Did John Sykes Save Whitesnake In 1987?

[MrSirTrevor]

Having a big part in the writing of 9 of the 11 songs on their most successful album ever, makes me wonder. While Slide It In a few years earlier was a successful album, the 1987 self titled album was a huge grand slam and put Whitesnake on more radio stations than ever. It's no mystery about Coverdale firing everyone, too many egos in the room (hmmmm, where have I heard that before). To top it all off, Coverdale brought in Adrian Vandenberg who did the solo for Here I Go again, kind of dissing Sykes.

A year later Sykes formed Blue Murder and never looked back. He's still one of my favorite guitarists!

[Slayer]

I too am a huge Sykes Fan

[metatron]

Yes. Love the Sykes. He is a class act.

[MrSirTrevor]

Yes. Love the Sykes. He is a class act.

Right on, man! I have yet to hear any other musicians complain about working with him.

[MrSirTrevor]

I too am a huge Sykes Fan

Yes, everything he touches turns to gold!

[metatron]

I also like the young Zachary Wylde, but I say, Sykes was a big influence on him.

[metatron]

Man. I love Coverdale. Like the James Bond of R n' R.
But I'll say it, Sykes could have looked threatening to Coverdale.
Rockstar are all about the evil ego. The ego creates panic, uncertainly. The ego needs to be worshiped or else it has a tizzy fit.
Sykes is to Coverdale as Vinnie Vincent was to Paul Stanley.
You just got to listen to Blue Murder, close your eyes and go, shit that is a Whitesnake album.
Dude can sing, play killer guitar, arrange, and write killer songs.
Easier to control those who don't tick all the boxes. Like a symbiosis existence where the interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both. - The scale can be in favor of one. The ego hates that shit.

[MrSirTrevor]

I also like the young Zachary Wylde, but I say, Sykes was a big influence on him.

Me, too! Yes, you can definitely hear that influence. Imagine,Wylde, Sykes, Steve Harris on bass, and.......since these guys are a bit older......I'm gonna say Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake and Palmer / Asia) on drums. THAT would be epic! Of course, there are dozens of guitar/bass players and drummers you could think of. But that lineup would be cool, and different.

[MrSirTrevor]

Man. I love Coverdale. Like the James Bond of R n' R.
But I'll say it, Sykes could have looked threatening to Coverdale.
Rockstar are all about the evil ego. The ego creates panic, uncertainly. The ego needs to be worshiped or else it has a tizzy fit.
Sykes is to Coverdale as Vinnie Vincent was to Paul Stanley.
You just got to listen to Blue Murder, close your eyes and go, shit that is a Whitesnake album.
Dude can sing, play killer guitar, arrange, and write killer songs.
Easier to control those who don't tick all the boxes. Like a symbiosis existence where the interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both. - The scale can be in favor of one. The ego hates that shit.

Totally agree. I've heard Sykes say that he wishes he would have stood up more for himself back then. I'm guessing today that Coverdale is eating crow and having second thoughts. It's sort of a "take two" of Ritchie Blackmore and his Mussolini-ish running of Rainbow, I've always thought. Ritchie saying "I'm Rainbow", like Coverdale saying "I'm Whitesnake". Be careful, that can come back and haunt you! Jeff Lynne being the brilliant musician and writer he is, totally burned his bridges with rest of ELO, except for Richard Tandy. Not even the other 2 founding members of the band, Bev Bevan or Roy Wood want anything to do with him. Now it's Jeff Lynne's ELO, with various musicians. No thanks!

[shramiac]

Now it's Jeff Lynne's ELO, with various musicians. No thanks!

Cough....KISS....cough...


Sykes' wicked Mesa tone is still a ball tearer today! 1987 is somewhat dated sounding due to the cheesy lyrics but the playing...yummy! Same for Blue Murder. I liked a few of the songs but lyrically, it was cheesy too. It has been a while since I had a listen though.


Vivian Campbell saved WS with the re-recorded "Give Me All Your Love Tonight" solo! It is a cool solo though. And the Kramer Nightswan in the video looked cool too. Even though with my big hands and picking style, I'd never be able to play one.

Or little Stevie Vai with the followup album! I listened to that album more than 1987 tbh...but I was a big Vai fan in the 1990/2000's. As I get older, I enjoy instrumental music less and less and prefer to hear "songs".

[MrSirTrevor]

Now it's Jeff Lynne's ELO, with various musicians. No thanks!

As I get older, I enjoy instrumental music less and less and prefer to hear "songs".

As I get older, I really haven't changed my musical tastes all too much from the "glory years" of the 80's. Agreed, those lyrics back then.....oy vey!
I love "math music", I totally dig all of the unconventional time signatures, even back as a kid. As a kid of the 70's I grew up listening to the Carpenters, America, CCR, the Bee Gees, Fleetwood Mac, Earth Wind and Fire, et al, all on AM radio! That's what they played. Once, though, I got my hands on music from bands like Yes, King Crimson and the likes of that, my music collection grew much more. THEN came the the guitar shredder stuff for me from the late 70's into the 80's; Vivian Campbell (yes, you're right, too), K.K. Downing, Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and yes, even Vinnie!

I probably have one of the most diversified musical collections around, and tons of it. I'm a metal person - even the license plates on my car say IRNM8DN. That said, my favorite female singer is a toss-up between Karen Carpenter and Kate Smith (two definite polar opposites) and for guys it's probably Roy Orbison. I love old big band music, old country (nothing post 1980 - Eddie Rabbitt was part of that switchover to something that country wasn't), the old black Gospel hymns (those folks back then knew how to get a praise on!).

I guess I do know "hear" the songs like you said. I find myself pulling up lyrics now because back then I just listened to them and didn't hang on the lyrics too much. In fact, just the other day, I pulled up the lyrics to the song Island Girl, by Elton John. Never paid attention to them as a kid and I just got curious. LOL, wasn't what I expected!

LOL, glad you caught the similarity between Jeff Lynne and his "ELO" and Gene and Paul with.....well, you know.

[doublev2]

Skykes was great. Would love to hear vv write some tunes with Coverdale. Whitesnake could have done great versions of ashes to ashes and that time of year.

[Genebaby]

Did you check out Coverdale/Page Dino? I dug that when it came out. Now I want to hear a few of those songs again.

Best thing about it was that it brought Page and Plant back together and I got to see them play together 23 years ago!

[MrSirTrevor]

Skykes was great. Would love to hear vv write some tunes with Coverdale. Whitesnake could have done great versions of ashes to ashes and that time of year.

Oh, man.........I'd be all over that and giddy like a teenie bopper seeing Bobby Darin in 1960!

[MrSirTrevor]

Did you check out Coverdale/Page Dino? I dug that when it came out. Now I want to hear a few of those songs again.

Best thing about it was that it brought Page and Plant back together and I got to see them play together 23 years ago!

Yes, it was so cool when it came out. Something I never thought I'd ever see happen, too. I wish I could have seen them (you were totally lucky), sadly I live in Central Iowa, just north of Des Moines, and the concert scene dried up here in the late 80's. They get all excited here when Fleetwood Mac comes to town. Now, that's not bad, but it's only one of like 2 or 3 major acts to come here. Ya have to go to Omaha, Kansas City, Minneapolis or Chicago to see anything. I took my daighter to Omaha two years ago to see Queen and the next day Iron Maiden was going to be there.....had I known...... Maiden hasn't played in Des Moines since 1985, Kiss since 1987, hell even Bryan Adams hasn't been here since '85!

[Genebaby]

I know of Des Moines mainly because of KISS bootlegs back in the day, I remember they did shows there, but didn't know not many bands visited.

The Page/Plant thing was amazing. I saw Jimmy backstage during the opening act, can't remember, but there was also an amazing, I think it was an Oboe, solo. Some guy that played a very old instrument got the time of his life touring with half of Zeppelin. His Obo? sounded amazing through the PA during his solo spot. I'm not sure if it had effects on it, but it was cool.

[MrSirTrevor]

Wow, to think if a recording of that was available today! They probably gave the oboe a a little something at the board, I'll bet. That guy who played it has to have some cool stories to tell. Like you said, touring with half of Led Zeppelin would be the time of his life!

LOL, no nothing but smaller acts come to Des Moines anymore. Well, except during the state fair that happens in late summer. A lot of country acts (barf), the big deal this year at the fair was Slipknot, last year I think it was Journey. I'm taking my son to see Newsboys in Ames in early November. But Ames is a college town - last year I took my daughter up there to see Ghost. Not my kind of music, although a few songs were ok. I'm thinking of going to see GAWR in Des Moines next month. The place it'll be at is a small venue that probably holds 500 people at max.

[Genebaby]

Ooops. I looked up an Oboe, out of interest and saw tht it looked like a flute and that wasn't what I saw.

Turns out it was a Hurdy Gurdy! I remembered it was some old school instrument that not many people play, so this was only lucky Hurdy Gurdy player!

And yes, I'm pretty sure it was running through effets in the PA, it did sound cool.

[poserboy71]

Yes, John Sykes lifted Whitesnake to a higher plain.
He has no need to record again.

Living off that one album.
No urgency to do anything anymore.