Here I Go Again
| "Here I Go Again" | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Whitesnake | ||||||||||
| from the album Saints & Sinners | ||||||||||
| B-side | "Bloody Luxury" | |||||||||
| Released | 15 November 1982 | |||||||||
| Format | Vinyl LP | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||||||||
| Genre | Hard rock[1] | |||||||||
| Length | 5:09 | |||||||||
| Label | Geffen | |||||||||
| Writer(s) |
David Coverdale Bernie Marsden | |||||||||
| Producer(s) | Martin Birch | |||||||||
| Whitesnake singles chronology | ||||||||||
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| "Here I Go Again" | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||||||
| Single by Whitesnake | ||||||||||
| from the album Whitesnake | ||||||||||
| B-side | "Guilty of Love" | |||||||||
| Released | October 1987 | |||||||||
| Format |
Vinyl LP Cassette CD | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1985–1986 | |||||||||
| Genre | Heavy metal, hard rock | |||||||||
| Length |
4:36 (Album Version) 3:54 (Radio Edit Mix) | |||||||||
| Label | Geffen | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | David Coverdale, Bernie Marsden | |||||||||
| Producer(s) | Mike Stone, Keith Olsen | |||||||||
| Whitesnake singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Here I Go Again" is a song by British rock band Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, Saints & Sinners, the song was re-recorded for their eponymous 1987 album Whitesnake. The song was re-recorded again that year in a new "radio-mix" version. The 1987 album version hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 10 October 1987,[2] and number nine on the UK Singles Chart on 28 November 1987. The 1987 version also hit number one on the Canadian Singles Chart on 24 October 1987. In 2006, the 1987 version was ranked number 17 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s.[3]
Background and writing
The song was written by the lead singer, David Coverdale, and former Whitesnake guitarist, Bernie Marsden. The most notable differences between the original and re-recorded versions are a slight change in the lyrics. The chorus of the original version features the lines:
- "An' here I go again on my own
- Goin' down the only road I've ever known
- Like a hobo I was born to walk alone"
In an interview, Coverdale explained that "hobo" was changed to "drifter" in the re-recorded version to ensure that it would not be misheard as "homo."[4]
Music video
The first music video was made for the original 1982 version. It starts with Coverdale sitting in a concert hall seat and singing the first verses. The video continues as a lip synced "live" video showing the 1982 line-up (Ian Paice who was drumming for the recording is replaced by Cozy Powell) of Whitesnake performing the song.
The music video for the re-recorded version was directed by Marty Callner,[5] who directed most of Whitesnake's videos in the 1980s. In the video actress Tawny Kitaen is seen posing on the hoods of two Jaguar XJs and seducing Coverdale while he is driving. Kitaen and Coverdale would later marry.
Due to Coverdale firing the other members of the band before the album was released, he is the only Whitesnake member present on both the recording and in the music video; this was the case for all music videos released for songs from the 1987 album.
Single versions
There are several different versions of the song, all recorded officially by Whitesnake. They are:
- The original version from the 1982 Saints & Sinners album with Jon Lord on Hammond organ and Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody on guitar (5:03)[6]
- The re-recorded version which appears on the Whitesnake (aka 1987) album with John Sykes on guitar (solo by Adrian Vandenberg) (4:36)
- A 1987 "radio-mix" version, which was released as a U.S. single with Denny Carmassi on drums and Dann Huff on guitar, who also provided the new arrangement. This version also appeared on the Whitesnake's Greatest Hits album in 1994 (3:54)
- A 1997 acoustic version recorded for the Starkers in Tokyo album with Adrian Vandenberg on guitar.
In 1987, EMI released a limited Collectors Poster Edition 'USA Single Remix' 7" vinyl [EMP 35], the B-side of which consists of an engraved signature version, and the sleeve of which unfolds into a poster of the band.
While the 1987 album version and the "Radio" version (released on Whitesnake's Greatest Hits) of the tune are fairly similar, there are several significant differences. The original 1987 version has a long and slow keyboard and vocal intro, whereas the other kicks straight in with the band. One was recorded for the album 1987, the other for a U.S single release the same year. They contain two very different guitar solos, Adrian Vandenberg plays the album and video solo, and Dan Huff plays on the radio edit version. The album version has a different rhythm in the chorus, with a syncopated kick drum beat that is not in the single version. Of the two versions, the one most widely referred to is the remastered version released in the self-titled 1987 album, although both receive significant airplay today.
Personnel
Original 1982 version from Saints & Sinners
- David Coverdale - lead vocals
- Bernie Marsden - guitar
- Micky Moody - guitar, backing vocals
- Neil Murray - bass
- Jon Lord - keyboards
- Ian Paice - drums
- Mel Galley - backing vocals
1987 version from Whitesnake
- David Coverdale - lead vocals
- John Sykes - guitar, backing vocals
- Neil Murray - bass
- Aynsley Dunbar - drums
- Adrian Vandenberg - guitar solo
- Don Airey - keyboards
- Bill Cuomo - keyboards
1987 Radio-mix version
- David Coverdale - lead vocals
- Dann Huff - guitar
- Mark Andes - bass
- Denny Carmassi - drums
- Don Airey - keyboards
- Bill Cuomo - keyboards
Chart performance
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Cover versions
- A dance cover version by Frash was a minor hit in the UK in 1995, reaching number 69.
- In 2004 "Here I Go Again" was rendered anew as the debut single by Polish dance/pop singer Mandaryna. Remixed by Groove Coverage, the song was a smash hit in Poland, Europe and Asia, peaking at #2 on the Polish Singles Chart.
- The song was also frequently performed by Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody in their post-Whitesnake collaborations, appearing on the Moody Marsden Band albums Never Turn Our Back on the Blues and Live in Hell (Unplugged), the Snakes Live in Europe, the Company of Snakes live album Here They Go Again, and M3 Classic Whitesnake's Classic Snake Live and Rough and Ready albums. It also appears on Marsden's solo live album Big Boy Blue...Live (also known as Live at the Granary). The version usually played was the 1987 radio-mix arrangement, in spite of neither Moody nor Marsden actually playing on that release, although 1987 keyboard player Don Airey appears on several of the releases.
- The song is featured as the act one finale to the musical Rock of Ages.
References
- ↑ Mike DeGagne. "Here I Go Again - Whitesnake - Listen, Appearances, Song Review - AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ↑ "Allmusic (Whitesnake charts and awards) Billboard singles".
- ↑ "VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's". Rock on the Net. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
- ↑ "David Coverdale's bio". Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ↑ "Whitesnake - "Here I go again"". Mvdbase.com. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- ↑ "Whitesnake - Here I Go Again / Bloody Luxury (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Whitesnake – Here I Go Again (1987)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
- ↑ "Musicline.de – Whitesnake Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
- ↑ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
- ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Whitesnake search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Whitesnake – Here I Go Again". Top 40 Singles.
- ↑ "Whitesnake - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Whitesnake – Here I Go Again". VG-lista.
- ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
- ↑ "SINGLE TOP 1OO OVER 1987" (PDF). Top40.nl. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- ↑ "UK Top 100 Singles & Albums of 1987". Moopy.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
- ↑ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1987". Cashboxcountdowns.com. 1987-12-26. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
| Preceded by "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single (1987 versions) 10 October 1987 |
Succeeded by "Lost in Emotion" by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam |
| Preceded by "La Bamba" by Los Lobos |
Canadian number-one single (1987 versions) 24 October 1987 |
Succeeded by "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol |