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A double dose of Hammersmith havoc
The online incarnation of the Classic Rock magazine has a short feature on Whitesnake’s classic live album Live… In The Heart Of The City.
It is one of the greatest live albums of all time, a heavyweight double to rank up there alongside classics such as Thin Lizzy’s Live And Dangerous, Deep Purple’s Made In Japan, UFO’s Strangers In The Night, Scorpions’ Tokyo Tapes, Rainbow On Stage and Kiss Alive!. There is, however, something unusual about Live…In The Heart Of The City. It is actually two albums in one…
Continue reading in Louder Sound.
Thanks to Uwe for the heads-up.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
The soundboard bootleg of the 1980 makes for a very interesting listen. I’d say the majority of the lead and some, if not all, of the backing vocals were over dubbed. It also shows the genius of Martin Birch for an edit on, for example, Take Me With You. Doesn’t stop it being a great album mind.
The contrast between the two sets does show what a genius Ian Paice is.
May 14th, 2026 at 09:11@ David
I dont remember having seen/heard that SB bootleg.
I did though hear many others from for example 1981 and I always felt frustrated that LITHOTC was released in this way, lifted from 2 eras, COME ON thus twice…
I dont like weird mixes of live and studio tracks as wel.
Just give us the whole she bang.
Way back they gave me that feeling with several 2 lps but later on it turned out a lot was omitted.
Then having to wait the rest of my life or at best decades for full versions is torture.
Can you provide the link to the SBD, please?
Possibly heard it.
May 14th, 2026 at 10:52I went tru thousands of boots on line since I had a decent computer and my brain is often being ermmm….
Ian or no Ian, I always thought Live At Hammersmith (the 1978 set) the more organic set/performance and that cover of the riveted dark metal snake on the Japanese original was brilliant.
https://www.discogs.com/shop/item/4094725206
It is clear that someone like Duck Dowle had to make room for a drummer star with a joint history with DC and JL like Little Ian, but I could never fault Dowle‘s drumming even if Ian‘s style was for lack of a better word “heavier“ and also more flashy.
The later set is by no means bad, but the Hammersmith one captures a bit of magic and DC is in (even) better voice. (That said, I would not discount the possibility that Hammersmith was doctored too, DC liked to get things just right.)
May 14th, 2026 at 11:23Loved this album growing up, played all the time went through three copies…a definite classic.
May 14th, 2026 at 11:50Really?? … a heavyweight double to rank up there alongside classics such as …… Deep Purple’s Made In Japan
May 14th, 2026 at 13:42My most humblest opinion; naaaaa
Just listened to it this morning for the first time in ages!! I forgot how good this album actually is!!
May 14th, 2026 at 16:12Back in the day when Micky Moody was still allowed to play with his back to the audience without being told off by Coverdale for doing so, sigh! It never bothered me, I saw it as living proof for the camaraderie within the band and for the fact how Micky was enjoying making music with the others.
The Galley/Moody line-up never worked like the Marsden/Moody one, nor did the Galley/Sykes one. For all his time with Thin Lizzy, you didn’t really get the feeling that John Sykes enjoyed having another guiztarist on stage with him. Marsden was the most naturally melodic guitarist WS ever had and something was irrevocably lost when he left.
May 14th, 2026 at 17:09@1 100% confirmed.
May 14th, 2026 at 23:48As good as John Sykes and Adrian Vandenberg was, and no one can deny the success of 1987 album, to me this classic line up are the best Whitesnake band I really love, you can feel the chemistry through their music, all instruments blended together perfectly without none dominating another.
May 15th, 2026 at 02:07Ranking this up along with DP’s “Made In Japan” is a long-off and cheap shot, with a little merit to it. Especially given the amount of tweaking Coverdale did to it in post production. Same type of dubious thinking as Kiss polishing “Alive!”. ‘Live’ that is not 100% honest, warts-and-all. And it’s not that these bands were miserable on stage, they were good. Anyone who heard bootlegs or raw soundboards of theirs will attest to that. To certain degree, both combos could be fairly exciting live. BUT NOT on the level of Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice.
