In the mid- to late 1980s, Whitesnake exploded from a popular British hard rock band into a worldwide phenomenon, becoming one of the decade's most successful rock acts. This fall, Craft Recordings revisits that landmark period with vinyl reissues of Slide It In (1984), Whitesnake (1987), and Slip of the Tongue (1989). Powered by hits including “Here I Go Again,” “Is This Love,” “Still of the Night,” and “Fool for Your Loving,” the David Coverdale-led group’s run of multi-platinum albums helped define the sound and spectacle of 80s hard rock.
Arriving September 18, the titles return to vinyl in their original U.S. single LP configurations. Alongside the wide release on standard black vinyl, exclusive color pressings include the self-titled Whitesnake on “Tan Smoke” (via Walmart) and “Stone Marble” (Revolver). Fans can also find Whitesnake on limited-edition “Gold Black Ice,” alongside Slide It In on “Onyx” and Slip of the Tongue on “Crimson Moon,” exclusively via CraftRecordings.com. All three albums are available to pre-order and stream today.
Founded in 1978 by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee David Coverdale, Whitesnake was the next chapter in a career that had already brought him international acclaim as the frontman of Deep Purple. After appearing on the influential Deep Purple albums Burn, Stormbringer, and Come Taste the Band, Coverdale formed Whitesnake to pursue his own songwriting vision. While the band's earliest work was rooted in blues, soul, and classic British rock, later Whitesnake albums paired those influences with bigger hooks, a heavier guitar-driven sound, and arena-rock scale, propelling the band to worldwide success.
That evolution comes into sharp focus with 1984’s Slide It In, the album that pushed Whitesnake’s blues-rock foundation toward a leaner, more radio-ready hard rock sound. Powered by “Love Ain’t No Stranger,” “Slow an’ Easy,” and the swaggering title track, the album retained the grit and swing of the band’s earlier work while pointing clearly toward the bigger hooks and heightened production that would soon define the band’s international breakthrough. It became Whitesnake’s first U.S. Top 40 release and later achieved double-platinum certification in the U.S.
If Slide It In opened the door, 1987’s self-titled Whitesnake kicked it off its hinges. Often referred to simply as 1987, the album transformed the band into international superstars with “Here I Go Again,” “Is This Love,” and “Still of the Night.” A reimagined version of a song first released in 1982, “Here I Go Again” became the band’s signature hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100. The album peaked at No.2 on the Billboard 200, was certified 8x Platinum in the U.S., and yielded the No.2 Hot 100 hit “Is This Love.”
For the MTV generation, Whitesnake’s cinematic videos were central to the band’s rise, giving the songs a visual language as bold and polished as the records themselves. Among the most iconic was the video for “Here I Go Again,” featuring model and actress Tawny Kitaen, whose memorable appearance helped make it one of the defining music videos of the MTV era. Heavy rotation on the network helped introduce the band to millions of new fans worldwide, further elevating Whitesnake’s status as one of hard rock’s defining acts. Decades later, tracks like “Here I Go Again,” “Is This Love,” and “Still of the Night” remain staples of classic rock radio, streaming playlists, and concert stages around the world.
By 1989’s Slip of the Tongue, Whitesnake was firmly established on the world stage. Co-written by Coverdale and Adrian Vandenberg, the album took on a new dimension when Vandenberg was sidelined by a wrist injury and Steve Vai stepped in to record much of the guitar work. Featuring “Fool for Your Loving,” “The Deeper the Love,” and “Now You’re Gone,” Slip of the Tongue reached No.10 in both the U.S. and UK and earned platinum certification in the States.
Together, Slide It In, Whitesnake, and Slip of the Tongue capture a pivotal chapter in rock history, when blues-rock roots, stadium-sized spectacle, MTV-era image-making, and pop crossover instinct converged to create some of the era’s most enduring anthems. Collectively, the albums document David Coverdale’s evolution from respected British rock vocalist to international superstar and remain cornerstones of the hard rock canon.
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