Editing Whitesnake (section)

=== Music ===
David Coverdale's original vision for Whitesnake was to create a [[blues]]-based, melodic [[hard rock]] band.<ref name="Vain"/> He wanted to combine elements of hard rock, [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] and blues with "good commercial [[Hook (music)|hooks]]".{{sfn|Popoff|2015|p=34}} Coverdale's earliest influences included [[The Pretty Things]] and [[The Yardbirds]], who combined blues and [[soul music|soul]] with electrified rock, a style Coverdale found more appealing to traditional twelve-bar blues structures. Another major influence on Whitesnake's sound was [[The Allman Brothers Band]], particularly their [[The Allman Brothers Band (album)|first album]].<ref name="Q&A"/> Whitesnake's other early influences included [[Cream (band)|Cream]], [[Mountain (band)|Mountain]], the [[Jimi Hendrix Experience]], [[Fleetwood Mac]] with [[Peter Green (musician)|Peter Green]], [[Jeff Beck]] (particularly the albums ''[[Truth (Jeff Beck album)|Truth]]'' and ''[[Beck-Ola]]''), [[Paul Butterfield]], and [[John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers]] (particularly ''[[Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton|The Beano Album]]'').<ref name="Vain"/>

As the band began playing and writing together, their sound developed further into what has been described by music critics as their [[blues rock]] period, which encompasses roughly the first five Whitesnake studio albums.<ref name="Vain"/>{{sfn|Popoff|2015|pp=55, 110}} ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s Richard Bienstock described their early sound as "bloozy, sexed-up [[Pub rock (United Kingdom)|pub-rock]]".<ref name="50Greatest"/> Dave Ling, writing for ''Classic Rock'', described "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues" as "a textbook fusion of blues, hard rock and melody".<ref name="LouderLovehunter"/> Micky Moody and Neil Murray have felt that Whitesnake didn't truly find their sound until ''Ready an' Willing''.{{sfn|Popoff|2015|pp=25, 32}} Coverdale has seconded this, stating that ''Ready an' Willing'' was the beginning of what Whitesnake should have sounded like from the start.{{sfn|Popoff|2015|p=64}}

Beginning with ''Slide It In'', Whitesnake's sound developed more into straightforward hard rock.<ref name="Vain"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/whitesnake-mn0000251595/biography |title=Whitesnake – Biography |last=Monger |first=James Christopher |work=AllMusic |publisher=All Media Network |access-date=10 February 2021 }}</ref> Neil Murray acknowledged that by 1983 the band's sound had become "repetitive" and "stale".<ref name="RockMilestones">{{cite AV media | date=8 January 2008 | title=Rock Milestones: Whitesnake – Slide It In | type=Documentary | publisher=Edgehill Publishing Ltd}}</ref> Coverdale later expressed his desire for the band's blues elements to "rock more".<ref name="Vain"/> Additionally, Murray attributed this shift partially to John Kalodner, who began pushing Whitesnake in a heavier, more guitar-based, "American-sounding" direction.{{sfn|Popoff|2015|p=143}} John Sykes also played a pivotal role in Whitesnake's evolution,<ref name="RockCandy"/><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Suter |first=Paul |date=19 April 1989 |title= Fatal Attraction |magazine=[[Raw (music magazine)|Raw]] |issue=17 |pages=50{{ndash}}53 |publisher=EMAP Publishing Limited | location=London, England}}</ref> with Murray remarking how Sykes wanted the band to be more "American style".{{sfn|Popoff|2015|p=114}} Regardless, music journalist Jerry Ewing described the change as a "natural progression" from the band's previous albums.<ref name="RockMilestones"/>

The band's eponymous album saw Whitesnake moving towards a sound Coverdale described as "leaner, meaner and more electrifying".<ref name="Story"/> This later period of Whitesnake's career has been described by music critics as hard rock,{{sfn|Popoff|2015|p=120}} [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]],{{sfn|Popoff|2015|p=125}} and [[glam metal]].{{sfn|Popoff|2015|p=171}} Coverdale would later admit that by the late 1980s, Whitesnake had become a "heavy metal comic", stating: "If people confuse Whitesnake with [[Mötley Crüe]] or any of these things, looking at the pictures [...] you can understand why."<ref name="BBCSpecial">{{cite episode |title=Heavy Metal |series=Top Ten |network=BBC |season=1 |number=3 |date=6 March 1999 |last=Jupitus |first=Phill (presenter)}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|It is unclear from the statement whether Coverdale is referring to the magazine ''[[Heavy Metal (magazine)|Heavy Metal]]'' or the style of music, when describing Whitesnake becoming a "heavy metal comic".}} Musically though, Coverdale has rejected the notion that Whitesnake were ever a heavy metal band.<ref>{{Cite web | url= https://noisecreep.com/david-coverdale-rejects-heavy-metal-tag-for-whitesnake/ | title=David Coverdale Says Whitesnake Were Never a Heavy Metal Band | website=Noisecreep | date=6 April 2011 | access-date=12 February 2021 }}</ref>

Since reforming the band in 2003, Coverdale has attempted to combine elements of Whitesnake's early sound with their later hard rock style on their most recent studio albums.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=McIver |first=Joel |date=March 2011 |title=Good To Be Bad (SPV/Steamhammer) |magazine=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]] presents: Whitesnake – Forevermore (The Official Album Magazine) |page=129 |publisher=Future plc |location=London, England}}</ref> However, music critics have noted that Whitesnake's style has remained most consistent with their late 1980s output, with Philip Wilding of ''Classic Rock'' in his review for ''Flesh & Blood'' stating: "Those hoping that the new Whitesnake album record will recall Coverdale's smoky, ''Lovehunter'' past should look away now. [...] Coverdale understood American radio in the 80s, and that might be why he still writes for it."<ref name="Flesh"/>