May 15th, 2026 at 08:31Excellent double live album. 1980 live recordings are better..but the best moment for me is “Mistreated” great performance by David and Bernie ,maybe the best version ever! (sorry Ritchie)
May 15th, 2026 at 08:36@2. see here
https://www.discogs.com/release/13291996-Whitesnake-Definitive-Live-In-The-Heart-Of-The-City?srsltid=AfmBOoqLnLgTCNrkVMk9KTuIGZWal4EYzWJyTOHp8sJ3taG0QtrysGaO
I can’t find it on youtube. That’s Uwe’s specialty
May 15th, 2026 at 10:07@7 👍
May 15th, 2026 at 10:38@11, Ivica,
I will politely respect your opinion on “Mistreated”, but as Garry Rafferty sang: “so we agree to disagree”. 🙂
Blackmore and Coverdale were a crucial combo to make this song so timeless. David – for owning it most always with the force to picture and wail to represent the deranged lover convincingly. Ritchie – for making it one of the most legendary guitar platforms for vast ranges of virtuosity. He lovably applied light and shade to it – especially in the climax between the end of improvisation in the middle and the *KICK* installed to get the band back in. Many others have tried hard to rise to the occasion by attempting to cover it – but very rarely got close to Blackmore’s sense of intensity and delivery on this.
There are zillions of versions to be heard, but probably the Sevres standard for the intensity flows and bombast of “Mistreated” happened in Ontario, 6th April 1974, on a certain stage with a rainbow behind. The razor cut power of intro, build-up and outro are ferocious and the knob-swelled middle solo by RB, whilst keeping close to the studio idea – beautifully ‘n’ smoothly tones the band to almost silence, before it explodes like a supernova. Goosebumps head to toes. With all the respect due – Whitesnake’s interpretations never got even close to that level of mastery.
May 15th, 2026 at 12:13I adored this album when I was young and still do!
A top to bottom classic.
It is, of course, post produced (definitely the vocals) and you can hear the amazing raw and unfiltered classic WS on the Live at Reading 1980 CD (part of Box o’ Snakes) for comparison in that department.
That set (Reading) also contains what in my opinion is the most intense and epic version of “Mistreated” ever captured on tape!
[By the way: “Still I’m Sad” on Rainbow On Stage has also studio vocals]
May 15th, 2026 at 12:34I liked the WS versions of Mistreated too. They sounded less jagged than either the Mk III original or the Rainbow attempts, the two guitars really made a difference and both Marsden and Moody had a feel for the song. Of course, making the song sound jagged was perhaps what Ritchie wanted given the subject matter of the lyrics.
Putting LITHOTC or Rainbow’s On Stage or even Mk III’s MiE up there with Made in Japan is hyperbole. My second-favorite DP live album is likely Mk III’s Live In London, but even that cannot match Made in Japan.
May 15th, 2026 at 13:21I love this. Hard and blues.
May 15th, 2026 at 13:21Live….in the heart of the city?
More like Live….in the heart of the studio. I’ve also got the bootleg, and it’s clear LOT of tweaking was applied. I reckon the only “live” DC on the official release is the in between song chat.
May 15th, 2026 at 13:29It’s a shame they didn’t release the whole concert as it was performed, because it’s really good.
Whitesnake at their best- no hairspray!
May 15th, 2026 at 15:52Great music.
@18 Mr Nixon 🇺🇸
May 15th, 2026 at 16:50Oh yes I am agree at all with you!👍
Made In Japan is absolutely the best and me too my second favourite is Live In London 💣 but in the cut lp version, better than the rereleased double cd version.
In LiL the guitar is monstrously explosive!!
Cheers 🍷
Faraway J, I didn’t know that SIS on On Stage was doctored. In any case a silly and quaint number, never liked it, neither instrumentally nor sung.
May 15th, 2026 at 17:58Sorry I mistook with 18..
@16 Mr Uwe
May 15th, 2026 at 18:40Oh yes I am agree at all with you!👍
Made In Japan is absolutely the best and me too my second DP favourite is Live In London 💣 but in the cut lp version, better than the rereleased double cd version.
In LiL the guitar is monstrously explosive!!
Cheers 🍷
My favourite version of Mistreated is in Rainbow On Stage.
May 15th, 2026 at 18:57I have always enjoyed this Album, “Cleaned Up” or not. I got the Original US Single Album version way 40 some years ago. About 23 years back +/- I was servicing Fire Extinguishers for a living and I found the Japanese album at this Import store that was more of a Mail Order place and not really a retail store open to walk ins and I just needed to have it. Now I have the double on CD of course, but what a find that was at the time, and then to find out the history of it later made it even better.
It was a good day there, I also picked up the Days May Come CD at the same time.
In retrospect, make that a GREAT Day there.
May 15th, 2026 at 19:57Quite a few doctored ‘live’ albums in that sensationalist article. Kiss Alive and Thin Lizzy, comical how much they are not live. I have read years ago about the Whitesnake album being touched up a lot, and even the UFO live album has some doctored tracks on it. The Scorpions doesn’t apparently, even though some people tried to touch it up but they were not allowed to by others involved, thankfully. Have I forgotten anyone? Oh that’s right the Rainbow ‘live’ album was touched up too from what I have read. An article about the UFO live recording. Cheers.
https://classicrockreview.wordpress.com/2021/07/29/ufo-strangers-in-the-night-1979/
May 15th, 2026 at 22:58@24
Same as you, first got the US Geffen single LP (all 1980 takes including “Ain’t no love” itself) and then the import Japanese CD with the 1978 songs. Great times! 🙂
@ 21
Yes, SIS is definitely a studio vocal (despite having no less than 8 recorded takes of the song to choose from!). Every thing else is fully live.
