ lead in Still of the Night, and compare to lead breaks in other songs. Other leads in WS songs seemed to be restricted, like Coverdale didn’t want to stand in the shadow of any great guitarist. Imagine a studio session: “great lead guy, but it’s too good, and you’re not the star here.” Didn’t they have Via in the band at one point - playing mostly/all rhythm? Hence, I think Coverdale’s ego is what prevented the band from achieving even greater notoriety. Thank God Roth didn’t make such a mistake.
John Sykes was better suited to Thin Lizzy ,which were by far the better band.Whitsnake is DC and that's it everyone else is a hired gun .All of the really famous bands over the years have always been made up of the same musicians from start to finish ,with very little line up changes
Mark cbay. Personally,I didn’t like John in Thin Lizzy. I thought he was too brutal and didn’t suit their pop meets rock appeal and charm. However, with Whitesnake, was he one of the first to fuse classic rock with modern metal?
Lol, bass players always get fucked. I remember how far back in the mix my bass was on lock up the wolves…. Felt like a kick in the balls… oh well. Making better money now anyway…lol Live and learn….👍🏻
Like it or not, Whitesnake was/is DC’s creation. It may not seem fair to anyone on the outside, but it’s my belief that DC had a right to call the shots.
@@allsystemsgo8678 a quarter? A tenth I believe is more accurate, and it effectively only sold on the back of 1987, it soon tailed off as Slip of the Tongue was not a good album, a poor clone. 1987 was Sykes.
@@christervainio that's fine and all but you ripped Sykes post Whitesnake career. My point was Whitesnake did very little afterwards. David went solo not long after, worked with Page. Now it's a nostalgia band. A lot of people love Blue Murder.
Whitesnake was always a 2nd string band. Nowhere near as popular as Motley Crue, Def Leppard, or even Poison. We all kinda knew David Coverdale was a little too old to be doing the 80s glam-metal thing.
I think age played a factor but also that much of Coverdale’s voice was already starting to wear by then from albums, touring and a hard partying lifestyle by then. To me 1987 was really the end of Snake, as great as it is
@@Nissardpertugiu - For Quiet Riot, that is a murky one. He is listed on the QR2 record, but Kelli Garni actually played. He played on Mental Health, but Chuck Wright also recorded bass for a few tunes and Wright and Garni had written bass lines for songs on that record. So, some of it was Sarzo. How much? I have no idea. Condition Critical would be all him though.
Ah yes. Behind the scenes. Coverdale was amazing looking. Had that sexy girlfriend. No way could they headline a 10,000 seater though. That irked him. Sarzo dying his hair blonde ? Hamming it up ? That irked me lol
Sarzo has always “hammed it up”. In Ozzy, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, etc. That was his thing. He’s never changed, in that regard. And why anyone changing their hair colour or style, one of the most common fashion statements, irked you, strikes me as odd. Did Coverdale dying his hair blonde during that same period irk you as well? Genuinely curious. Cheers!
I love Sykes and what he brought to 1987, but people are over-crediting him. He's amazing. But, "Slide It In" and "Slip of the Tongue" are both great albums too. At some point, one has to recognize that the common-denominator there is Coverdale.
Ah. lets just throw out all the great musicians and get a 'buncha' guys from the LA music scene. Well OK but that will end anymore great albums. Bad choice.
That 'bass player' played on every single Whitesnake album up to that point. I'm more confused by someone not wanting to hear a perspective from SOMEONE WHO WAS THERE. He was just telling his side of the story.
Sykes was Whitesnake’s monster that couldn’t be tamed. The guy has like paranormal songwriting, vocal, and guitar talents and is to this day just criminally underrated.
eh. He's okay. I don't think he's overrated at all. If anything, Sykes is overrated a bit.
if it wasnt for Sykes' contributions Whitesnake would've been completely different. Coverdale was keen to write with skilled guitarists who were also songwriters. eventually he even got Steve Vai to join.
i think, john sykes and adrian vandenberg the best line up of whitesnake for me.
I did like him w/ Lizzy
@@thefonzkiss Was gonna say, he may be a genius but he doesn't put out any music. Clearly one of those guys that gets in his own way.
