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This article is about the song by Whitesnake. For other uses, see Here I Go Again (disambiguation).

"Here I Go Again"
Single by Whitesnake
from the album Saints & Sinners
B-side"Bloody Luxury"
ReleasedOctober 1982[1]
Recorded1981–1982
StudioGoodnight L.A. Studios, Los Angeles, US
Genre
Length5:09
LabelLiberty
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Martin Birch
Whitesnake singles chronology
"Would I Lie to You"
(1981) 		"Here I Go Again"
(1982) 		"Victim of Love"
(1982)
Music video
"Here I Go Again" on YouTube
"Here I Go Again"
Single by Whitesnake
from the album Whitesnake
B-side"Children of the Night" (US)
"Guilty of Love" (UK)
ReleasedJune 1987 (US)
October 1987 (UK)
RecordedSeptember 1985 – November 1986[3]
GenreGlam metal[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Length
  • 4:36 (album version)
  • 3:54 (radio edit mix)
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Whitesnake singles chronology
"Still of the Night"
(1987) 		"Here I Go Again"
(1987) 		"Is This Love"
(1987)
Music video
"Here I Go Again '87" on YouTube

"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 on October 1982. The song was written by David Coverdale and Bernie Marsden, and produced by Martin Birch. The song was written for Coverdale's troubling marriage with his first wife, Julia.

Notably made as a power ballad, the song was re-recorded for their 1987 self-titled album. Around that same time, the song was re-recorded again for a single "radio-mix" version released in June 1987 in the United States and October in their UK native. The success of the song propelled Whitesnake (1987) to nearly hover at the top of the US Billboard chart for several months, marking the band breaking the song into a national anthem.

"Here I Go Again" received positive reviews, with some critics referred the song becoming a "signature tune for Coverdale and Whitesnake." The original recording only hit number 34 on the UK Singles chart, and remained in the chart for five weeks, while charting in Australia and Germany, peaking at 53 and 51, respectively. In the United States, both the original song and the original Saints & Sinners album had failed to chart due to it not being released there, but the re-recording eventually reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as a sleeper hit and remained there for one week, being the band's only number-one single of that chart in their discography to date. It also peaked at number four on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The re-recording also peaked at number nine in the UK. "Here I Go Again" is certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It also reached number one in Canada, and the top ten in the Netherlands and Ireland, while it charted in several other countries.

In 2018 at the BMI London Awards, it received the "5 Million Performances Award",[10] while in 2022 it garnered the "8 Million-Air Award".[11]

Background and writing[edit]

The song was written by lead singer David Coverdale and former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden in late 1981 when Coverdale had retreated to a small villa in southern Portugal. During that time, Coverdale's marriage with his then-wife Julia became strained, which "fueled my [song]writing".[12] This provoked him to write the song and record it with the band, but troubled production and the line-up caused the band to go on a hiatus by January 1982. By August, the band had re-grouped with a slightly different line-up and introduced their fifth studio album in November.[13]

According to Coverdale, "Here I Go Again" and "Crying in the Rain" both have similar compositions as "documenting the breakdown—the breakup of my first marriage".[14]

The most notable difference between the original and re-recorded versions is a slight change in the bluesy lyrics and pace.[15] The re-recording of the song in 1987 was advised by record labels bosses Al Coury and David Geffen as a negotiation deal with Coverdale to re-record "Crying in the Rain" for the band's self-titled album Whitesnake, released in 1987.[16][17][18]

In the album track-by-track interview recorded in 2017, Coverdale said:

It wasn't written for the '87 album, it was originally recorded back on the Saints & Sinners album. 81-82? I'm not sure. And Geffen asked me to redo it, which I wasn't very keen on, but I said, "Okay, well if you want me to do that. I want to redo "Crying in the Rain", because I was never really happy with the original." And John, Neil and I worked on an amazing instrumental section in the middle, very symphonic, which featured, at that time, highlighted Cozy Powell and I thought it's gonna be great to have that too. But we actually had written enough material for a full album without "Here I Go Again" and "Crying in the Rain".[19]