Cheers J.-
May 15th, 2026 at 22:58# 15, I think you’re right. I saw WS in 1980 in the wilds of southern Illinois, when they were opening for Jethro Tull. DC sounded terrible. The best audience response, by far, was for an instrumental number, “Belgian Tom’s Hat Trick”. But yes, this album, faked or not, is one of my favorites. And yes, I much prefer the instrumental version of SIS from the first Rainbow album. Didn’t think much of the version from “On Stage”.
May 16th, 2026 at 04:46I always feel kinda silly/stupid finding out a long cherished memory,espescially when it concerns a relationship with a woman,wasnt really what I imagined it to have been , dragging it along with me for decades.
In the end its important you took a lot out of it, loved it to death.
But yeah, the Dutch saying “Wat niet weet, dat niet deert.” comes to mind.
In English : “Nothing matters how something was done or really is as long you re not aware of it.”.
Personally I m very bad at accepting finding certain things out,even after 50 years.
I held dear to several images/sounds/ideas/loves.
And then I ve to face the music , override that cognitive dissonance, internalising a whole different narrative of something I thought was pure/honest/real.
Based on all the boots I often dont understand why they stooped so low to doctor it.
I didnt know or forgot about Dio doing a studiotake on ON STAGE.
I just found this collection of interviews of which I m not sure if they are all recent or also from lightyears ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd-2SLSRz4Q
If recent and I m awake now, Blackmore is talking here about REDOING Rising tracks due to the lack of bass!!!
Cant imagine that he ever was that committed.
Its strange but to me it, lack of bass, never made a difference.
From the start, listening it on vinyl in the livingroom of my uncle, who probably was out, together with 1 of my cousins it was a mindblowing experience.
Yes, I drifted off topic to get it off my chest and squeesed this in.
Whitesnake, like many other biggies to my regret I never saw when it mattered.
83 was the first,I had 5 years of getting versed in the DEEP PURPLE family tree in which I missed out on several theoretical options.
Two shows after that, really d loved to see these line ups, were cancelled due to the call of the more money in the States phenomenon.
Of course I tried to make up for it in the years following.
But it was often not up to par with these mighty years in which I was still a child or later on, not being versed enough or had to skip due to money.
But yeah, some were unforgivable to miss out because by then I had enough money.
MSG with the Live at Budokan played here in 81 and I wasnt there.
I never saw a GILLAN show untill the imho dubious NAKED THUNDER days.
Chose not to travel abroad to Germany to see the Toolbox shows.
A friend of mine managed the Rainbow fanclan and took the trouble to see many shows in England.
In the end I went to France, Germany and even in 99 the RAH shows in London but so many I never got around to.
That being said, my spendings on music since I was 12 still caused me to go bankrupt when I was about 28.
Since then fixed that, but it couldnt be done without sacrificing the wish to fill in the omissions.
It is what it is.
May 16th, 2026 at 12:43More problematic is that my health quite soon stopped me from even going places.
Grand Funk Railroad’s Live Album from 1970 and Status Quo’s LIVE! from 1977 are both – audibly so – warts & all honest live recordings too, but I think overall undoctored live recordings are a small minority among rock releases. Of course there is also a difference between “fixing” a small glitch to re-recording a whole vocal or instrumental performance as on the live albums of Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Rainbow and UFO.
I remember a release of a Rod Stewart Live album which was charming in how it laid out track for track which member of the band had made a mistake on which song where (most of them you couldn’t really hear). The poor sax player even had to deliver a written apology. 😂 Of course that doesn’t rule out that there still might have been corrections in other places.
May 16th, 2026 at 14:26@25
Thin Lizzy’s “Live and Dangerous” and Judas Priest’s “Unleashed in the East” are 75% studio, 25% live. And yet they are classic timeless albums who many of us love 🙂
Scorpions “Tokyo Tapes” (one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time of any genre or decade) is all live EXCEPT the crowd noise which is from … wait for it … “Frampton’s Comes Alive”! The story being that Japanese crowds were so polite the audience mics picked almost no sound!
@27
Was it the “A” tour?
May 16th, 2026 at 15:02The “Slipstream” VHS release blew my mind in the 80s!!!
