| Into the Light: The Solo Albums | ||||
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| Released | 25 October 2024 (2024-10-25) | |||
| Recorded | 3–17, 25–30 August[1] 1–7 September 1976 (Mixing)[1] (Whitesnake) 21 March–6 April 1977; 10–19 April 1976[2] (Northwinds) c. Late 1990s–2000 (Into the Light) c. 2020s (2024 Remix) | |||
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| Label | Rhino | |||
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| Whitesnake chronology | ||||
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| David Coverdale chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Into the Light: The Solo Albums | ||||
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Into the Light: The Solo Albums is abox set album by the Englishhard rock bandWhitesnake, released worldwide byRhino Records on 25 October 2024, followed by a Japanese release on 13 November. The box includes tracks from the solo albums ofDavid Coverdale, the band's founder and-singer-songwriter:White Snake (1977),Northwinds (1978) andInto the Light (2000). Additionally, the collection features the "revisited,remixed andremastered" versions of the material from these solo albums.
Coverdale recordedWhite Snake andNorthwinds after the dissolution ofDeep Purple in 1976, before forming Whitesnake. Decades later, following Whitesnake's temporary hiatus, Coverdale resumed his solo career withInto the Light, exploring a more-reflective and blues-influenced sound. Since the initial release, the albums has been reworked: the tracks fromWhite Snake andNorthwinds were separated into their multitrackstems usingartificial intelligence (AI) software to preparing for the subsequent remastering and remixing process, whileInto the Light simply has been remixed from the existing masters.
Into the Light: The Solo Albums features theDavid Coverdale's solo albums and demo recordings; including his albums,White Snake (1977) andNorthwinds (1978), released in-between his work withDeep Purple andWhitesnake,[3][4][5] as well as his third solo album,Into the Light (2000), released after the dissolution of Whitesnake.[6]Into the Light was commercially and critically his most-successful solo album, charting in six countries.[7][8][9][10]
BothWhite Snake andNorthwinds were produced by Roger Glover, whileInto the Light was produced by Coverdale, while Doug Bossi,Bjorn Thorsrud, John X. Volaitis and Michael McIntyre were credited as associate producers.[3][2][11]
In late 2000s, Coverdale considered restoring andremastering his early work, including his first two solo albums and material from Whitesnake, but at that time they could not beremixed due to the 2008 Universal Studios fire, which seemed to destroy the band's material belonging toGeffen Records. It was later revealed that some of the masters had been preserved at theIron Mountain Storage Facility in Pennsylvania.[12][13] In 2017, Coverdale signed a re-issue distribution deal withRhino Entertainment andWarner Music Group. As part of the agreement, Rhino acquired the rights to all of Coverdale's Whitesnake albums.[14] This was later expanded to Coverdale's solo material and his Deep Purple catalogue when he sold all of his rights and royalties toRound Hill Music in 2022 for $50 million.[15][16]
Around 2019, Coverdale commissioned the audio engineers at "Hook City Studios" to start working on remastering his debut and sophomore albums, and soon after added his third album. They experimented with the Audioshake, the artificial intelligence software, separating the albums' tracks into individual multitrack stems and preparing them for further alteration and remixing. Tom Gordon was involved in the remixing process with all three albums, assisted by different personnel:Into the Light was co-remixed with Christopher Collier, who worked with the group since the late 2010s, whileWhite Snake andNorthwinds was co-remixed by Alex Breckenridge.[17][18][19]