Neil Murray is a MONSTER bassist. Some of those early Whitesnake albums, man, those bass lines, could make someone like Steve Harris blush. Awesome work, underrated dude.
I agree! I couldn't understand how complicated his bass lines were within a blues context until I found out later he comes from a jazz fusion background - he played in National Health and Colosseum II before Whitesnake.
Agree 100%
Most underrated bassist on the planet....
Absolutely.
I've seen him back in the day with Gary Moore, and he was astounding... But he's written and played so many consistently great and memorable basslines over the years!
I met John in 1989 and all the bandmates of Blue Murder. What a great bunch of guys!!!! 🤘Had a real old camera, and of course....the pictures did Not turn out 😢 but my autographs are framed.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
--Hunter S. Thompson
As good as the 87 album was, I didn't want to see Whitesnake without Sykes.
Personally, I'm partial to the early Whitesnake with Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody. Albums like Trouble, Love Hunter, Ready an' Willing & Come an' Get It.
That's when they were a real Rock band.
Agreed. Not the pampered, big hair, ridiculous MTV puppets they became.
I saw them about 10 years ago and they're great onstage. Tommy Aldridge is always great to watch. Im not even sure who the lead guitarist was but he was good. They are a live band that knows how it's done. They sounded big and powerful
Like your user name. Obviously a Pearl Jam fan. Now there is a band who can play live!
@@markporter1901 yes indeed. Ive saw them only twice but they wipe the stage with most bands
I had Vandenburg’s self-titled album (with Burning Hesrt), Dio’s Holy Diver, had seen Ozzy live with Randy, Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge and so thought the band Coverdale put together for the 1987 tour (which I saw 2X) was unbelievable. I don’t think your average rocker in the 80s had any idea that the group he put together was a dream team of musical icons. But as much as I loved these guys, what I wanted to see as a fan of guitar who was cursed with a terminal coordination deficit (meaning as hard as I tried, I just could play on that level) was John Sykes, Ainsley Dunbar, and Neil Murray because the music they made was pure magic.
Ozzy did the same thing replacing his touring staff after albums dropped. I think a lot of it was just the 80s pretty boy thing. You could be the most incredibly talented musician, but if you looked like the Hunchback of Norte Dame, you were doomed to session work (KISS could easily have replaced Ace Frehley with Bob Kulick but chose not to because Bob was bald). Sykes was more a player than a poseur, though he had the looks. I just don’t think Coverdale would get Sykes into spandex and Aquanet. Whitesnake is and long has been a real musician’s band. They tripped a couple of pop triggers and made a bit of fame, but longevity has been on the music, itself. Like Dream Theater, they just weren’t your average Motley Crue. No offense, but the first time I saw Whitesnake, they were opening for the Crue on the Girls, Girls, Girls tour. Yeah, it was the pretty boy lineup, but these guys were also demigods. Vandenburg, Campbell, Aldridge, Sarzo and Coverdale. I thought the marquee was upside down. And Coverdale left the stage at the end of their much too short for me set, shaking his head as if he knew it, too.
I can’t help wondering if the change in lineups didn’t constitute just enough of an alteration in the music that it was noticeable on some subconscious level and that’s part of the reason Whitesnake didn’t get as big as they should have been? That and if you look at the 80s formula for massive success, Whitesnake took WAY too long between album releases and the turnstile on personnel never did stop. No other band committed both “crimes” - changing players AND touring endlessly on ONE album… there were plenty that did one or the other and made it out okay, but not both.
Live music is like breathing pure oxygen. It’s not just hearing the songs. If that were the case, people would pay money to see my iPod playlist performed by a rack stereo system. And it’s not just the show or any lip-synching boy band would rule the world. Sure, there are people who still pay money to see Neil Schon’s Journey tribute band, or Bobby Blotzer’s or Gene Simmons’, or… but I’m not one of them. I can’t help feeling like people like me make the difference between a fair tour and a massive success. Maybe I’m probably giving the musically attuned fans too much credit. But I think not. I think the bands and record companies don’t give us enough credit. How many of you wanted Guns ‘n Roses back ALL THE WAY? How many would spend decent money to see Bas front Skid Row, again? Steve Perry back with the marquee lineup from Frontiers? I think the answer lies in the little difference between the KISS 1996 Reunion Tour and every tour they’ve done, since. No more multi-night sellouts of Madison Square Garden. What does that tell you?