#30,
Yes, it was the “A” tour, with Eddie Jobson on keyboards & violin. Tull was great. The violin made an interesting combination with Ian Anderson’s flute.
May 17th, 2026 at 04:21@ 30 – When I find out, rather disappointingly, that a favourite live recording I have been listening to for ages is touched up in the studio, well I feel ripped off, to put it mildly. If the artists concerned or the record companies stated as such on the cover, then us punters would have a choice and not feel the victims of fraud, to put it mildly. Anyway regarding Jethro Tull, yes that Slipstream concert, now available on dvd as a double package with a remastered ‘A’ album is superb Tull. The heaviest live performances I have ever heard, and that is saying something after their later 70’s performances and later day concerts that I have attended up until 2005. Cheers.
May 17th, 2026 at 08:26Faraway Jay: Ironically, the crowd noise on Frampton Comes Alive is stolen itself – it‘s from a Grand Funk Railroad live album, they always had the rowdiest and noisiest audiences!
Alas!, a quest for authenticity is not the driving force behind most live albums. They are either (i) intended as a keepsake for people who actually saw concerts and “buffed up“ in the aftermath to make the keepsake withstand non-adrenaline-soaked closer scrutiny and inspection, or (ii) a welcome chance to compile popular old favorites of the band in renditions played by a new version of the band (—> Rainbow‘s On Stage) or under the regime of a new record company.
May 17th, 2026 at 12:11@33
Wow, I did not know that!
Dr. Uwe you are the all-knowing seer! 🙂
In my era (teenager in the 80s) the double live album served as both a best-of-to-date-collection and the possibility to dream about “being” in a live show of your favorite band (with headphones in your bedroom or living room).
“On Stage” seems to be an outlier, though.
With decades of hindsight I have come to the conclusion that it was meant as both a way to buy the band some time and also showcase the songs of the first LP as “reimagined” by the new lineup, hence no tracks from Rising (it is just a crazy theory).
On that topic, I must clarify I know no sources stating that SIS was/is a studio vocal, that is my own conclusion/opinion. I wasn’t there of course, but I have no doubt about it. My guess is that Martin choose Nuremberg as the best take, Blackers signed on it and Ronnie, not wanting to ruffle any feathers, simply asked to improve his own performance during mixing (again, just a theory!!)
All the best, J.-
May 17th, 2026 at 16:03@31 and @32
Yes! Great lineup and Jobson was ace!!
May 17th, 2026 at 16:08Best regards, J.-
I saw GILLAN twice and Ian on both the Naked Thunder and the Toolbox tours. The Toolbox gig was musically fine, but man it was the nadir of his popularity, he played in a small village out in the boondocks in the former village cinema (a small box-like room) and it wasn’t even sold out, maybe 200 people there. Or less. The fall into oblivion was just around the corner. As good as the gig was, I came away dejected, thinking where this is all gonna lead.
He really needed the return to Purple. Ian has proven again and again that he cannot handle his own solo career, he is nothing without the support of a large professional organization, be it Sabbath or Purple.
May 17th, 2026 at 23:35LITHOTC is a great double live album. I was at Reading in 1980 when Coverdale announced it from the stage and talking of Reading 1980 the BBC recording of that show is surely the classic version of Whitesnake at it’s best; no overdubs, just raw and straight for the jugular. Jon Lord’s fumbled into to Mistreated is still a thing of beauty even with the mistakes. The audience are magnificent as well. I wonder if a full BBC recording (pre-editing for the radio) still exists?
May 18th, 2026 at 10:07Faraway J, you have no idea about how many things I don‘t have the faintest clue – I‘m the master of trivial Inselwissen! 🤣 My wife for instance is of the firm belief that there is no other male being in Germany that understands as little about soccer as me – and she is probably right! I infuriate soccer fans when I comment that I find offside/Abseits a silly concept. 🤗
The “Grand Funk claps on Frampton’s record” comes from an interview with Billy Sheehan where he recounted how utterly disappointed he was when he heard from people who had mixed the album that ‘Frampton Comes Alive’ was heavily doctored and not even the audience noise was authentic – Billy had counted FCA as one of his all time favorite live albums.
Funnily enough, when I heard On Stage a while back and specifically Still I’m Sad, I caught myself wondering how absolutely precise the vocal melody sounded. Now little Dio was always an accurate singer live (and one who eschewed any risks, not like Graham Bonnet), but that vocal take sounded a little too perfect and deliberate to my ears.
May 18th, 2026 at 14:13Jobson is really full of himself, but mesmerizing to watch. I think he learned that attitude in Roxy Music.