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 initially the lyrics had "drifter" but as that was already used in different songs he decided to use "hobo" instead. However, the lyric was changed back to "drifter" in the re-recorded '87 version, reportedly to ensure that it would not be misheard as "homo".[15][17]

The song was used in the climax of romantic comedy film Man Up (2015).[15]

Composition[edit]

The composition is in the key of G major and a tempo of 91 BPM.[20]

Music video[edit]

The '82 music video features the band performing the song onstage.[17] The music video for the '87 re-recorded version was directed by Marty Callner.[21] The video includes, besides the band's stage performance, appearances by model Julie E. "Tawny" Kitaen, who was married to Whitesnake's David Coverdale from 1989 to 1991.[5][17] Her notable sex-appeal was immediately recognized; she filmed memorable unchoreographed scenes dressed "in a white negligee, writhing and cartwheeling across the hoods of two Jaguars XJ" which belonged to Coverdale (white) and Callner (black).[21][22][23] Coverdale recalls that he brought choreographer Paula Abdul to the set to show Tawny some moves, but Abdul exclaimed that Tawny was already so accomplished regarding this video that she couldn't "show her anything".[24][25][26] Coverdale's iconic white Jaguar once again appeared in the music video for the single "Shut Up & Kiss Me" from the 2019 studio album Flesh & Blood.[24][27]

The song's 1987 music video was listed as one of the 15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos by The New York Times.[28]

Single versions[edit]

There are several different versions of the song, all recorded officially by Whitesnake.[17]

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.[31] In 1997 Whitesnake recorded an acoustic version, released on their Starkers in Tokyo live album.[17]

Impact and legacy[edit]

In 2003, Martin Popoff listed the song at number 274 in The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time,[32] while Q magazine ranked it at 962 on their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".[33] In 2006, the 1987 version was ranked number 17 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '80s".[34] In 2008, The Times included it in their top 11 "heavy metal at its best" list.[35] In the 2012 Reader's Poll of Rolling Stone, it ranked 9th among the top 10 "Best Hair Metal Songs of All Time".[5] In 2017, The Daily Telegraph included it among the top 21 best power ballads.[36]

Personnel[edit]

Original 1982 version from Saints & Sinners:

1987 version from Whitesnake:

1987 radio-mix version:

Chart performance[edit]

This song is notable for being the only Whitesnake song to get airplay on adult contemporary stations despite not registering at all on the AC charts while "Is This Love" did, reaching No. 38.[37]

Following the death of Tawny Kitaen, the single debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart on 22 May 2021.[38]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[62] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions[edit]

  • A dance cover by Frash was a minor hit in the UK in 1995, reaching No. 69.[63]
  • In 2004, a dance/pop take of "Here I Go Again" was recorded by Polish dancer and singer Mandaryna.[64] Released as the debut single from her debut album Mandaryna.com, it became a hit in Poland. It was later remixed by Axel Konrad of Groove Coverage for the single release in German speaking countries.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 894. ISBN 9780862415419.
  2. ^ Breihan, Tom (17 March 2021). "The Number Ones: Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again". Stereogum. Retrieved 7 November 2023. In its first incarnation, "Here I Go Again" was more of a blues-rock yarler...
  3. ^ Popoff, Martin (2018). The Deep Purple Family. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). Wymer Publishing. p. 117. ISBN 978-1-908724-87-8.
  4. ^ Smith, Troy L. (13 May 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1980s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Readers' Poll: The Best Hair Metal Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 20 June 2012.
  6. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Best of 80's Metal, Vol. 2 - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  7. ^ Wake, Matt (13 June 2016). "A&R Legend John Kalodner Talks Aerosmith and Why Rock Won't Reach the Masses Again". LA Weekly. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  8. ^ Sleazegrinder (4 December 2015). "The 20 Best Hair Metal Anthems Of All Time Ever". Louder Sound. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  9. ^ Case, George (2007). Jimmy Page: Magus, Musician, Man. Backbeat Books. p. 199. ISBN 978-0-87930-947-3.
  10. ^ "Harry Gregson-Williams and Other Top Songwriters Honored At 2018 BMI London Awards". Broadcast Music, Inc. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  11. ^ "2022 London Awards". Broadcast Music, Inc. 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  12. ^ Barton, Geoff (2007). Come an' Get It (booklet). Whitesnake. EMI. pp. 4–11. 0946 3 81958 2 5.
  13. ^ Barton, Geoff (2007). Come an' Get It (booklet). Whitesnake. EMI. pp. 4–11. 0946 3 81958 2 5.
  14. ^ "Whitesnake '87 Track by Track - Here I Go Again 87". YouTube. Whitesnake TV. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Hann, Michael (22 April 2015). "David Coverdale: 'I amplify who I am 10 times when I'm on stage'". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  16. ^ Popoff, Martin (2015). Sail Away: Whitesnake's Fantastic Voyage. Soundcheck Books. p. 148. ISBN 9780957570085.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g Kielty, Martin (10 October 2017). "How Whitesnake Hit No. 1 With a Third Take on 'Here I Go Again'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  18. ^ a b Wardlaw, Matt (29 September 2017). "Why David Coverdale Couldn't Wait to Remix 'Whitesnake', and What's Next: Exclusive Interview". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  19. ^ "Whitesnake '87 Track by Track - Here I Go Again 87". YouTube. Whitesnake TV. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Key and BPM of Whitesnake - Here I Go Again - AudioKeychain". AudioKeychain.
  21. ^ a b "Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" tops the charts". History. A&E Television Networks. 27 January 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  22. ^ "The 1987 Album – Happy 30th!". Whitesnake.com. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  23. ^ Wake, Matt (8 July 2020). "20 of the most iconic cars in rock & roll". The Birmingham News. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  24. ^ a b Kaufman, Spencer (13 March 2019). "David Coverdale Tells the Story Behind Whitesnake's Iconic "Here I Go Again" Video". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 5 December 2020 – via Yahoo!.
  25. ^ Actress Tammy Kitaen, Ex-Wife Of David Coverdale, Dies At 59 from Blabbermouth.net website
  26. ^ Ep #212 Interview with Marc Moore of Van Halen Nation, Music by Mädhouse and 5 Qs with Tawny Kitaen by Randy and Troy (May 2, 2021) from "Ouch, You're On My Hair" podcast
  27. ^ Graff, Gary (14 February 2019). "Whitesnake Busts Out the Iconic White Jaguar for 'Shut Up & Kiss Me' Video: Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  28. ^ Edwards, Gavin (5 May 2020). "15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
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  30. ^ "Whitesnake – Whitesnake". Discogs.com. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
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  32. ^ Popoff, Martin (2003). The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time. Toronto: ECW Press. ISBN 9781550225303.
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  34. ^ "VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's". Rock on the Net. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
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  36. ^ "Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart and the 20 other best power ballads". The Daily Telegraph. 18 August 2017.
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  38. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (20 May 2021). "After Tawny Kitaen's Death, Whitesnake's 'Here I Go Again' Debuts Atop Hot Hard Rock Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  39. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 19. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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  46. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Here I Go Again". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
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  57. ^ "Single Top 100 Over 1987" (PDF). Top40.nl. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
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  60. ^ "1987 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 52. 26 December 1987.
  61. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1987". Cashboxcountdowns.com. 26 December 1987. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  62. ^ "British single certifications – Whitesnake – Here I Go Again". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  63. ^ "FRASH | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  64. ^ "Mandaryna Here I go again - YouTube". www.youtube.com. 26 April 2012. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2017.

External links[edit]

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_I_Go_Again

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