While working on the debut album,White Snake, the audio engineers were challenged by the presence of digital artifacts, which they addressed by overlaying enhanced versions of individual stems to reinforce the overall sound. However, they had limited control over the volume and tone, particularly with the lead and background vocals, as well as the original tracks' reverb, mitigating these issues by incorporating new remixes of the drums and revamping the guitars and bass through amplifiers to achieve an authentic, contemporary sound. When integrating new instruments, the tape speed appeared to be slightly inaccurate, and the team digitally corrected it to attune with the rest of the record. Upon completion, the team selected the best-available mixes for the band's judgement and approval.[1]
The remixing process forNorthwinds was originally inspired by aneural network known as machine-assisted learning (MAL), which had been developed as an audio-restoration technology for the documentaryThe Beatles: Get Back (2021).[20][a] Audio engineer and producer Tom Gordon, who was working on the remixes forNorthwinds, was impressed by the restoration approach and contactedPeter Jackson's companyWingNut Films, but Gordon's request was declined because the technology was exclusive to The Beatles project and was "bespoken for" at the time. Gordon then approachedParis Smaragdis in an attempt to develop a similar version of MAL software, but due to time constraints and limited resources, this was not possible.[1][25][26] After the initial attempts with MAL failed, Gordon was under pressure to find alternative audio-isolation technology. When his next attempt with an open-source audio-separation software couldn't remove digital artifacts, including excessively exposed vocal, Gordon was introduced to "Audioshake", the audio-processing software employed to "unmix"Nina Simone's album. He deemed the unmixing results acceptable and proceeded working onNorthwinds using Audioshake, starting with the song "Time & Again".[25][1][26] During the original session for "Time & Again", Coverdale's vocals were recorded on the same multitrack as theRhodes electric piano, and according to Gordon, Coverdale liked this version's vocals, but was "very unhappy with that keyboard performance". When revisiting the song, the engineers "ditched" the original keyboards, creating two remix versions featuring original vocals, as well as an updated piano part and string arrangements.[25][1]
The studio albumInto the Light was digitally recorded usingPro Tools[27] into now-obsolete file format Sound Designer II, incompatible with modern systems. Several tracks from the record were later remixed and included in the compilation trilogyRed,White,Blues (released between 2020 and 2021). The engineering team transferred and converted the tracks using legacy equipment. To prevent data loss or corruption during the remixing project, the digital multitrack stems were re-aligned with their original time codes.[1] Tom Gordon was involved in remixing all three albums, but with different personnels:Into the Light was remixed by Christopher Collier, who worked with the group since the late 2010s, whileWhite Snake andNorthwinds was remixed by Alex Breckenridge.[28][1]
The box set includes several unreleased songs from theInto the Light sessions, which later released on the subsequent compilation albums, including the songs "As Long as I Have You", "Yours for the Asking", "With All of My Heart", "Let's Talk It Over" and "All the Time in the World". "As Long as I Have You" was released as an alternative mix on Whitesnake's 2006 Geffen Records compilationGold.[29] "All the Time in the World" appears in the 2018Unzipped standard compilation.[30] "Yours for the Asking", "With All of My Heart" and "Let's Talk It Over" appeared as a part of theRed, White, Blues trilogy series, featured on the 2020 remix compilation albumLove Songs.[31] Moreover, the disc two and four tracks contain demos spanning from 1968 to 1997. Some of these demos, "I Will Love You" and "It Would Be Nice", were re-recorded, again appearing in theUnzipped compilation expanded box set.[32] "Crazy 'Bout Cha" is a rendition of the song "Whipping Boy Blues", featured on the band's 2011 albumForevermore. Additionally, "Lay Your Love On Me", a demo version of "Lay Down Your Love", appears in the 2008 albumGood to Be Bad.[1]