May 18th, 2026 at 17:40@38
Haha I feel you Uwe, I have no clue whatsoever about soccer either, DESPITE being South American 😂
Billy is great but I once saw him (while briefly attending audio school is the US) get drunk with just TWO glasses of red wine! I mean c’mon man, even *I* can do better than that! (brilliant player though)
Love both On Stage AND Live…In the Heart (emotionally invested in them, you could say)
Best regards and thx for the precise facts and good humor 🙂
May 18th, 2026 at 17:47J.-
Two glasses of red wine? Maybe he’s had issues in the past. There are two kinds of serious alcoholics: Those who can drink vast amounts that would kill a normal person and those who – often after longer dry spells – drink just a miniscule amount to suddenly go off the rails unannounced. I’ve seen it happen more than once.
May 18th, 2026 at 22:35Football guys, football. Not soccer…………………..Hang your heads in shame………..get the guillotine out while we are at it………Cheeers.
May 19th, 2026 at 01:47@41
It was meant as a light hearted comment, Uwe 🙂
I do have a tendency for “a nobody that happened to be there” type anecdotes!
What happened was that in L.A. you would simply go out for a beer and just casually bump into this type characters who were really doing the same!
In this particular tale, Billy was out of Mr. Big and launching his first solo album with a little party in a small club, called The Cathouse. He was of course radiant, fine-lady clad on both sides and in good spirits (including the red wine), good clean fun 🙂
Amazing musician Mr. Sheehan!
May 19th, 2026 at 12:25All the best,
J.-
@42
We indeed call it “Fútbol” here!
(Spanish phonetic for “Football”)
And what the US Americans call “Football” here we call “Rugby”!!
Weirdly, we call tennis “tennis” 😀
Best, J.-
May 19th, 2026 at 12:29Does Australia even have a National Football Team with a proper round ball (boomerangs don’t count!) and not that elliptical abomination? 🏈
My pet theory is that only the generally bad engineering and design skills of Limeys and Yanks led to the existence of Rugby and American Football, you couldn’t get the ball
May 19th, 2026 at 14:09righterrrm … round!@43
Mr Big are an amazing band and yes, the bassist is really something else 😍🤩
May 19th, 2026 at 16:30I envy you guys seeing Mr Jobson with JTull in 1980. Eddie is a big favourite of mine, right up there behind Lord and Towns. Mainly through association with John Wetton, “Danger Money” is my Top 10 record of all, ever. His collaborations with the bands were usually short, as such is his fuse in collaboration, because he’s a man of his own vision. That doesn’t take out any of his genius in approach to music. His “Theme of Secrets” album is one of the most enjoyable keyboard records I know. The “glass pingie” starting is off is almost as genuine sound as the first notes of “Echoes” by Pink Floyd.
May 19th, 2026 at 19:26@43
Excellent band, yes!
They also covered “Burn” in the late 90’s with Billy playing Jon Lord’s parts!!!
(Sorry, I can’t post links here)
And, by the way, you are not “boring”, “simple” of any of those thing, you are the ROCKIN’ SISTER we all wish we had 🙂
Take care, J.-
May 19th, 2026 at 21:03@47
They cover ‘Burn’! Yes indeed, listen here:
https://youtu.be/NCu-bPrguUc?is=uS1WtWK8VptEj_Vm
They are so great 😄
Sadly Pat died, but the ‘new’ drummer is pretty amazing too 😊
However, my favourite ‘Burn’ is this:
https://youtu.be/REMeBo7n40A?is=SJL3wZNfTqxN-ueA
Even though Ritchie’s riff was spectacular, there is such an energy and charisma in this 😍🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
And thank you 😊🙏🏼
May 19th, 2026 at 22:22Thorsun, admire me more, I actually saw UK with Jobson and Wetton on their reunion tour!
May 19th, 2026 at 23:19Eddie Jobson in Jethro Tull was a good move, although it was initially for Ian Anderson’s solo album which became ‘A’. Those live Tull songs from that tour video (Slipstream) are grand indeed. Frater was incredibly lucky to see that Tull lineup. From Curved Air, Roxy Music, even a week or two with Zappa on the road apparently, to UK to Tull and Jobson was even a member of the revamped Yes (1983) before they opted for the return of original keyboardist Tony Kaye. Jobson is barely seen (edited out as he had already left the band at filming @ 5.41) on that ghastly MTV video clip of Owner Of A Lonely Heart. That could have been interesting with him being in that new Yes lineup with Trevor Rabin. A side note and Blackmore mentioned that Rabin guitar solo recently and also the production of that 90125 album. Ritchie really liked the sound of the album back at that time. Trevor Horn produced it. Cheers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVOuYquXuuc&t=1s
May 19th, 2026 at 23:24Uwe #38,
Abut Bonnet taking risks, do you mean musically or the other stuff he’s been said to have done after a few drinks?
