| "Here I Go Again" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Whitesnake | ||||||||||
| from the album Saints & Sinners | ||||||||||
| B-side | "Bloody Luxury" | |||||||||
| Released | November 15, 1982 | |||||||||
| Format | Vinyl LP | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||||||||
| Genre | Blues rock, hard rock | |||||||||
| Length | 3:53 (single version) | |||||||||
| Label | Geffen | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | David Coverdale Bernie Marsden |
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| Producer | Martin Birch | |||||||||
| Whitesnake singles chronology | ||||||||||
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| "Here I Go Again" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Whitesnake | ||||||||||
| from the album Whitesnake | ||||||||||
| B-side | "Guilty of Love" | |||||||||
| Released | 3 February 1987 | |||||||||
| Format | Vinyl LP Cassette CD |
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| Recorded | September 1985–October 1986 | |||||||||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||||||||
| Length | 4:36 (Album Version) 3:54 (Radio Edit Mix) |
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| Label | Geffen | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | David Coverdale Bernie Marsden |
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| Producer | Mike Stone & Keith Olsen | |||||||||
| Whitesnake singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Here I Go Again" is a #1 hit song recorded by 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 yet another time that year in a new "radio-mix" version. The 1987 album version hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on October 10, 1987,[1] and number nine on the UK Singles Chart on November 28, 1987. The 1987 version also hit number one on the Canadian Singles Chart on October 24, 1987. In 2006, the 1987 version was named the 17th Greatest Song of the 1980s by VH1.
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The song was written by lead singer, David Coverdale, and former Whitesnake guitarist, Bernie Marsden. The most notable differences between the original and revamped version are the style of the music (blues-rock versus hard rock) and a slight change in the lyrics. The chorus of the original version features the lines:
In an interview, Coverdale claimed he changed the lyric because he was afraid people would think he was saying "homo" instead of "hobo".[2]
The music video for the song was directed by Marty Callner,[3] who directed most of Whitesnake's videos in the 1980s. It became memorable due to actress Tawny Kitaen's appearance wearing white lingerie. In the video she is seen prancing on the hood of Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale's Jaguar XJ and massaging him while he is trying in vain to concentrate on driving. Kitaen would later become Coverdale's wife for a brief period.
There are several different versions of the song, all recorded officially by Whitesnake. They are:
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 the Greatest Hits album) 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. 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.
Original 1982 version from Saints & Sinners
1987 version from Whitesnake
1987 Radio-mix version
The song has appeared in various movies including:
| Preceded by "Didn't We Almost Have It All" by Whitney Houston |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single October 10, 1987 |
Succeeded by "Lost in Emotion" by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam |
| Preceded by "La Bamba" by Los Lobos |
Canadian number-one single October 24, 1987 |
Succeeded by "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol |