Whitesnake - Slow An' Easy

Make no mistake -- Whitesnake was lead singer David Coverdale's band, and he hired and fired musicians to suit his tastes.  By 1984, the then 33 year old Coverdale was becoming increasingly focused on commercial success, and when the Slide It In album peaked at #40 in the U.S., he made his move.  Coverdale fired guitarist Micky Moody and replaced him with John Sykes.  The 1987 follow up album, simply titled Whitesnake, went on to sell 8 million copies and rose to the #2 position on the Billboard chart.  Ironically, Coverdale and Sykes didn't get on either, and Sykes was fired just as that album was released.

While Slide It In was a commercial disappointment to Coverdale, it did introduce American audiences (including your humble author) to the band.  In our opinion, this is one of the best hard rock albums of the 1980s, and we are particularly partial to the blusey "Slow An' Easy."  Yes, the video is dated and the story makes little sense, but the song rocks.

Note that Whitesnake's "Love Ain't No Stranger" was posted on ERV in June 2014.