Coverdale should have recognized the gift he’d been given in Sykes and company, made a dozen albums and grown the reputation of the band around the music. Instead, we have two records that touched on the miraculous and 35 years of touring, remixing, and re-recording those songs. When the genius advised that success comes from doing one thing better than everybody else, I don’t think he meant doing the SAME thing with it every day. After the 1987 album (and Steve Vai’s short contribution) there was never any Whitesnake that didn’t feel like a copy of the original that was just a bit out of focus, lacked originality. If you listen to the Beatles catalog, or the Eagles, or Metallica, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, or Michael Jackson, or Elvis, or even Buddy Holly, the one thing you’ll find in common is that they grew in their quests to create great music. And never just cloned old records. KISS makes money touring because the show was the thing holding it all together. How do their studio albums work out, now? Simmons thinks the market is broken. I think KISS is broken, but that’s just me.
I think Whitesnake ‘87 was a massive missed opportunity for Coverdale and he STILL doesn’t get it.
Yeah but Murray didn’t look bad either, he looked like a member of Helloween or Maiden but not as old fashioned as Mardsen or Moody. I think David should’ve kept him and tried to keep Powell. I don’t like most Whitesnake after Murray left, not that he had a lot to do with the music writing but the albums after he left, not to mention live performances were not the same, agreed with the rest of your post for sure, what a wasted opportunity
Excellent essay with many great points!
Insightful thoughts on the music biz...🎶
You should have a blog of your own, man
The best album Coverdale made after that was with Jimmy Page but it didn't last. He needs someone to challenge him creatively on par which I imagine John Sykes was able to do.
Кодакреатор.Внимательно прочитал ваше мнение. Много рассуждений. Думаю,что Ковердейл рассуждал намного проще
.Не такой уж он стратег.Он тогда был совсем молодым человеком. Его голос - его богатство.Но для длительного успеха требуются отличные помощники. И он их менял.Причин было много: разногласия, поведение каждого( одинаковых людей нет), внутренняя зависть, личные предпочтения, просто обстоятельства и что-то нам неизвестное. Главное,что новые составы оставили такое замечательное наследие. И мы это помним!
Always interesting to hear from a different point of view as to what went down.
Thank you for your dedication and your channel.
Murrey is the original and a huge contributor to the real Whitesnake and should be treated w respect
Congrats on 10k. Let's keep spreading the bloom!
Thank you, Todd!
Neil Murray is a monster bass player one of the best in my opinion
Neil Murray is a monster bass player
Neil and Cozy made for a great team.
Whitesnake couldn't get arrested in the USA, Sykes helped to change all that, and he was repaid by being kicked out of the band. Which even now seems a really dumb thing to do. If Coverdale went on a solo run then it must be the biggest error he made. Kalodner should have knocked some sense into him . Whitesnake never recovered, but more so. Fans were robbed of at least one or perhaps two more killer albums with Sykes on board. Coversnake certainly dropped the ball regards a Sykes / Powell / Murray line up. Slip of the tongue... it's just not that good.
Record sales certainly show how important Sykes was.
At least we got that first Blue Murder album after Sykes was fired. What an underrated masterpiece it is!
@@AnthonyEmery1970 It's an incredible album, top to bottom. John's singing is a revelation. It still blows me away on how it never took off, but Geffen treated a lot of their acts poorly at the time, expecting them to do it by themselves half the time. I believe when MTV had Jellyroll on rotation (maybe Valley of the Kings), Geffen didn't press enough copies for a single, which sounds just moronic. Geffen stunted Blue Murder.
Sykes was fired because he suggested that they replace Coverdale when the singer caught a sinus infection and the 1987-recordings therefore were put on hold. How would you react, when a guy you hired wanted you out of your own band? Granted, Whitesnake were better off with Sykes playing and Slip Of The Tongue isn't as great as 1987 but the resolution of that matter is very understandable.
1987 is a overproduced and overrated MTV-album.
They really put money into that album to promote it.
