Live...in the Heart of the City | ||||
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Live album by | ||||
Released | 3 November 1980 [1] | |||
Recorded | 23 November 1978 23 and 24 June 1980 | |||
Venue | Hammersmith Odeon, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 80:22 | |||
Label | Liberty/EMI (UK and Germany) Mirage/Atlantic (North America) Polydor (Japan) United Artists (Rest of the world) | |||
Producer | Martin Birch | |||
Whitesnake chronology | ||||
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Live at Hammersmith cover | ||||
Singles from Live...in the Heart of the City | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Classic Rock | [4] |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 5/10 [5] |
MusicHound Rock | [6] |
Live...in the Heart of the City is a 1980 live album by English rock band Whitesnake. Originally released as a double-vinyl album,and double-play cassette,it utilises recordings made in 1978 and 1980. The album charted at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart with Platinum certification, [7] and number 146 on the Billboard 200. [8] The Classic Rock magazine in 2011 and 2023 placed it among the best live albums ever. [9] [10]
Sides 1 and 2 of the vinyl are recordings made with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio at the Hammersmith Odeon,during the band's 1980 World Tour.
Sides 3 and 4 are from a 1978 recording,previously released in Japan in March 1980 as Live at Hammersmith. [11]
In North America,the album was released as a single record,excluding the live material from 1978. [12]
The first UK CD version (EMI CZD 94) was a double set,issued in 1988,in what is now known as a 'fat-boy' double-CD case. Sides 1 and 2 of the 2-LP set were CD1;sides 3 and 4 were CD2.[ citation needed ]
The later 1994 release was a single CD version,the 1978 recording of "Come On" being dropped to match the restrictive running time of the single CD.[ citation needed ]
Live...in the Heart of the City has since been remastered and was released in March 2007 as a 2-CD set (in a slimline double-CD case),once again featuring all the tracks of the original album,plus a 1980 recording of "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City".[ citation needed ] In February 2011 it was released as a red vinyl 2-LP. [13]
The 1978 performance of Might Just Take Your Life,originally recorded by singer David Coverdale and keyboardist Jon Lord as members of Deep Purple in 1974,featured guitarist Bernie Marsden singing the middle eight part as originally sung by Glenn Hughes on the Deep Purple recording.
The sleeve art is by British artist Jeff Cummins.[ citation needed ]
"We were sent on some silly promotional stunt for the album that involved a circus elephant," recalled David Coverdale. "Yes,an elephant,not a snake. Lord knows why". [9]
In a 2023 retrospective "Album Of The Week Club review", Classic Rock gave it a 4.5/5 stars,considering it a great live album,one of band's masterpieces that has stood well the test of time. [4] The same magazine in 2011 included it on the list of "Live Albums That Changed the World", [9] and in 2023 placed it as 38th out of 50 on the list of best live albums ever. [10]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | From the album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Come On" | David Coverdale, Bernie Marsden | Snakebite (1978) | 3:38 |
2. | "Sweet Talker" | Coverdale, Marsden | Ready an' Willing (1980) | 4:16 |
3. | "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues" | Coverdale, Marsden | Lovehunter (1979) | 5:00 |
4. | "Love Hunter" | Coverdale, Micky Moody, Marsden | Lovehunter | 10:41 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | From the album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
5. | "Fool for Your Loving" | Coverdale, Moody, Marsden | Ready an' Willing | 4:58 |
6. | "Ain't Gonna Cry No More" | Coverdale, Moody | Ready an' Willing | 6:21 |
7. | "Ready an' Willing" | Coverdale, Moody, Neil Murray, Jon Lord, Ian Paice | Ready an' Willing | 4:46 |
8. | "Take Me with You" | Coverdale, Moody | Trouble (1978) | 6:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | From the album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Come On" | Coverdale, Marsden | Snakebite | 3:32 |
2. | "Might Just Take Your Life" (Deep Purple cover) | Coverdale, Ritchie Blackmore, Lord, Paice | Burn (1974) | 4:55 |
3. | "Lie Down" | Coverdale, Moody | Trouble | 3:33 |
4. | "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" (Bobby Bland cover) | Michael Price, Dan Walsh | Snakebite | 6:38 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | From the album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
