The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

Menu

Navigation

You are here: Home / Forum / David Coverdale Retires

David Coverdale Retires

by 36 Comments

After 50 years, it’s time to hang up the lions mane wig and watch Countdown.

Enjoy your dotage Mr C (until a huge reformation or final farewell offer comes along – maybe at the end of Saltburn Pier)
Fare Thee Well …

0

Comments

  3. That’s a shame, but understandable, I suppose – even the best of us can’t rock’n’roll forever.

    I wish him a long and happy retirement. He’s still among the best guests the Rockonteurs have ever had, and I’d love to hear a few more stories about what appears to have been a fun-packed career.

  4. Well he’s earned it. Good to quit while you’re ahead. He took the unenviable jog of replacing Ian Gillen and being just as good but completely different. I like both the UK centric and US centric ‘Snakes too.

    • Yes indeed. I had never paid much attention to Whitesnake beforehand, but reading Guy’s account made Cov sound like such a fun chap that I thought I should check out his music.

      I’m glad that I did, and glad that in real life, Cov matches up to the character described in the book. Just the fact that he calls Guy “Guido” and Bernie Marsden “Ber-nard” is enough to make me smile. In a world where popular music now seems a bit bereft of personalities, we need people like the mighty Cov to bring gaeity to the nation.

    • ‘Guy, these are dark days indeed for a cocksman’
      And, to about 20,000 Japanese fans:
      ‘Whaddya say we knock the shit outta this one OSAAAKAAAAA….’

  6. The ‘Snake were a key band for me in my teens. I saw them half a dozen time or so, including headlining Donington in 1983. I moved away when they edged into the US style, and the last time I saw them was the first John Sykes tour. I still have a soft spot for Coverdale though, even if he did block me on Twitter.

  7. ‘’Ere’s no more songs for ya!’

    Aww. I’m fond of Coverdale. He made the two best Purple albums ever, ‘Burn’ and ‘Stormbringer’. And ‘Fool For Your Loving’ which is a cracker, and one of the first ‘difficult’ songs I nailed on the guitar all the way through.

    Possibly the only lad from Redcar to end up with a fruity Terry-Thomas raconteur sideline.

    Thanks Dave.

    • Of course it is. I thought the next couple of albums were even better, and the live album is ace. They were a tight blues-rock-soul band and knew how to put on a show.

  9. I saw The Fast Show Live last night (brilliant show: go!!!) and John Thompson managed to insert a reference to David Coverdale into one of his chats. John is a music nerd, I knew him before he was famous. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s here on The Afterword…?

    • I’m glad you enjoyed the show. I am going on Monday and was feeling slightly nervous about it being massively blokeish.

      I’ve just finished the first of the 3 Rockonteurs / Coverdale eps. Hugely enjoyable

    • I never knew him as such, but I used to see John Thompson in the Withington Ale House in Manchester on a regular basis. This would be late 80s/early 90s after I finished Uni. At the time he was doing the Sunday evening slot (with Steve Coogan) at Band On The Wall, which we used to go to. I remember he had a brilliant joke about Scooby Doo – but can’t for the life of me remember it. If he is on here, please help recall 🙂

  10. I hope he’s still on social media. I used to follow him and he would share silly, seaside humour stuff that was consistent with his image. He would also at the end of each of day post something along the lines of “Wishing you and yours a very good evening” which I found strangely touching. You could hear his voice as you read it.

    “Would I lie to You” from 1980 contains the line “a night of satin sheet action”.

  11. I suppose the writing was on the wall when a good number of dates on the farewell tour a few years ago were cancelled due to ill health and eventually the remaining dates were all called off too. Didn’t he have both knees replaced before that but soldiered on.

  12. Saw ‘Ver Snake at Reading in 1979. I can’t decide if it was excruciating or the dog’s gonads. A shameless exercise in oldschool rawk just as the vibe shift had really set in, but 20,000 jellyheads were giving it loads, and there was something deliciously shameless about it. Not as good as Cheap Trick before, but miles better than Nils Lofgren after.

    • I probably saw them then in Oxford. I had no problem, I thought they were brilliant. Mind you I was impervious to vibe shifts, I just liked what I liked!

      • I was feeling guilty about trad rock at the time. Too much NME and wanting to be with the cool kids who didn’t want my sort. I soon got over that, i can tell you.

Leave a Reply