==== Comparisons to Led Zeppelin ====
{{Listen
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|title = "Still of the Night" (1987)
|description = "[[Still of the Night (song)|Still of the Night]]" has been accused of copying [[Led Zeppelin]]'s "[[Black Dog (Led Zeppelin song)|Black Dog]]" and "[[Whole Lotta Love]]".{{sfn|Popoff|2015|p=141}} David Coverdale has denied this, stating that the song's structure and middle section were inspired by "[[Jailhouse Rock (song)|Jailhouse Rock]]" and [[Jeff Beck]]'s "Rice Pudding", respectively.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsZQW4Mr1sI | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/FsZQW4Mr1sI| archive-date=2021-10-30| title=Whitesnake '87 Track by Track – Still Of The Night | publisher=Whitesnake TV | via=YouTube | date= 2 December 2017 | access-date =24 February 2021 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>
|pos=right
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As Whitesnake's style evolved in the mid to late 1980s, they began to draw unfavourable comparisons to [[Led Zeppelin]].<ref name="PopM03">{{cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/whitesnake-030713-2496079112.html |title=The Rock Never Stops Tour with Whitesnake, Warrant, Winger and Slaughter |date=26 August 2003 |website=[[PopMatters]] |access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref><ref name="PopM11">{{cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/149282-david-coverdale-white-snakenorth-winds-2495941248.html |title=David Coverdale: White Snake / North Winds |last=Valdivia |first=Victor |date=16 October 2011 |website=[[PopMatters]] |access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Wake |first=Matt |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/greta-van-fleet-led-zeppelin-rocks-anxiety-of-influence-749513/ |title=Rock & Roll's Anxiety of Influence |date=31 October 2018 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref><ref name="Guinness Rockopedia">{{cite book |first=David |last=Roberts |year=1998 |title=Guinness Rockopedia |edition=1st |publisher=Guinness Publishing Ltd. |location=London |pages=236, 476 |isbn=0-85112-072-5 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessrockoped0000unse/page/236}}</ref> Tracks like "[[Slow an' Easy]]", "[[Still of the Night (song)|Still of the Night]]" and "[[Slip of the Tongue|Judgement Day]]" have been accused of copying Led Zeppelin,{{sfn|Popoff|2015|pp=136, 141, 143}}<ref>{{Cite magazine| url= https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/12-artists-who-ripped-off-led-zeppelin-186817/ | title= 12 Artists Who Ripped Off Led Zeppelin | magazine=Rolling Stone | first=Dan |last=Epstein | date=23 June 2016 | access-date=23 February 2021 }}</ref> while David Coverdale has been accused of imitating singer [[Robert Plant]].<ref name="CoverdalePage"/><ref name="PopM03"/><ref>{{Cite web| url= https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-03-14-1993073135-story.html | title= Coverdale/Page borrows moves from old Led Zep, but lacks unique Led zip | website=The Baltimore Sun | first=J. D. |last=Considine | date=14 March 1993 | access-date=23 February 2021 }}</ref> Responding to the claims, Coverdale jokingly stated in 1987: "I guess it's quite a compliment to be placed in a class like that."{{sfn|Popoff|2015|pp=141{{ndash}}142}} The comparison was exacerbated when Coverdale teamed up with Led Zeppelin guitarist [[Jimmy Page]] to release the album ''[[Coverdale–Page]]'' in 1993. In the press, Plant would refer to Coverdale as "David Cover-version" among other taunts,<ref name="CoverdalePage"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/robert-plant-whitesnake-david-coverdale-feud/ |title=Exploring the feud between Robert Plant and Whitesnake's David Coverdale |last=Taysom |first=Joe |date=3 December 2021 |website=[[Far Out (website)|Far Out]] |access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref> which was not well received by Coverdale nor Page.<ref name="Enemmän">{{cite interview |last1=Coverdale |first1=David |last2=Page |first2=Jimmy |interviewer=Heli Nevakare |title=An Interview with David Coverdale and Jimmy Page |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LizpiA_PBfI |work=Enemmän tätä |year=1993 |publisher=[[Yle]] |access-date=16 August 2021 |via=YouTube |archive-date=17 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817203724/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LizpiA_PBfI |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="RNZ2020"/>

Coverdale denied any notion of plagiarism, stating: "I don't know how accurate the comparison is. People shouldn't forget that I worked in Deep Purple for a number of years, so my pedigree in hard rock is quite strong. I understand that bands like Whitesnake, Purple and Led Zeppelin all play a solid powerful brand of rock, but I don't think we're coming from the same place musically."{{sfn|Popoff|2015|pp=141{{ndash}}142}} Neil Murray laid some of the blame on John Kalodner, who he claimed began pushing Whitesnake in a more Led Zeppelin-like direction.{{sfn|Popoff|2015|pp=136, 141}} As for the comparisons to Plant, Coverdale said they are "both from a similar school of influences and inspirations and singers [...] I can tell you precisely who Robert listened to to develop the voice he has, which is [[Steve Marriott|Stevie Marriott]] and [[Terry Reid]] and that screaming blues voice isn't copyrighted by Robert and that's something that I've grown up doing too".<ref name="RNZ2020"/>