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Nov 7, 20223 min read

Whitesnake - Slip of the Tongue (1989)

FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…


Celebrating 33 years since it’s release this month, is the Vai-laden serpentine offering, Slip of the Tongue!



On November 7, 1989, Whitesnake released their eighth full-length studio album Slip of the Tongue via Geffen Records in the US.


The album was later released on November 13, 1989 in the rest of the world, with the exception of Japan, where it was released on November 18, 1989. Slip of the Tongue peaked at No. 10 on both the UK Album Chart and US Billboard 200. Three singles were released from the album: Fool for Your Loving '89, The Deeper the Love and Now You're Gone. All the singles hit the US Mainstream Rock Tracks Top 40, two of which, The Deeper the Love and Fool for Your Loving cracked the Top 5. Slip of the Tongue has sold over one million copies in the US, reaching platinum status.


Fool for Your Loving originally appeared on the album Ready an' Willing, but it was re-recorded for this album.



Background:

After the tour for the band's previous multi-platinum self-titled album, guitarist Vivian Campbell left the group due to musical differences. Even with Campbell's leaving, the writing process for a new Whitesnake album started at Lake Tahoe with singer David Coverdale and guitarist Adrian Vandenberg. Some material, including the title track, had already been written while on tour and some lyrics were finished by Coverdale in Bora Bora.


Adrian Vandenberg had planned to record for the album, but the worsening of an existing injury made it painful for him to play, requiring surgery. For the recording, Coverdale chose ex-Frank Zappa and David Lee Roth guitarist Steve Vai. Coverdale was unfamiliar with Vai's work with Zappa or Roth, but had seen him in the 1986 film Crossroads, in which Vai had greatly impressed him. Adrian Vandenberg revealed in several interviews that he thinks Vai's flamboyant guitar playing was somewhat inappropriate, and that a more bluesy approach would have suited the album better.


Most of the backing vocals are by Tommy Funderburk and Mr. Mister lead singer Richard Page; Coverdale's friend and former Deep Purple bandmate Glenn Hughes contributed backing vocals to three songs. Once again, keyboardist Don Airey, along with session musicians Claude Gaudette and David Rosenthal, was brought in to do some keyboard parts, but just like with Hughes, much of his material didn't make the final cut of the album.


Adrian Vandenberg was credited as a major co-songwriter, while Steve Vai was credited with "fulfilling all guitar responsibilities" on the album, and appeared in all the band's music videos.


Subsequent Tour:

The world tour for the album was the biggest the band had undertaken yet, and included their third appearance and second headlining of the famous Monsters Of Rock festival. After the tour Coverdale folded the band and took a break from the music business until late 1991 when he started to work with Jimmy Page, which resulted in the 1993 album Coverdale • Page.



Critical Reception:

The album was met with mixed reactions, with many saying the album's sound was too far from the original Whitesnake-sound. David Coverdale himself has also seen the album as one of the weakest in the band's catalog, but has since found somewhat of an appreciation for it. He summed his feeling up by saying;

“For a long time, I felt the album lacked a certain Whitesnake feel in the music, but, countless people thro' the years have assured me that they enjoyed and enjoy the album, nonetheless. So, now I happily accept it as a significant part of the Whitesnake catalog and to be honest, I enjoy it more now than I did back then. It was an album plagued with challenges and obstacles for me, personally, from many avenues, but hey...nobody said being successful is supposed to be easy!

Metal-Rules.com ranked the album No. 38 on their list of the Top 50 Glam Metal Albums.


Reissue’s:

The Slip Of The Tongue 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition was released in May 2009 as a two disc remastered version with slightly modified running order and ten bonus tracks.


In October 2019 a 30th Anniversary Edition box set was released, including a newly remastered version of the album as well as other recordings and videos.



Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells



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