Whitesnake had already released a string of Top 10 albums in the UK, Europe & Japan before the band conquered the entire world with its 1987 record, which was certified multi-platinum and featured the smash single Here I Go Again. The classic album turns 30 this year and Parlophone is celebrating with four new versions, including an expansive boxed set.
WHITESNAKE 1987: SUPER DELUXE EDITION will be available on October 6 and is available for pre-order now. The 4-CD/DVD collection includes the original album with newly remastered sound, unreleased live and studio recordings, classic music videos, concert footage, a 30 minute documentary, featuring a new interview with David Coverdale, Whitesnake’s founder and lead singer. The music comes in a 60-page hardbound book that’s filled with rare and unseen photos from the era, an extended essay based on new interviews with Coverdale, plus a booklet of the album’s lyrics, handwritten by Coverdale. The audio will also be available via digital download and streaming services.
Three other versions of WHITESNAKE 1987 will also be available the same day. A Deluxe Edition will be available in both 2-CD and 2-LP versions, each including the newly remastered album expanded with a selection of unreleased bonus recordings. A single-disc version of the newly remastered album will also be available.
This also marks the first release under a newly signed catalogue deal with Whitesnake and Rhino Entertainment, the catalogue division of Warner Music Group. This new deal includes both the North American and Japanese rights, marking the first time a substantial amount of the Whitesnake catalogue will reside under Warner Music Group worldwide.
“It gives me great joy to finally have so much of my Whitesnake catalogue all under the same roof with the Warner family and I’m thrilled to be now working with this tremendous team on a worldwide basis,” says Coverdale.
“I have great memories of being with Warner back in my days with Deep Purple, then when I was with Geffen, when they were distributed by Warner, so it feels like coming home to now have Whitesnake there. This elaborate reissue is the perfect project to kick off the new relationship.”
“Whitesnake is one of the all-time great rock ‘n’ roll bands, with David being an absolute icon as a vocalist and front man,” says Rhino President Mark Pinkus.
“We are absolutely thrilled to now have so much of the Whitesnake catalogue with Warner on a global basis and are excited for the fans to see what great releases we have planned for the coming years.”
Soon after its release in April 1987, WHITESNAKE 1987 became a huge success around the world, selling multi million copies. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard album chart and spawned four popular singles: Still Of The Night, Give Me All Your Love, Australian top 10 single Is This Love and the US #1 hit Here I Go Again.
WHITESNAKE 1987: SUPER DELUXE EDITION comes with an entire disc of unreleased live performances featuring Adrian Vandenberg, Vivian Campbell & Tommy Aldridge recorded during the band’s 1987-88 tour. The music includes live versions of several tracks from 1987, plus Whitesnake classics Slide It In, Love Ain’t No Stranger, and Slow An’ Easy.
An additional disc spotlights the creative process behind WHITESNAKE 1987 with a selection of 11 unreleased demo and rehearsal recordings, including early versions of nearly every song on the album called 87 Evolutions. The final disc introduces newly remixed versions the album’s four singles, and includes rare radio mixes, as well as songs from 87 Versions, an EP released exclusively in Japan.
The DVD from WHITESNAKE 1987: SUPER DELUXE EDITION includes music videos for the four singles, all of which have been carefully restored and remixed in 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time ever. In addition, the DVD also features a new 30 minute documentary about the making of WHITESNAKE 1987, a new promo video made especially for this set of the 1988 version of Here I Go Again and unreleased live footage from the 1987-88 tour.