On 16 August 2024, Coverdale announced the upcoming box set on hisTwitter/X page.[33] That same day, a promotional music video for the song "Midnight Blue" fromInto the Light was also released.[19]Into the Light: The Solo Albums was released viaRhino Entertainment on 25 October 2024 internationally. In Japan, the compilation was slated for its release on 6 November,[34] but it was moved to 13 November.[35][36][37] The physical version features a multi-disc box set containing remastered and remixed versions of the solo albums, and previously unreleased demos. The collection also includes music videos and a 60-page booklet containing photographs and an interview with Coverdale. The set was also released as a doubleLP that includes tracks fromInto the Light, marking its first release on vinyl.[19] The 2024 remixes ofWhite Snake andNorthwinds were also reissued on translucent vinyl LPs.[19][38]
Although Coverdale recordedWhite Snake,Northwinds andInto the Light as a solo artist, he has been regarding them as Whitesnake albums. He stated: "As I'm recognized as 'Mr. Whitesnake', I thought, Why not? They're all Whitesnake albums to me ... we've remixed them to stand proudly alongside any Whitesnake album."[19] Coverdale's first solo work within Whitesnake appears on the group's first releaseSnakebite, as a double EP format, featuring four tracks fromNorthwinds: "Keep on Giving Me Love", "Queen of Hearts", "Only My Soul" and "Breakdown".[39]
Before the release, the snippets of the remixed tracks "Lady" and "Northwinds" were teased on social media.[19][40][41][42] On 5 September 2024, a remixed version of "Wherever You May Go" was premiered, followed by another promotional music video of the song.[43][44][45] "Time & Again" was released on 26 September with a promotional video featuring "Hook City Strings" arrangements[46][47] and a piano version featuring Jeff DePaoli.[48][49] The unboxing of the box set was premiered on 17 October, followed by a video release of "River Song" on 23 October.[50][51] "Love Is Blind" was added into the set, featuring a music video recorded in the early 2000s and a modern remix.[52] Music videos for "Yours for the Asking" and "She Give Me" were uploaded; these were followed by a video for "Too Many Tears", which has a different production style than the version fromRestless Heart.[53]
Into the Light: The Solo Albums charted at number 14 on theUK Rock & Metal chart,[54] and at number 98 on theScottish Albums chart.[55] It also charted at number 90 in Switzerland.[56]
All tracks are written byDavid Coverdale, except where noted.[1]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "She Give Me" | 4:12 | |
| 2. | "River Song" | 6:42 | |
| 3. | "Don't You Cry" | 5:28 | |
| 4. | "Love Is Blind" | Coverdale,Earl Slick | 5:44 |
| 5. | "Slave" | Coverdale, Slick | 4:52 |
| 6. | "Cry for Love" | Coverdale, Doug Bossi, Slick | 5:34 |
| 7. | "Living on Love" | Coverdale, Bossi, Slick | 6:09 |
| 8. | "Midnight Blue" | Coverdale, Slick | 4:47 |
| 9. | "Too Many Tears" | Coverdale,Adrian Vandenberg | 6:07 |
| 10. | "Don't Lie to Me" | Coverdale, Slick | 4:42 |
| 11. | "All the Time in the World" | 5:27 | |
| 12. | "Wherever You May Go" | 3:57 | |
| 13. | "Yours for the Asking" | 4:26 | |
| 14. | "Let's Talk It Over" | 8:12 | |
| Total length: | 76:19 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Is Blind (Band Version)" | Coverdale, Slick | 5:26 |
| 2. | "As Long as I Have You" | Coverdale, Slick | 4:03 |
| 3. | "With All of My Heart" | 5:36 | |
| 4. | "Wherever You May Go (Strings Version)" | Coverdale, Slick | 1:14 |
| 5. | "Love Is Blind (Strings Version)" | Coverdale, Slick | 3:31 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Lust" | 3:39 |
