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"Here I Go Again"
Single by Whitesnake
from the album Saints & Sinners
B-side	"Bloody Luxury"
Released	15 November 1982
Format	7" single
Recorded	1982
Length	5:09
Label	Geffen
Songwriter(s)	David Coverdale Bernie Marsden
Producer(s)	Martin Birch
Whitesnake singles chronology
"Would I Lie to You" (1981) "Here I Go Again" (1982) "Victim of Love" (1982)

"Here I Go Again"
Single by Whitesnake
from the album Whitesnake
B-side	"Guilty of Love"
Released	1987
Format	7", 10", 12"
Recorded	1985–1986
Genre	Glam metal
Length	4:36 (Album Version) 3:54 (Radio Edit Mix)
Label	Geffen
Songwriter(s)	David Coverdale, Bernie Marsden
Producer(s)	Mike Stone, Keith Olsen
Whitesnake singles chronology
"Crying in the Rain" (1987) "Here I Go Again" (1987) "Is This Love" (1987)

"Here I Go Again" is a song by British rock band Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, Saints & Sinners, the power ballad^[1] was re-recorded for their 1987 self-titled album. The song was re-recorded again the same year in a new "radio-mix" version, which was released as a single and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 10 October 1987, and number nine on the UK Singles Chart on 28 November 1987. The 1987 version also hit number one on the Canadian Singles Chart on 24 October 1987. In 2006, the 1987 version was ranked number 17 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s.^[2]

Background and writing

The song was written by the lead singer, David Coverdale, and former Whitesnake guitarist, Bernie Marsden. The most notable difference between the original and re-recorded versions are a slight change in the lyrics and a different pace. The chorus of the original version features the lines:

And here I go again on my own

Goin' down the only road I've ever known

Like a hobo I was born to walk alone

In an interview, Coverdale explained that "hobo" was changed to "drifter" in the re-recorded version to ensure that it would not be misheard as "homo".^[3]

Composition

The song is composed in the key of G major and a tempo of 91 BPM.^[4]

Music video

The first music video was made for the original 1982 version. It starts with Coverdale sitting in a concert hall seat and singing the first verses. The video continues as a lip synced "live" video showing the 1982 line-up (Ian Paice who was drumming for the recording is replaced by Cozy Powell) of Whitesnake performing the song. This music video for this song presents David Coverdale with black hair.

The music video for the re-recorded version was directed by Marty Callner,^[5] who directed most of Whitesnake's videos in the 1980s. In the video, actress Tawny Kitaen is seen posing on the hoods of two Jaguar XJs and seducing Coverdale while he is driving. Kitaen and Coverdale would later marry. This video presents David Coverdale with blonde hair.

Due to Coverdale firing the other members of the band before the album was released, he is the only Whitesnake member present on both the recording and in the music video (Along with Adrian Vandenberg, who played the guitar solo on the recording); this was the case for all music videos released for songs from the 1987 album.^{[citation needed]}

Single versions

There are several different versions of the song, all recorded officially by Whitesnake. They are:

• The original version from the 1982 Saints & Sinners album with Jon Lord on Hammond organ and Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody on guitar (5:03)^[6]
  


• The re-recorded version that appears on the Whitesnake (aka 1987) album with John Sykes on guitar (solo by Adrian Vandenberg) (4:36)^[7]
  


• A 1987 "radio-mix" version, which was released as a U.S. single with Denny Carmassi on drums and Dann Huff on guitar, who also provided the new arrangement. This version also appeared on the Greatest Hits album in 1994 (3:54)


• A 1997 acoustic version recorded for the Starkers in Tokyo album with Adrian Vandenberg on guitar.

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.^[8]

While the 1987 album version and the radio mix version are fairly similar, there are several significant differences. The album version, which was used for the music video, has a long and slow keyboard and vocal intro, whereas the radio version kicks straight in with the band. They also contain two very different guitar solos, with Adrian Vandenberg playing the album and video solo, while Dann Huff plays on the radio edit version. The album version has a different rhythm in the chorus, with a syncopated kick drum beat that is not in the single 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.^{[citation needed]}

Personnel

Original 1982 version from Saints & Sinners:

• 
  David Coverdale – lead vocals


• 
  Bernie Marsden – guitar


• 
  Micky Moody – guitar, backing vocals


• 
  Neil Murray – bass


• 
  Jon Lord – keyboards


• 
  Ian Paice – drums


• 
  Mel Galley – backing vocals

1987 version from Whitesnake:

• David Coverdale – lead vocals


• 
  John Sykes – guitar, backing vocals


• Neil Murray – bass


• 
  Aynsley Dunbar – drums


• 
  Adrian Vandenberg – guitar solo


• 
  Don Airey – keyboards


• Bill Cuomo – keyboards

1987 radio-mix version:

• David Coverdale – lead vocals


• 
  Dann Huff – guitar


• 
  Mark Andes – bass


• 
  Denny Carmassi – drums


• Don Airey – keyboards


• Bill Cuomo – keyboards

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1982) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 53 UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) 34 Chart (1987–1988) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 24 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 17 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11] 1 Germany (Official German Charts)[12] 29 Ireland (IRMA)[13] 7 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 5 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 34 UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) 9 US Billboard Hot 100[16] 1 US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 4 Chart (2007) Peak position Norway (VG-lista)[17] 17

Year-end charts Chart (1987) Position Canadian RPM Top Singles[18] 16 Dutch Top 40[19] 68 U.K. Singles Chart[20] 100 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 7 U.S. Cashbox Top 100[21] 6 All-time charts Chart (1958–2018) Position US Billboard Hot 100[22] 537 Certifications Region Certification Certified units/Sales United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Gold 400,000 sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Cover versions

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• A dance cover version by Frash was a minor hit in the UK in 1995, reaching number 69.^[24]
  


• In 2004, a dance/pop version of "Here I Go Again" was recorded by Polish dancer and singer Mandaryna.^[25] Released as the debut single from her debut album Mandaryna.com, the song became a hit in Poland. It was later remixed by Axel Konrad of Groove Coverage for the single release in German speaking countries.


• The song was also frequently performed by Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody in their post-Whitesnake collaborations, appearing on the Moody Marsden Band albums Never Turn Our Back on the Blues and Live in Hell (Unplugged), The Snakes's Live in Europe, The Company of Snakes's live album Here They Go Again, and M3 Classic Whitesnake's Classic Snake Live and Rough and Ready albums. It also appears on Marsden's solo live album Big Boy Blue... Live (also known as Live at the Granary). The version usually played was the 1987 radio-mix arrangement, in spite of neither Moody nor Marsden actually playing on that release, although 1987 keyboard player Don Airey appears on several of the releases.


• The song is featured as the act one finale to the musical Rock of Ages.


• The song is featured in Uncle Kracker's song "Livin' the Dream" from the album Happy Hour in 2009.

References