5. | "Trouble" | Coverdale, Marsden | Trouble | 4:56 |
6. | "Mistreated" (Deep Purple cover) | Coverdale, Blackmore | Burn | 10:40 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Come On" | 3:38 |
2. | "Sweet Talker" | 4:16 |
3. | "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues" | 5:00 |
4. | "Love Hunter" | 10:41 |
5. | "Fool for Your Loving" | 4:58 |
6. | "Ain't Gonna Cry No More" | 6:21 |
7. | "Ready an' Willing" | 4:46 |
8. | "Might Just Take Your Life" | 5:35 |
9. | "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" | 6:03 |
10. | "Mistreated" | 10:49 |
Total length: | 62:07 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Come On" | 3:38 |
2. | "Sweet Talker" | 4:16 |
3. | "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues" | 5:00 |
4. | "Love Hunter" | 10:41 |
5. | "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" | 7:21 |
6. | "Fool for Your Loving" | 4:58 |
7. | "Ain't Gonna Cry No More" | 6:21 |
8. | "Ready an' Willing" | 4:46 |
9. | "Take Me with You" | 6:28 |
Total length: | 53:29 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Come On" | 3:22 |
2. | "Might Just Take Your Life" | 5:35 |
3. | "Lie Down" | 4:41 |
4. | "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" | 6:03 |
5. | "Trouble" | 4:51 |
6. | "Mistreated" | 10:49 |
Total length: | 35:21 |
Chart (1980-81) | Peak position |
---|---|
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [14] | 56 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [15] | 53 |
UK Albums (OCC) [16] | 5 |
US Billboard 200 [17] | 146 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [18] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Whitesnake are an English rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own entity, Coverdale is the only constant member throughout their history.
David Coverdale is an English singer and songwriter best known as the founder and lead singer of the hard rock band Whitesnake. He was also the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976, after which he released two solo studio albums, White Snake (1977) and Northwinds (1978), before forming Whitesnake in 1978.
Fireball is the fifth studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released in 1971 as the second album with the Mark II line-up, consisting of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice. It was recorded at various times between September 1970 and June 1971. It became the first of the band's three UK No. 1 albums, though it did not stay on the charts as long as its predecessor, Deep Purple in Rock. Even though the album has sold over a million copies in the UK, it has never received a certification there.
Snakebite is the first official release by the British hard rock band Whitesnake. The original EP initially featured only four tracks and was released primarily in the UK in June 1978.
Slide It In is the sixth studio album by English rock band Whitesnake, released on 30 January 1984 in Europe by Liberty and EMI Records. To cater to the American market, the album was remixed and resequenced, and subsequently released on 16 April 1984 in North America through Geffen Records, after the group was signed to the label prior to its release. The album is widely regarded as a pivotal release for Whitesnake, as it marked their initial success in the United States and laid the groundwork for their breakthrough later in the 1980s. Notably, it was the last Whitesnake album to feature the band’s original "snake" logo. Two distinct editions of the album exist, each reflecting a different production approach. The original mix was criticized for its "flat" sound, while the remix adopted a more modern and polished production style, aligning with the growing popularity of the American glam metal scene. The remix proved instrumental in refining Whitesnake's sound, helping the band establish a stronger identity in the competitive U.S. rock market, giving it "the voice" that the group wanted. Critics have described the album as a blend of blues rock and glam metal. The remixed version, in particular, was praised for its energy and accessibility, which resonated with American audiences.
Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple is a compilation album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, released in 1980 on LP. It features the original hits of Deep Purple before their 1984 reunion. Aided by a TV advertising campaign it would become Purple's third UK No. 1 album. In 1984 this compilation additionally was published on CD.