To say the success is because of John Sykes is ridiculous.
We all se where he is today.
Coverdale did better with Steve Vai and Adrian Vandenberg on Slip Of The Tongue.
Thanks for another interesting video
Dokken did it right, man. 4-way split for the recordings. Songwriting is different, but man. You gotta pay your band mates fair mechanical royalties.
The Horror, The Horror. The music biz.
So glad I missed out on all this hoopla, but man it would of been so great to have been apart of it.
Look folks , there was a power struggle over a singer David Coverdale that named the band , and a Guitarist John Sykes that made the sound and lyrics of 2 of the Greatest Metal albums ever for that band . Slide It In and Whitesnake 1987 Albums from 1984 - 1987 John Sykes primarily created , and David Coverdale took the credit . ✨🌟💫💥🔥🙉🙈😏😎😬😵🤑🤒😳😉🤔🙄👌😧🌞
John did not write anything on slide it in . When first released it had a different line up . Was re-recorded with Sykes and Murray for the US release . Definitely beefed up the sound for sure . 87 was a monster and def BS what happened after it’s release 🙄
@@steviec67 Whitesnake had a Blues Rock sound with Coverdale . Sykes made their Metal sound from 1984 - 1987
@@Mysterio-Solar no doubt 🔥
"I'm part of something successful, but not." lol RIP John Sykes!
Those 4 were the touring Whitesnake for the Slide it In album. Killer show. They just blew QR off the stage.
Neal Murray can play circles around Rudy.. I like Rudy but that's just the truth.
He’s amazing, listen to Whitesnake’s cover of Day Tripper
@@themadmattster9647 The live version of ain't gonna cry no more is mind bending... Murray and Paice were some rhythm section
I guess Rudy is more visually appealing, as Bob Daisley could also play circles around Rudy as well.
That album was the Monster that it was because of Sykes...They couldn't match the success of that album after he left and they declined....Coverdale should have compromised.
They could've possibly got another amazing album with him before Grunge hit.
Why should he compromise? It's his fucking band.
Like Chris Holmes says, LSD = Lead Singer Disease will kill a band. Sykes took Whitesnake to a whole new level. Whitesnake could never repeat the success of the 1987 album either.
Slip Of The Tongue is a much better album and it includes guitargods, Steve Vai and Adrian Vandenberg.
@@christervainio I love Steve Vai and I was excited when I found out Steve was with Whitesnake, but when I listened to SOTT, it wasn't that great to me. There are some crap songs on there. And Steve's playing sounds tamed and held back.
Neither could John Sykes.
Ill tell yiu what. That John Sykes blessed with the focus
They really did fool everyone into believing these guys played on this album and sold it to all of us like we were a bunch of idiots. I remember being a sophomore in hs when this came out and eating it up.
Not John taking forever. Was all David and his million and one excuses, including no studio was good enough. That's why I call him Diva Dave.
Sykes is a diva too who takes too long in the studio. Just look how he took to record the second Blue Murder album - and he had his own state-of-the-art home studio by then!
No one got screwed. Whitesnake was and has always been Coverdales backning band. He was the star from Deep Purple and the unit was initially formed around him. He's been very successful in finding great musicians, but that doesn't mean they could take over the main spotlight. Anybody, try walking up to your CEO at work and tell him to step aside cuz you want to be CEO. There's a good chance you'll be fired and rightfully so. Coverdale is still doing shows (for another year at least). His former bandmates, not so much. That's a testament to how he professionally survived the crybabies IMO. Thank's for a great channel. 🤘
David was such a great vocalist.
Its really a shame the egos of John and himself destroyed the greatest lineup of the band IMO. The 1987 album pushed whitesnake to super group status but without John, they couldn't hold the title going forward.
Of course the band got screwed! David professionally survived by doin the same thing Dio and Ozzy (aka Sharon) did. Pay the band the smallest amount you can and fire them if they object or say something that you don't like. Management standard from the 80's! :D
Who the Fuck are you to do decide if band members got screwed? Were you Whitesnake's account? Manager?
@@mikemischievous2091 Granted, but how is that different from any other type of low paying job, ever? John would have lasted alot longer if he knew his place. Funny story; he didn't even want to be with the band to begin with, so the aftermath just reeks 80ies egocentrism.
