Whitesnake's David Coverdale says joining Deep Purple aged 21 was an 'indescribable experience'
He says he's "eternally grateful" to them
Whitesnake legend David Coverdale says he’s “eternally grateful” to Deep Purple for recruiting him as a fledgling 21-year-old back in 1973.
After Ian Gillan quit Deep Purple in acrimonious circumstances following their tour of Japan in 1973, the then unknown David Coverdale read in a Melody Maker article that the band were looking for a new singer.
Deep Purple held several auditions, but they eventually settled for fresh-faced Saltburn by the Sea lad David Coverdale primarily because Ritchie Blackmore liked his powerful blues voice.
Asked by Absolute Radio’s Leona Graham what it was like joining Deep Purple 48 years ago, Coverdale said: “If you talk about bluebirds flying out of every orifice, that was probably the first time that I've experienced that feeling!
He continued: “And I tell you I'm eternally grateful to those guys, to Ritchie (Blackmore), Jon (Lord), Glenn (Hughes) and Ian (Paice) for giving an unknown (a break). I was really untried and untested, I'd never been in a proper recording studio. I'd never played in more than a pub audience and these guys took me under their wing, and I got the gig for my 21st birthday!”
Coverdale continued: “I see 21-year-olds now and I’m going ‘oh, my God, was that me?!’ Ritchie was a great mentor to me. We wrote most of the music together. Jon was a fantastic mentor, a bon vivant raconteur, just one of the good guys with stories. (Jimmy) Page is another one. I've had the blessing of working with some amazing musicians who are just great storytellers and have great stories to tell.”
Reflecting more on the early days of Deep Purple Mark III, Coverdale said: “They put me to work immediately. I was (at) Ritchie's house working on all of the demos that he had since they split up Mark II (of Deep Purple). I was taking home cassettes (puts on a voice) ‘guard them with your life!’ ‘Of course, of course!’
“(I’m) going back up to Redcar and fleshing out music, guitar riffs and making songs out of them. And I swear to God, it was just an incredibly, almost indescribable experience.
“What it did was give me this Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket to open the door to this Yellow Brick Road for God's sake that I'm still on and that's all down to the opportunity I was given back then. That was the beginning of my magical journey.”
Elsewhere in his interview with Leona Graham, Coverdale doubled down on his stance that Whitesnake’s farewell tour is definitely their swansong trek.
“I’m 70 years old, you’re not going to be taking me out in a wheelchair mate,” he quipped. “I’ve seen those (tours) like ‘the 20th year of the farewell tour'. No, no. Good luck to them but that’s not me.”
Featuring their new bassist Tanya O’Callaghan and backing vocalist Dino Jelusick, Whitesnake’s farewell tour hits seven UK arenas in May 2022. Whitesnake co-headline with Foreigner, while special guests Europe are also on the bill.
Tickets are on sale from Planet Rock Tickets now.
Featuring versions of Cream’s ‘White Room’, Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well’, B.B King’s ‘Let The Good Times Roll’ and many more, Deep Purple's new covers album 'Turning To Crime' is out now.
Rock bands named after songs by other bands, including Deep Purple:
Judas Priest
British heavy metal legends Judas Priest took inspiration for their brilliant name from the Bob Dylan song 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' from his 1967 album 'John Wesley Harding.' The moniker was the idea of early Judas Priest bassist Brian 'Bruno' Stapenhill who exited the band in 1970 before they had laid down any recordings.
Deep Purple
Initially called Roundabout, the rock legends initially toyed with band names including Orpheus, Concrete God and Sugarlump but eventually settled on Deep Purple; taken from the 1933 Peter DeRose piano composition. The song was a huge favourite of Ritchie Blackmore's grandmother and she would often perform it on piano throughout Ritchie's childhood.
Mr Big
In 1988, Eric Martin, Billy Sheehan, Paul Gilbert and the late-great Pat Torpey named their new band after the Free song 'Mr. Big', which appeared on their breakthrough 1970 album 'Fire and Water'. Mr. Big later covered 'Mr. Big' on their third studio album 'Bump Ahead' in 1993.
Motörhead
After being dismissed from Hawkwind in 1975 following an arrest for drug possession in Canada, Lemmy started his own self-professed "fast and vicious" band and took the name Motörhead from the final song he had penned for Hawkwind just a few months earlier, 'Motorhead'. Two years later, Motörhead re-recorded 'Motorhead' as the opening track on their eponymous debut album.
Poison
Originally called Paris upon their formation in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1983, singer Bret Michaels, guitarist Matt Smith, bassist Bobby Dall and drummer Rikki Rockett wisely ditched their tame sounding band name in favour of 'Poison'; a nod to the 1981 track 'Poison' by glam metallers 'Sinner'.
Nazareth
The Scottish hard rock veterans were called the Shadettes upon their formation in the late 1960s but were unhappy with what they perceived to be a 'lightweight' name. They decided to hit a boozer to discuss a new name when 'The Weight' by The Band started playing through the bar's soundsystem. Upon hearing the opening line "I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead", bassist Pete Agnew suggested 'Nazareth' and the band agreed. The rest, they say, is history.
Volbeat
Danish rockers Volbeat took their name from the 1997 studio album 'Vol.Beat' by singer Michael Poulsen's previous band, the death metal act Dominus.
The Rolling Stones
Founder and original band leader Brian Jones gave The Rolling Stones their moniker after the 1950 Muddy Waters track 'Rollin' Stone'. The fledgling group played their first show as The Rolling Stones on 12th July 1962, at the famous Marquee Club in London.
Sepultura
The idea of former guitarist, singer and co-founding band member Max Cavalera, the Brazilian metallers called themselves Sepultura, which is the Portuguese word for "grave". Max took inspiration from one of his favourite songs, Motörhead's 'Dancing On Your Grave.'
Radiohead
Founded in Oxford in mid-1980s, Radiohead were originally called On A Friday in reference to their music rehearsal day at Abingdon School. When they signed a six-album deal with EMI in 1991, the imprint implored them to change their name and they ultimately took their band name from the song 'Radio Head' from Talking Heads' 1986 album 'True Stories'.
Bad Brains
Washington DC punks Bad Brains named themselves after the Ramones track 'Bad Brain', which appears on their 1978 album 'Road To Ruin'.
Lady Gaga
Stefani Germanotta's stage name is derived from the Queen classic 'Radio Ga Ga'. Producer Rob Fusari claims to have been the person who coined 'Lady Gaga' in the mid-noughties when they worked together.
At The Drive-In
Influential post-hardcore noisemakers At The Drive-In got their moniker from a line in Poison's 1987 single 'Talk Dirty To Me' – "Cause baby we'll be / At the drive-in / In the old man's ford / Behind the bushes / Till I'm screamin' for more." The name was guitartist Jim Ward's suggestion shortly after the band former in 1993.
Seether
Formed in South Africa in 1999 as Saron Gas, the band ditched the name as their US label Wind-up Records noted its similarity to the toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound, sarin gas. Ultimately they settled on Seether after the 1994 Veruca Salt single 'Seether'.
The Sisters of Mercy
When they formed 40 years ago in Leeds, the gothic rockers took their name from the Leonard Cohen track 'Sisters of Mercy' from his seminal 1967 album 'Songs of Leonard Cohen.' The Sisters of Mercy took inspiration from Robert Altman's 1971 movie McCabe & Mrs Miller thats' soundtracked by three Leonard Cohen songs.
Stiff Little Fingers
Previously called Highway Star and The Fast, the Belfast punks eventually decided to call themselves Stiff Little Fingers after the 1977 Vibrators song of the same name.
Overkill
Wisely abandoning the prospective band name Virgin Killer (a nod to the Scorpions), New Jersey thrash metallers Overkill ultimately honoured their other musical heroes Motörhead by naming themselves after the trio's 1979 album 'Overkill' and the single of the same name.
Panic! at the Disco
Although many people erroneously think that Panic! at the Disco are named after The Smiths' song 'Panic' and its chorus of "burn down the disco", former band leader Brendon Urie has said in multiple interviews that they take their name from a track also called 'Panic' by Californian emo band Name Taken. The song's lyrics read: "Panic at the disco/Sat back and took it so slow/Are you nervous?/Are you shaking?".