Trouble is the debut studio album from British hard rock band Whitesnake, led by former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale released in October 1978. It reached No. 50 on the UK Albums Chart. This followed the four-track Snakebite EP, later available in the US as an import album from continental Europe. It received a CD release on 8 April 1988 in the UK. EMI remastered the album in 2007, adding six bonus tracks, mainly rough mixes. The album later received a reissue by EMI/Parlophone in 2006, containing bonus tracks from their previous EP.
Northwinds is the second solo album by former Deep Purple singer David Coverdale, released by Purple and EMI on 10 March 1978. In Japan, it was released through Purple's Japanese distributor, Polydor. It was produced by former Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover as his second and last appearance producing Coverdale's solo albums prior to the year. Guitarist Micky Moody had contributed to the majority of the album around that time before Coverdale formed Whitesnake on that same year, officially carrying Moody as a band member until 1983.
Lovehunter is the second studio album by British band Whitesnake, released on 21 September 1979. It was the bands first UK Top 30 album, charting at No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart. "Long Way from Home", the leading track on the album reached No. 55 on the UK charts, while "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues" was one of the most popular and praised Whitesnake's songs in the beginning. The album became controversial because of its cover art.
Live in London is a live album from Deep Purple. It was recorded on 22 May 1974 at Gaumont State Theatre in Kilburn, London by the BBC for radio broadcast, but was unreleased on vinyl until 1982. It features the Mk 3 lineup of Blackmore/Coverdale/Hughes/ Lord/Paice during the tour for their album Burn.
When We Rock, We Rock, and When We Roll, We Roll is a compilation album by Deep Purple featuring some of their most popular songs from 1968 to 1974.
"Here I Go Again" is a song by the British rock band Whitesnake. It was originally released on their 1982 album, Saints & Sinners through Liberty in October 1982. The song was written by David Coverdale and Bernie Marsden, and produced by Martin Birch. The song was written for Coverdale's troubled marriage with his first wife, Julia.
Bernard John Marsden was an English rock and blues guitarist. He is primarily known for his work with Whitesnake, having written or co-written with David Coverdale many of the group's hit songs, such as "Fool for Your Loving", "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues", "Ready an' Willing", "Lovehunter", "Trouble", and "Here I Go Again".
White Snake is the debut solo album by David Coverdale, released in May 1977. Coverdale would use the album title as the name of his future band, first known as "David Coverdale's Whitesnake" and soon afterwards shortened to Whitesnake. The album was released as a part of a compilation album Whitesnake/Northwinds in 1988, was reissued alone in 2000, and released again as part of a double compilation album now titled as The Early Days (2003).
Into the Light is the third solo album by English singer David Coverdale, released by EMI on 25 September 2000 in the UK, 27 September in Japan and by Dragonshed on 21 November in the US.
"Now You're Gone" is a song by the English hard rock band Whitesnake from their 1989 album Slip of the Tongue. It was written by singer David Coverdale and guitarist Adrian Vandenberg. The power ballad follows an alternately slow/fast-paced rhythm, and the lyrics tell about longing for the woman after a break-up.
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Live... In the Still of the Night is a live concert DVD by the band Whitesnake. The concert was filmed on 20 October 2004 at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. It was released regularly on 5 May 2006 featuring the recording of the live performance, behind-the-scene documentary and a photobook. The limited "special collector's" edition which was previously released on 7 February 2006 includes a bonus live album CD with ten selected songs from the same show.
The Purple Album is the twelfth studio album by British hard rock band Whitesnake. It contains remakes of songs from Deep Purple band lineups Mark III and Mark IV, when Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale was a member of that band. It was released on 29 April in Japan, 15 May in Europe, 18 May in the UK and 19 May 2015 in the US through Frontiers Records. On 13 October 2023, Whitesnake and RHINO reissued The Purple Album: Special Gold Edition in celebration of Coverdale's 50th anniversary of joining the Deep Purple, besides remixing and remastering, "features previously unreleased recordings, including the very demo that secured Coverdale's spot with Deep Purple".
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