Snakebite (album)

Snakebite
Original 4 track EP sleeve
EP by Whitesnake
Released	September 1978 (1978-09)
Recorded	April 7–13, 1978 at Central Recorders (London, UK) / April 10–19, 1977 at AIR Studios (London, UK)
Genre	Hard rock Blues rock
Label	United Artists/Geffen (USA/Canada) EMI International (Rest Of World)
Producer	1-4 by Martin Birch, 5-8 by Roger Glover
Whitesnake chronology
Snakebite (1978) Trouble (1978)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Snakebite is an Extended Play and the first official release by Whitesnake in June 1978. This EP unto itself would not be released in the U.S. The EP initially featured four tracks but was then re-released in September 1978 as a Double Extended Play containing four extra studio tracks from David Coverdale's second solo LP Northwinds all under the title Snakebite.^[2] The EP sleeve is entitled David Coverdale's Whitesnake and features photographs of the live band in concert. All tracks from the original EP also were used as bonus tracks on the 2006 remaster of Whitesnake's debut studio album Trouble.^[3]

Background and writing

Shortly after producing and then touring Northwinds, Coverdale found his new band was already producing and testing new material. Thus they returned to the studio to capture this new found energy.

The resulting mini-album (Snakebite EP) features the cover song "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City", originally performed by Bobby Bland. Although it is now considered a classic Whitesnake song, according to Coverdale it wasn't planned that way: "Originally I had no plans to actually record ‘Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City’…if you can you believe it…a song that connects so deeply with so many that I still play it today, 25 years later."

Some of the songs from this album would be captured later in 1978 and released on the 1980 Live...In the Heart of the City live album.

Track listing

1. "Come On" (David Coverdale, Bernie Marsden) – 3:31
2. "Bloody Mary" (Coverdale) – 3:18
3. "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" (Michael Price, Dan Walsh) – 5:07
4. "Steal Away" (Coverdale, Micky Moody, Marsden, Neil Murray, Pete Solley, Dave Dowle) – 4:16
5. "Keep On Giving Me Love" (Coverdale, Moody) – 5:13
6. "Queen of Hearts" (Coverdale, Moody) – 5:15
7. "Only My Soul" (Coverdale) – 4:33
8. "Breakdown" (Coverdale, Moody) – 5:12

• Tracks 1-4 are from the original EP, recorded April 7–13, 1978 at Central Recorders, London.
• Tracks 5-8 are from the Northwinds album, recorded April 10–19, 1977 at AIR Studios, London.

Personnel

Tracks 1-4

• David Coverdale – vocals
• Micky Moody – guitar
• Bernie Marsden – guitar
• Neil Murray – bass guitar
• Steven Plant – drums

Tracks 5-8

• David Coverdale - vocals
• Micky Moody - guitar
• Tim Hinkley – piano
• Alan Spenner – bass
• Steven Plant – drums
• Lee Brilleaux – harmonica
• Roger Glover – clavinet, cowbell, Arp 2600
• Graham Preskett – violin

References