May 19th, 2026 at 23:50@45. Harsh Uwe. In my particular Engineering segment UK is far better than USA (not least because of EU regulations!)
Oh and as the saying goes, “Rugby is a hooligans game played by gentlemen, Football a gentlemen’s game played by hooligans.”
May 20th, 2026 at 07:30@51
[Totally off-topic]
Trevor Horn … Aha! So that’s where Jobson first laid eyes on the Synclavier machine (rumored to be as expensive as a small house back then) which he later used for the album Thorsun mentions at @47 …
Suddenly, it all makes sense
[Smiles in a deranged way, then goes for ☕️☕️☕️]
May 20th, 2026 at 13:33@49
Re: Burn
The whole “Live in the Still of the Night” is stunning, the band with Doug, Tommy and Marco, plus full onstage keys, a top-flight director (Hamish Hamilton) and a great cinematic mix from the mysterious John X Volaitis (who WAS that guy anyway?)
Say what you will about David’s methods, but dude sure knew how to invest/bet on himself!
Fav versions for me:
1. Made in Europe
2. Burn LP
3. WS In the Still of the Night
4. Glenn Burning Japan Live
Re: Mr. Big
A few years ago they came to South America with Matt Stone on drums (good lad) and were gracious enough to bring the already-ill Pat along for the ride as a guest. Great guy, drummer and singer!
They now have the amazing Nick Di Virgilio, who I have loved since his Spock’s Beard days in the 90’s (but please don’t go there Karin, progressive rock is a rabbit hole from which there is no escape, and I repeat: no escape).
NDV does a good job, given the circumstances.
“And thank you 😊🙏🏼”
Anytime 🙂☕️🎶
May 20th, 2026 at 13:51Best, J.-
I meant the way he sang live – it was no-holds-barred and much less controlled than either Dio or Turner, Graham unleashed his voice live. Ritchie once commented: “He does things live with his voice that sometimes bring him into dangerous territory.”
I think a part of Graham’s uninhibitedness was down to his epilepsy condition, he sometimes knew no bounds. That of course posed a danger to his reliability and turned him into a touring liability, which eventually cost him his job both with Rainbow and MSG. Alcohol doesn’t half-explain his dick exposure incident with MSG, he had suffered an epileptic fit a few days before and was still feeling the after effects. Other parts of the Bonnet lore like that according to both Ritchie and Roger he would “forget” to eat on Rainbow tours fit into that condition as well (as does the fact that he was before Rainbow mostly a studio and not a touring musician).
Of course, drinking alcohol, living recklessly and not taking good care of yourself exacerbates the risks of an epileptic fit.
May 20th, 2026 at 14:45David, my perception of English engineering is irrevocably damaged since my first wife owned a Jaguar E-Type. Lucas Electronics – king of darkness. 😱😂
Actually, my Harley-Davidson Fat Bob from 2019 and with a mileage of now nearly 50.000 km is doing fine, no nasty surprises so far. The occasional issues of the aftermarket exhaust pipes and electronics cannot be blamed on Milwaukee, that was a German product! 😂
And of course: The Evolution engine of the Harley is a PORSCHE design. ☝️😎
May 20th, 2026 at 14:59Faraway J: Re WS In the Stall Of The Studio Booth, I have severe doubts about any of DC’s sung vocals being live on that … 🤐
It must be said, Billy Sheehan morphing into Jon Lord on Mr Big’s Burn rendition draws tears of joy to my eyes!
May 20th, 2026 at 15:23Re the football, we convicts out here then invented another form, borrowing a little from Gaelic football. Australian Rules. Just to confuse some people. Hell, it even confused us. Gotta love the Irish eh? Cheers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Gaelic_football_and_Australian_rules_football
May 20th, 2026 at 23:02@58
Yes, yes, of course Uwe.
What I meant is that it was a stellar product, both audio and video production (of course polished for release).
In 2005, Whitesnake (they had lost Marco by then) played the Monsters of Rock festival in Buenos Aires, and the vocals were so bad that they were the only band omitted from the FM broadcast of the event. I truly love the guy and hope he is happy and well now, but it was what it was…
Tommy and Doug were amazing.
Mr. Big => I can’t find any connection of them to the Purple family tree, is there any at all???
Best, J.-
May 20th, 2026 at 23:10@57. I’m a mechanical engineer and that is my viewpoint. It is common knowledge that UK car electrical engineering is indeed terrible. My company has a factory in Germany and it is excellent.