| 7. | "Oh No! Not the Blues Again" | 3:30 |
| 8. | "Into the Light" (intro) | 1:04 |
| 9. | "Into the Light" | 4:02 |
| 10. | "You Make It Hard on Me" | 3:56 |
| 11. | "Would You Be Happy" | 4:20 |
| 12. | "Fooling Yourself" | 3:58 |
| 13. | "Make The Best Of It" | 4:28 |
| 14. | "Veda of Cassandra Blues" | 4:11 |
| 15. | "I Can See the Light" | 4:01 |
| 16. | "Another Fallen Angel" | 4:15 |
| 17. | "Itchy Finger" | 4:52 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 18. | "Crazy 'Bout Cha" (Original version of "Whipping Boy Blues") | 4:27 |
| 19. | "If You Want Me" | 4:21 |
| 20. | "Lay Your Love On Me" (Original version of "Lay Down Your Love") | 4:10 |
| Total length: | 81:54 | |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Keep On Giving Me Love" | Coverdale,Micky Moody | 5:08 |
| 2. | "Sweet Mistreater" | 3:26 | |
| 3. | "Northwinds" | 6:01 | |
| 4. | "Give Me Kindness" | 4:32 | |
| 5. | "Queen of Hearts" | Coverdale, Moody | 5:15 |
| 6. | "Only My Soul" | 4:06 | |
| 7. | "Time & Again" (Strings version) | 4:02 | |
| 8. | "Say You Love Me" | 4:18 | |
| 9. | "Shame the Devil, Tell the Truth" | 3:35 | |
| 10. | "Breakdown" | Coverdale, Moody | 5:12 |
| 11. | "Time & Again" (Piano version) | 4:02 | |
| 12. | "Time & Again" (Strings only) | 4:01 | |
| Total length: | 53:50 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lady" | Coverdale, Moody | 3:46 |
| 2. | "Blindman" | 5:36 | |
| 3. | "Goldies Place" | 4:40 | |
| 4. | "Time On My Side" | Coverdale, Moody | 4:24 |
| 5. | "Peace Lovin' Man" | 4:43 | |
| 6. | "Sunny Days" | 3:59 | |
| 7. | "Hole in the Sky" | 3:58 | |
| 8. | "Whitesnake" | Coverdale, Moody | 4:19 |
| 9. | "Celebration" | Coverdale, Moody | 3:42 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Sunny Days" | 4:59 |
| 11. | "Love Me In the Morning" | 2:32 |
| 12. | "I Will Love You" | 3:26 |
| 13. | "Moment In Time" | 3:12 |
| 14. | "It Would Be Nice" | 2:41 |
| 15. | "There Was a Time" | 2:56 |
| 16. | "Why?" | 4:04 |
| 17. | "I Still Love You" | 1:20 |
| Total length: | 71:12 | |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "She Give Me" | 4:12 | |
| 2. | "River Song" | 7:17 | |
| 3. | "Don't You Cry" | 5:50 | |
| 4. | "Love Is Blind" | Coverdale, Slick | 5:45 |
| 5. | "Slave" | Coverdale, Slick | 4:53 |
| 6. | "Cry for Love" | Coverdale, Bossi, Slick | 4:53 |
| 7. | "Living on Love" | Coverdale, Bossi, Slick | 6:34 |
| 8. | "Midnight Blue" | Coverdale, Slick | 4:57 |
| 9. | "Too Many Tears" | Coverdale, Vandenberg | 5:59 |
| 10. | "Don't Lie to Me" | Coverdale, Slick | 4:44 |
| 11. | "Wherever You May Go" | 4:00 | |
| Total length: | 52:20 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lady" | Coverdale, Moody | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Blindman" | 6:00 | |
| 3. | "Goldies Place" | 5:00 | |
| 4. | "Time On My Side" | Coverdale, Moody | 4:24 |
| 5. | "Peace Lovin' Man" | 4:49 | |
| 6. | "Sunny Days" | 3:27 | |
| 7. | "Hole in the Sky" | 3:20 | |
| 8. | "Whitesnake" | Coverdale, Moody | 4:20 |
| 9. | "Celebration" | Coverdale, Moody | 4:04 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Keep On Giving Me Love" | Coverdale, Moody | 5:15 |
| 2. | "Northwinds" | 6:04 | |
| 3. | "Give Me Kindness" | 4:33 | |
| 4. | "Time & Again" | 3:56 | |
| 5. | "Queen of Hearts" | Coverdale, Moody | 5:13 |
| 6. | "Only My Soul" | 4:34 | |
| 7. | "Say You Love Me" | 4:19 | |
| 8. | "Breakdown" | Coverdale, Moody | 5:13 |
| Total length: | 78:15 | ||
Credits are adapted from the original albums' liner notes, includingWhite Snake,Northwinds andInto the Light.[3][2][11][1]
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| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[56] | 90 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[55] | 98 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[54] | 14 |
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 25 October 2024 | Rhino | [19] | |
| Japan | 13 November 2024 |
| [35] |
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