@@allsystemsgo8678 Well, the band members from previous lineups are in a pretty good position to comment on that, don't you think?
Sykes was the secret sause of the Snake formula.
Sykes lyrics Jelly Roll is very romantic,I love BLUE MURDER BAND, SOUNDS GREAT!!!!!!! ✈️🙏🥰☀️😊🎥🔐🎼
💪🥰👍 One of my favorite songs, brilliant!
Still can't get it out of my head 33 yrs later...
Yes, but thae name of the band was stupid. Like what does that imply, a Smurf assessination? That is dark. Dark blue.
John Sykes lyrics are excellent & extremely exciting 😉😉😉
His bass parts rocked on those early albums.
Coverdale must have gotten the idea from Robert Palmer, who employed that exact strategy for his “Addicted to Love” video.
Rudy Sarzo’s discography is surprisingly small, especially when you consider how many hits/albums are associated with him.
As bad as it sounds I consider him to use an old labor movement term, a scab. He even played with the fake Geoff Tate Queensryche. He’s always replacing or posing in videos or pictures for other people though purportedly he’s a nice guy
I know the truth hurts..Rudy Sarzo spent more time wearing his bass than.playing...he appears on lot of albums covers that he did not play a note on...please watch a live video ..he as bad of a bassist as Nikki Sixx
I was asked to take John Sykes place when he left Whitesnake....but I was already touring with Genesis and recording guitars for the new Ozzy Osborne and Guns n Roses albums
Coverdale was, is and always will be the boss of Whitesnake. D.C. started Whitesnake way back in the 70's. It's his band...everyone else is just there to back him up. That's just the way it is.
If it was only a solo project why are there songs where Mardsen sings lead vocals?
It was Coverdale's band!
This is interesting because the bass COULD be a little bigger-sounding on 1987. When Slide It In was first released in England, Colin "Bomber" Hodgkinson's bass was inaudible; when Murray rejoined and added bass to the album, it was loud and clear. Compared with two other albums, both featuring Cozy Powell - Rainbow Rising and MSG's 2nd - 1987 had enough bass to keep it powerful. (Rising's problem was remedied with a different mix, in which Jimmy Bain's bass was brought up - it's clear on the (what irony) rough mixes too. The MSG album has never been righted, and Chris Glen remains almost inaudible - I can't listen to it.) A remix of 1987 should address the bass problem first.
As great as Sykes was (is), it's always going to be a power struggle within any band he joins. It barely worked in Thin Lizzy, but Tigers Of Pantang was a full-on clash, Whitesnake too.
Hence: Blue Murder. And that debut album was absolutely stellar!!
Too bad he couldn't follow it up... The second album "Nothing But Trouble" was good enough, but simply couldn't compete with the first.
There have been a fair few "supergroups" over the years, and I think John Sykes could do exceedingly well in those!!
Usually there's multiple people involved with their own experience of fronting a longstanding major band, and they tend to keep themselves in check.
That said, I've always had a musical soft spot for Neil Murray. The guy can *PLAY* and has done so for many huge names for decades....
A bit like Bob Daisley, in a sense - a go-to guy if you want go on the road, or if your touring band falls apart 🤣
I hope he's doing well!!
Sykes seemed to do much better in Thin Lizzy in terms of getting a long . He clearly respected and loved Phil Lynott. Always did tribute shows with the other members , to show his support for Phil . While in over 30 years , he wants nothing to do with Coverdale . I don't blame him .. he was robbed of touring the bands most successful album ever .
In 34 years David Coverdale hasn't sold total what Whitesnake itself has sold.
And ?
That is something that condition quality ?
Did you know WS had 8 records since 1978 before Sykes came in and WS was celebrated everyfucking where in Europe and Japan ?
1987 is just a more commercial typically US oriented phase in their career.
Not their only career.
Whether you prefer Sykes or Coverdale, White snake has always been Coverdale's offspring from the DP years.
Hmm. I always heard that there was a period of time where David lost his voice and Sykes and the rest got antsy and pushed to maybe have a different singer. since that's not mentioned here at all I wonder if that was a story made up by Coverdale?
