Exclusive: Listen to a previously unheard early version of Whitesnake’s ‘Is This Love’

Lifted from the super deluxe edition of Whitesnake’s upcoming 30th anniversary reissue of ‘1987’, the embryonic take on the track is from David Coverdale’s own personal collection of cassettes that he used to record initial ideas for what would eventually become the ‘1987’ album.

In the audio clip, with great foresight David says “This is a chorus which will take over the world…” before the band launch into a raw yet instantly recognisable five-minute version of the track.

Have a listen to the unreleased song here:

Released on Friday 6th October, Whitesnake ‘1987’: Super Deluxe Edition is a 4-CD/DVD collection that boasts a newly remastered version of the original album alongside unreleased live and studio recordings, classic music videos, concert footage and a 30-minute documentary featuring a new interview with band lynchpin David Coverdale.

The lavish package comes complete with a 60-page hardbound book that features a veritable smorgasbord of rare and unseen photos from the eighties, an extended essay based on new interviews with David, plus a booklet of the album’s lyrics handwritten by David.

The above demo version of ‘Is This Love’ appears on the third CD entitled ’87 Evolutions’, which, as the name suggests, features demo and rehearsal takes of ten of the 11 tracks from ‘1987’.

Alongside the super-deluxe edition, a single-disc version and deluxe edition in both 2-CD and 2-LP formats will be released on the same day.  

The ‘1987’ reissue is Whitesnake’s first release since they penned a catalogue deal with Rhino Entertainment, the catalogue division of Warner Music Group.

“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 David.

“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.”

The Whitesnake ‘1987’ reissue track-listings are as follows:  

WHITESNAKE “1987”: SUPER DELUXE EDITION
4CD/DVD Track Listing

Disc One: Original Album 2017 Remaster
1. “Still Of The Night”
2. “Give Me All Your Love”
3. “Bad Boys”
4. “Is This Love”
5. “Here I Go Again 87”
6. “Straight For The Heart”
7. “Looking For Love”
8. “Children Of The Night”
9. “You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again”
10. “Crying In The Rain”
11. “Don’t Turn Away”

Disc Two: Snakeskin Boots Live On Tour 1987-88
1. “Bad Boys/Children Of The Night”
2. “Slide It In”
3. “Slow An’ Easy”
4. “Here I Go Again”
5. “Guilty Of Love”
6. “Is This Love”
7. “Love Ain’t No Stranger”
8. Guitar Solo – Adrian and Vivian
9. “Crying In The Rain”
10. “Still Of The Night”
11. “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City”
12. “Give Me All Your Love”

Disc Three: 87 Evolutions Demos and Rehearsals
1. “Still Of The Night”
2. “Give Me All Your Love”
3. “Bad Boys”
4. “Is This Love”
5. “Straight For the Heart”
6. “Looking For Love”
7. “Children Of The Night”
8. “You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again”
9. “Crying In The Rain”
10. “Don’t Turn Away”
11. “Crying In The Rain” (Lil’ Mountain Alternate Take Ruff Mix) *

Disc Four: 87 Versions 2017 Remixes
1. “Still Of The Night” – Remix
2. “Is This Love” – Remix
3. “Give Me All Your Love” – Remix
4. “Here I Go Again 87” – Remix
5. “Standing In The Shadows” – 1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
6. “Looking For Love” – 1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
7. “You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again” – 1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
8. “Need Your Love So Bad” – 1987 Versions, Japanese Mini-Album
9. “Here I Go Again” – Radio Mix
10. “Give Me All Your Love” – Single Version

DVD
1. “Still Of The Night” – Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
2. “Here I Go Again 87” – Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
3. “Is This Love” – Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
4. “Give Me All Your Love” – Music Video, Restored and Remixed in 5.1
5. Documentary about the making of 1987 Album
6. “Here I Go Again” – Purplesnake Video Jam
7. “Crying In The Rain” – 1987 Tour Video Bootleg
8. Band Intros – 1987 Tour Video Bootleg
9. “Still Of The Night” – 1987 Tour Video Bootleg *

WHITESNAKE “1987”: 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
2LP Track Listing

Side One
1. “Still Of The Night”
2. “Bad Boys”
3. “You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again”
4. “Straight For The Heart”
5. “Here I Go Again 87”

Side Two
1. “Give Me All Your Love”
2. “Is This Love”
3. “Children Of The Night”
4. “Crying In The Rain”
5. “Don’t Turn Away”

Side Three
1. “Still Of The Night” – 2017 Remix
2. “Is This Love” – 2017 Remix
3. “Give Me All Your Love” – 2017 Remix
4. “Here I Go Again 87” – 2017 Remix
5. “Looking For Love”

Side Four
1. “Bad Boys/Children of the Night” – Live
2. “Here I Go Again” – Live
3. “Is This Love “ – Live
4. “Give Me All Your Love” – Live
5. “Still of the Night” – Live *

WHITESNAKE “1987”: 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
2CD Track Listing

Disc One: Original Album 2017 Remaster
1. “Still Of The Night”
2. “Give Me All Your Love”
3. “Bad Boys”
4. “Is This Love”
5. “Here I Go Again 87”
6. “Straight For The Heart”
7. “Looking For Love”
8. “Children Of The Night”
9. “You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again”
10. “Crying In The Rain”
11. “Don’t Turn Away”

Disc Two: Snakeskin Boots Live On Tour 1987-88
1. “Bad Boys/Children Of The Night”
2. “Slide It In”
3. “Slow An’ Easy”
4. “Here I Go Again”
5. “Guilty Of Love”
6. “Is This Love”
7. “Love Ain’t No Stranger”
8. Guitar Solo – Adrian and Vivian
9. “Crying In The Rain”
10. “Still Of The Night”
11. “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City”
12. “Give Me All Your Love”

* Previously unreleased