May 21st, 2026 at 08:04@ 50, Uwe, “you poor old sod, you see – it’s only… me” 😀
You can’t trump me in case of the U.K. Sir. I saw them in 2012 first – met both Eddie, his sister and his son Chris before the Krakow show, John Wetton also came to us for a while – I have a photo with him where the flash didn’t work – in effect – only I know that on this picture it’s me and JW. My biggest fanboy catastrophe, ever. And then they played the blinder of a concert, with “Starless” and “Carrying No Cross” played back to back. IT WAS HEAVEN. And then, once again in 2015. John’s “one last shot – then permanent vacation”….
May 21st, 2026 at 09:02@55
Mr. Big are no more. Their supposed-to-be last date were in Romania of all countries in 2024 (surprising because they were more popular in Asia, logically farewell dates should be there). Although due to demand, they accepted to do last concerts in India and Budokan, Japan early 2025.
The notion had been there since Pat Torpey’s passing. In interviews they implied that it was not really right to continue after their best friend’s passing. But as any business entity, the demands kept them going for some years more.
And perhaps the drummer you mentioned was Matt Starr (not Matt Stone), who also played with late Ace Frehley at the time. They hired Nick because, as good as Matt was a drummer, he’s not a singer. Nick could do the vocals Pat Torpey did. Nick also said in interview, as they stopped touring, he suggested Mr. Big do sort of residency, either in Indonesia or Japan as they were big over there, to no replies from any of 3 founding members.
Mr. Big did Burn justice (as I ever said, I prefer their instrumental version rather than the one with vocal). But they basically roasted Smoke on the Water in their 2009 concert’s encore, where they switched instruments (Billy and Pat took the microphone)
As for Whitesnake’s live records, as good as the classic formation with Moody, Marsden, Lord, Paice, and Murray (IMO their best formation), I really love the Donnington 1990 live album they did with both incredible Vandenberg and Steve Vai (plus great Rudy Sarzo and the thunderous Tommy Aldridge). They were exploded like bombs in that concert (and I’m sure they did too in other Slip of the Tongue dates
May 21st, 2026 at 09:46@60
Well J, there is some connection, two as a matter of fact:
We are a couple in here who are crazy about them, me included, and Mr Big absolutely loved Deep Purple:
https://youtu.be/8SOa3IeoxVo?is=oEvORHHLcy6rF4iJ
And I’m sure some other guys in here can produce other links, but let it be far from me to drown anyone in here with redundant links 😉😁
May 21st, 2026 at 12:24@63
Matt Starr of course, sorry!!! (old age working its ways on me) 🤦♂️
MB: Well, to quote Pirates of the Caribbean, these days farewells are not really rules, but more like “guidelines” 😁
NDV is a master musician, his performance on Spock’s classic “V” album epochal.
On Mr. Big I think he did well.
Eric Martin is supposed to play my hometown soon with a package thing along Jeff Scott Soto and Ripper Owens, but I suspect it’s a hoax (unless they like playing for 50 people!!).
All the best, J.-
May 21st, 2026 at 14:05@62
“Salvation à la mode and a cup of tea” 🙂
Off topic:
Heard your stuff! Nice!! But why the physically unfriendly A# key??? (Only Bowie and Cobain used that key!)
Best, J.-
May 21st, 2026 at 14:10My biggest fanboy catastrophe, ever.
https://media.tenor.com/tU3fHVMQ4-UAAAAM/trick-football.gif
I feel for you, Thorsun! 🤣
Andre S, I saw Hair Metal WS with Vai too. He played mesmerizingly well, but at the same time upstaged the whole band, DC included. The disconnect was huge. Like Eddie van Halen guesting with Status Quo or AC/DC. I was bemused.
Faraway J, I’ve seen latter day (post-Millenium) WS open for Status Quo, Alice Cooper and Judas Priest as well as on their own. At both the Cooper and the Priest gig it was painfully apparent that certain lead vocal parts were supplied via backing tracks. Even my son, aged 13 around that time, noticed it (he adored Doug Aldrich back then). That was bitter to hear and see. Auntie Alice is not even a real singer, but with her limited voice she still doesn’t need to resort to tricks like that to this day.
May 21st, 2026 at 14:37American Football is Rugby for cosplaying pansies. With weak stamina.
May 21st, 2026 at 17:01@67
Yes, the tapes, they had to…
Next time in 2008 (headline show, indoor arena) WS sounded much better (with that little aid).
Vai and WS never gelled for me, but Steve was and is an amazing player, no doubt about it.
Best, J.-
May 21st, 2026 at 18:05Slow An´ Easy boring? Rising weak an´ hype? Stop for a moment, Uwe,
May 21st, 2026 at 18:37its really no need to hang up on THS everyday and comment everything. Your DP an´co knowledge is absolutelly stunning, but rest a bit. We´re not as young as we used to. Thanx
#65 J From Far Away:
Wow!!