Either way, losing Sykes was a huge loss although Slip of the tongue had it's moments.
The definition of a dysfunctional band headed by the most narcissistic and conniving lead singer rock has ever seen. Coverdale has screwed so many people in his life, I’m surprised someone hasn’t taken him out.
i love the classic whitesnake line up. but yeah the 80s came around (awsome times) so they had to fit in or they were done.
David is a saint......compared to Ozzy and Sharon
ONE RULE - Don't anger the Snake!
I'm a guitar player, Sykes is my hero....but every interview Sykes did, he was a d-bag....seems he was difficult to work with....I don't know.
David is always a gentleman in interviews.
Maybe is just a feeling that I has.
Who is the last guy (extreme right) in the first band photo?
Murray is the best bassist of all times.
❤❤❤В начале пути!❤❤❤
For as much as Sykes contributed to Whitesnake he still got screwed. Unfortunately, it is David's band.
I’m sure the huge royalty checks still cleared.
Not the smartest thing to do, to challenge Coverdale in his own band.
Sykes was too young and immature.
It has always been David's band. He founded it and it bears the name of his first solo album (White Snake). Sykes tried to replace David when he was sick and that's why he got kicked out
Neil was not on saints and sinners or the European version of slide it in . Just saying . Love your interviews but wanted you to be informed ✌🏻
Past their prime.
We could hear what John contributed because Whitesnake sucked after he was gone.
I respectfully disagree. Their albums with Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach were amazing. As were the albums with Reb and Hoekstra on guitar. ANd live, both those line-ups were phenominal!!
People keep on slagging Coverdale off. Forgetting the support he gave his band members and there solo projects
Dave Coverdale has a monster voice.
Vandenberg wasn't a patch on John Sykes !
Weird how Whitesnake & Blue Murder we're both with Geffen records
I really hate it whenever UA-cam uses somebody's name just a bad mouth them especially whenever you know that they're actually quite talented and fair 100%
Shut up you oxymoron douschebag
this was extremely well known prior to this "revelation"
I like your voice
David wanted to be boss? No...he was the boss. He formed the band and he's the main songwriter and creative director. And he's the only member to have appeared on all releases.
As much as I loved Whitesnake with Sykes powering up some of the most savage heavy rock/metal guitar assaults ever committed to tape and that I do agree that the thing between Sykes and Coverdale turned very ugly and might have been handled differently, ultimately Whitesnake is David's baby.
without sykes he never couldnt make it big in USA also since Sykes he changed the direction...the guys who played after sykes never could do something remotely close to 1987 ...aldo sykes still can sing....
@@jonfaerman7518 That's absolutely irrelevant in the context of my comment. My comment was about the fact that first and foremost that Whitesnake is and has always been David's band first and foremost. John Sykes might have helped propel them into Stateside success but he was a massively talented employee of the band, not a founding member. He was fired after recording and never got to play those songs live.
@Vinay Mulukutla Just one thing though, Coverdale apparently was not the main songwriter for 1987 album. He could never ever write or create stuff like that without Sykes. All he could do was hiring Doug Aldrich to make the band sound somewhat like Sykes' version of Whitesnake.
@@JJ-ho3cx The songs on that album were written by both David and John (Sykes). Of course he couldn't do it alone, let alone get that success but ultimately, Whitesnake is his band and his trademark (the name came from the title of one of his solo albums). I don't really know the fine details of the acrimonious split between him and Sykes but ultimately, Coverdale was in the driving seat and in a position to hire and fire.
@@vinaymulukutla358 Yes, written by both. Now, be honest and say that album sounds full of Coverdale. It is all Sykes in that album. Again, Coverdale can never make music like that, but Sykes can and did with his blue murder albums. Coverdale for sure is a founding member and? Dictator with less talent?
Two Giant Ego's that made the 87' Album one of the best. Sykes may have been right, but he lost his cool and cost himself a boatload of fame and fortune.
He was ALMOST not replaceable, almost.. Had he submitted to the label and Dave on 1987, he could have asked for the world on the next album.
Because HE was the sound, He would have been irreplaceable. If only...........
To bad for Coverdale that he is that kind of person, with John he could do so much more. Best guitarist of whitesnake.
Neil is a great bassist; very under appreciated. I personally don’t like the overall mix of the Whitesnake album- it’s all about the vocals and guitar. The bass and drums are buried and the whole thing sounds too big and there’s not enough separation between instruments.
Brilliantly put, lot of the 80s band had that syrupy reverb and mastered to death. Never liked 80s metal mainly cause the production and all guitarists wanting to wank
I found a few of the remixes David did for some of the 1987 album recently much better with that. Would love a full remix
Is Neil on Still of the Night on the Whitesnake "The Rock Album"...
the bass sounds completely different to me.
That album is mostly remix
@@dreadpp I know it's remixed but there's different notes especially the middle instrumental section...sounds like a pick player to me, Neil plays with his fingers...I know they added some guitar solos to some tracks using the current line up.
I always wondered if Tony Franklin played on Looking For Love since Murray wasn’t known for playing fret less and Franklin was
David is theowner of the Band , the one who point the way. That`s not be bossy,
So punk didn't kill corporate rock, it just got bigger.
Well Whitesnake obviously hasn't done anything as good as the 87 album since - but - John Sykes hasn't exactly set the world on fire either since then.
Interesting I’ve never heard this..
Who cares, the music is what it matters 🤘🤘🤘
We care because we will always wonder what could have been if Skyes had stayed, what could have been released instead of 'Slip of the Tongue'
@@GordonHeaney Thank god for Slip of the tonge, everyting is fine the way it is, the Music is what it matters 🤘🤘🤘
I saw Neil with Tony Iommi Black Sabbath
❤
Listen to Sykes’ lead in Still of the Night, and compare to lead breaks in other songs. Other leads in WS songs seemed to be restricted, like Coverdale didn’t want to stand in the shadow of any great guitarist. Imagine a studio session: “great lead guy, but it’s too good, and you’re not the star here.” Didn’t they have Via in the band at one point - playing mostly/all rhythm? Hence, I think Coverdale’s ego is what prevented the band from achieving even greater notoriety. Thank God Roth didn’t make such a mistake.
Vai had a good solo in 'Fool for you Loving
John Sykes was better suited to Thin Lizzy ,which were by far the better band.Whitsnake is DC and that's it everyone else is a hired gun .All of the really famous bands over the years have always been made up of the same musicians from start to finish ,with very little line up changes
Nice... ;)
Thin Lizzy wa better before of Sykes. Sykes is one of my favourites guitarist anyway.
Mark cbay. Personally,I didn’t like John in Thin Lizzy. I thought he was too brutal and didn’t suit their pop meets rock appeal and charm. However, with Whitesnake, was he one of the first to fuse classic rock with modern metal?
Slide it In was the best.Period.Everything after was fluff,with the random heavy tune.And John Sykes,not gonna lie,would consider marrying him lol!
David IS the boss
Lol, bass players always get fucked. I remember how far back in the mix my bass was on lock up the wolves…. Felt like a kick in the balls… oh well. Making better money now anyway…lol
Live and learn….👍🏻
A lot of 80's rock albums had bass wayyy in the mix. Annoying.
Why doesnt Coverdale openly explain why Sykes was fired?
David was always a snake when it comes to business.
👊
Wow. That is not a very good way to treat people. Such a crazy business.
Like it or not, Whitesnake was/is DC’s creation. It may not seem fair to anyone on the outside, but it’s my belief that DC had a right to call the shots.
True. The argument isn’t with his authority, just his stupidity.
@@codacreator6162 😂😂
Whitesnake was the original Milie Vanilli
Bottom line is that Whitesnake is David Coverdale. Johnny come lately should have just kept his mouth shut and say yes sir.
whitesanke 1987 is much more Sykes than Coverdale , lets be fair almost everything after is crap.
@@fig1115Slip of the Tongue is a better album
Hopefully sykes made some good money off that record. He disappeared for many years after so you would think he did.
Disappeared? Um...... No. Go check out Blue Murder. It was only a short while later that Blue Murder was rolling.
@@jimmyz2098 yea one record in 35 years. Very prolific.
@@jimmyz2098 well. He did two Blue murder.. Then he disappeared
@@allsystemsgo8678 He was leading Thin Lizzy in the 2000's.