May 21st, 2026 at 20:14I would definitely go and hear the great frontmen Eric Martin and Jeff Scott Soto together live, but for now the tour is only South American from what I read around
@71
If it happens, I’ll be there for sure Fla76!!!
@64
Thanks K!
I was thinking more along the lines of any of them Biggers ever playing on a DP related band or project…I don’t think so.
Apparently, a very young Eric Martin was once invited to audition for Rainbow (I assume this was the position that went to Joe?) but he couldn’t make it!
Cheers, J.-
May 21st, 2026 at 21:44Are we now in some kind of worshipping cult? There are hundreds of Purple Family songs I love. In my case, I just prefer Sufficiently Breathless and Starglow Energy over something as inane and obvious as Slow ‘n Easy and its silly primal bass drum.
I give every Purple Family album a fair chance. I believe I have heard (and continue to do so) Rising and Slide It In more often and more throroughly than most people here have Clear Air Turbulence or Play Me Out. But that doesn’t mean I have to like the obvious stuff just as nobody is forced to share my enthusiasm for the more eclectic/esoteric IGB and Glenn Hughes.
If conventional wisdom was a determining factor for my musical tastes then I wouldn’t have become a DP fan in the first place because in my social circles as a teenager, DP was looked down upon and belittled – people listened to Zappa, Floyd, Genesis, YES, Tull & ELP. But that never bothered me, nothing is more deeply unsettling to me than being part of a crowd. 😎
Rising isn’t a hype at all, just overrated, it’s a cult record for a circle of devotees (which has a charming aspect, I’ll give you that), largely unknown outside of hard rock/heavy metal circles. Ask any regular rock and pop fan if he can hum a tune from Rising.
Slow ‘n Easy otoh is just plain dumb and banally obvious – which WS often could be, but usually with more chest-beating machismo charm than on Slide It In (the album). To me Micky Moody’s tasteful slide playing and Cozy’s metal drums jarred badly. If you ask Micky Moody, he thought the same and described Cozy with WS as “like a circus”. I’ve seen Cozy bludgeon to death close to half a dozen WS gigs, that is how often I saw them with him at the time (if I wanted to see DC and Jon, I also had to watch Cozy, simple as that). And I saw WS with both Duck Dowle and Ian Paice to know the (painful) sonic difference.
But by all means: You guys are free to think and feel otherwise, we’re exchanging views and thereby keeping the music alive, forty to fifty years after the fact. I’m happy to hear from anyone putting up a defense for those albums and will listen to their arguments. And I do not deny Rising’s and Slide It In’s lasting influence on certain genres, but apparently that is not enough.
May 21st, 2026 at 23:18Was Steve Vai sacked from Whitesnake or did he leave of his own accord. I cannot imagine DC in all his vanity and insecurity putting up with anyone upstaging him. Bloody guitarists, first it was those two British guys, then Sykes and now Vai. Are there any other guitarists we can add to old Cove’s wish list. You bet there is. He he he, we have to laugh don’t we. Cheers.
https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/who_did_it_best_these_are_12_guitarists_who_played_in_whitesnake-88548
May 21st, 2026 at 23:26@74
No, no, the WS endeavor (and the 80s for that fact) had simply ran its course, David was burnt out and Vai was only hired for that album cycle.
DC was never insecure, and if fact wanted Sykes and Vai as a guitar duo as early as 1986 after seeing the Crossroads movie (John wasn’t having none of it though!)
Yes, he wanted Michael Schenker too, but the Mad Axeman was his own man by then.
Best, J.-
May 22nd, 2026 at 13:32@73
“Are we now in some kind of worshipping cult?”
Wait…we AREN’T !!?? 😮
May 22nd, 2026 at 13:50@72
“very young Eric Martin was once invited to audition for Rainbow (I assume this was the position that went to Joe?) but he couldn’t make it!”
May 22nd, 2026 at 14:56– well if you ask me, that was just too bad for Rainbow.
Eric Martin has a very nice voice. Not Ian Gillan-nice of course 😃
@73
Uwe, listen to me:
When I order supplements in the US, let’s say Monday, I usually receive it Wednesday! When I get it delivered with DHL that is.
Ok, I have never in my life been any kind of math genius, but you sent the drumstick to me the 20th, and today it is the 22nd – no drumstick whatsoever…
Will you actually tell me that the US is somehow better than Germany when it comes to deliver mails or packets?
Well, I know that drumstick must be some kind of magic
May 22nd, 2026 at 15:13https://youtu.be/0p_1QSUsbsM?is=4OZJN-6_DXJ7ZAEZ
But I am nothing if not patient…. 😆