@@thefonzkiss yea it was only about 30 years ago, ok.
What a shame the story of some great bands
Sykes was way to talented for Coverdale's ego to handle.
Yeah, look what a successful solocareer John Sykes has got...
And then David took in Steve Vai.. 😂😂
@@christervainio and Vai lasted for what, a year? The followup sold about a quarter of what the album with Sykes sold
@@allsystemsgo8678 a quarter? A tenth I believe is more accurate, and it effectively only sold on the back of 1987, it soon tailed off as Slip of the Tongue was not a good album, a poor clone. 1987 was Sykes.
@@christervainio that's fine and all but you ripped Sykes post Whitesnake career. My point was Whitesnake did very little afterwards. David went solo not long after, worked with Page. Now it's a nostalgia band. A lot of people love Blue Murder.
Gary Moore clone.
ua-cam.com/video/XpGeiLYb1CE/v-deo.html
By the way I like John S
I can tell.
Sykes is a great musician but tbe fact he could never stay long in a band or hold down a project should tell you something about him.
Coverdale is a shyster, he shafted Sykes like he did Bernie Marsden !
Whitesnake was always a 2nd string band. Nowhere near as popular as Motley Crue, Def Leppard, or even Poison. We all kinda knew David Coverdale was a little too old to be doing the 80s glam-metal thing.
David was the better singer though!
I think age played a factor but also that much of Coverdale’s voice was already starting to wear by then from albums, touring and a hard partying lifestyle by then. To me 1987 was really the end of Snake, as great as it is
Rudy has made a career out of playing other people's bass lines.
That’s why he’s featured in the “Hired Guns” documentary.
Who wrote the bass lines for Ozzy’s first two albums?
@@codacreator6162 Bob Daisley
Who wrote Quiet riot and Slip of the tongue bass lines ?
@@Nissardpertugiu - For Quiet Riot, that is a murky one. He is listed on the QR2 record, but Kelli Garni actually played. He played on Mental Health, but Chuck Wright also recorded bass for a few tunes and Wright and Garni had written bass lines for songs on that record. So, some of it was Sarzo. How much? I have no idea. Condition Critical would be all him though.
Ah yes. Behind the scenes. Coverdale was amazing looking. Had that sexy girlfriend.
No way could they headline a 10,000 seater though. That irked him.
Sarzo dying his hair blonde ? Hamming it up ? That irked me lol
Sarzo has always “hammed it up”. In Ozzy, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, etc. That was his thing. He’s never changed, in that regard.
And why anyone changing their hair colour or style, one of the most common fashion statements, irked you, strikes me as odd. Did Coverdale dying his hair blonde during that same period irk you as well?
Genuinely curious. Cheers!
I love Sykes and what he brought to 1987, but people are over-crediting him. He's amazing. But, "Slide It In" and "Slip of the Tongue" are both great albums too. At some point, one has to recognize that the common-denominator there is Coverdale.
What? No love for Black Oak Arkansas?
Arguably THE most incestuous business on the planet.
@ right?
They say that car salesmen are always employed... just never at the same place. Kinda the same I suppose.
Of course,DC is the real boss.....!!!!!
No shit, it’s his band.
David,Sykes,Sarzo and Aldridge would have be the best rock line up in rock`n` roll history after Led Zepp cause Led Zep was incomparable
Ah. lets just throw out all the great musicians and get a 'buncha' guys from the LA music scene. Well OK but that will end anymore great albums. Bad choice.
1, Dave was, is, and has ALWAYS been the boss is WS, it is HIS BAND, end of story. 2, who cares what the Bass Player thinks????
That 'bass player' played on every single Whitesnake album up to that point. I'm more confused by someone not wanting to hear a perspective from SOMEONE WHO WAS THERE. He was just telling his side of the story.
@@fullinbloom that part was really just a joke at the expense of bass players. Always fun. Heh, heh....
We're cool like a mug. Thanks for listening, JC.
@@fullinbloom heh, right on, bud. The only thing I like more than a good bass player joke is a nice, frosty mug!
No doubt.
WTF lol , wanted to be boss , he was the boss !