Whitesnake announces acoustic ‘Unzipped’ boxed set

Multiple versions available from Rhino on October 19th

Whitesnake is revisiting some of its best acoustic performances with Unzipped: Super Deluxe Edition. This 5 CD/DVD collection brings together unplugged and acoustic-based performances recorded over the past 20+ years, including rare and unreleased studio and live recordings, acoustic demos, concert videos, interviews and more. The extensive set will be available on October 19th via Rhino Records as well as single CD, 2 CD and 2 LP release sets. All of the music will be available digitally and via streaming services.

The first disc from the Super Deluxe Edition mixes rare and unreleased versions of songs like “Summer Rain” and “Forevermore” from the band’s recent studio albums, Good To Be Bad (2008) and Forevermore (2011). Also included are songs like “Love Is Blind” from Coverdale’s solo album, Into The Light (2000); and a previously unreleased song, “All The Time In The World.” All 11 tracks are available on the single CD, double CD and double LP versions of Unzipped.

In 1997, Coverdale and guitarist Adrian Vandenberg played an unplugged concert in Tokyo that was recorded and initially released exclusively in Japan as Starkers in Tokyo. That recording has been remixed and will make its North American debut on the second disc of Unzipped: Super Deluxe Edition. The acoustic performance touches on the different stages of Coverdale’s career, from his time in Deep Purple (“Soldier of Fortune”), to his solo albums (“Too Many Tears”), and, most famously, with Whitesnake on unplugged versions of hits like “Is This Love” and “Here I Go Again.” These 12 tracks, along with all the music on the single CD version of Unzipped, will also be available on double CD and double LP.

“Some of my favorite love songs are on disc one of this collection… and I LOVE, love songs,” says Coverdale. “Though reluctant at first to go “unzipped” in public, the shows I did with Adrian Vandenberg in 1997, and then Doug Aldrich in 2006, were incredibly memorable… primarily because it gave me an opportunity to be ‘at one’ with the crowd… some songs ask for a softer touch… and those are the songs we have here in this collection.”

The Super Deluxe Edition has even more of unreleased, unplugged recordings, including more performances from Coverdale’s 1997 tour with Vandenberg, plus several later shows featuring Coverdale and guitarist Doug Aldrich. Plus, more than two dozen of Coverdale’s unreleased, acoustic demos are also included in the collection.

A DVD completes the Super Deluxe Edition with live, unplugged performances filmed around the world between 1997 and 2015, including a complete acoustic show recorded at the Cutting Room in New York in 2008. A highlight for U.S. fans will be the North American debut of the 1997 concert video, Starkers In Tokyo, which has been remixed in 5.1 and stereo exclusively for this new collection. Additional bonus features include an interview with Coverdale and Vandenberg, bootleg videos, the “Love Is Blind” music video and a slideshow.

Coverdale continues, “These songs are some of the most personal I’ve been involved with through my almost five decades as a professional musician, singer and composer…This is me at my most unguarded… innocent… writing, as I still do, for the fun… the expression… the poetry… all LOVE songs.”

Whitesnake just wrapped the Juke Box Heroes Tour with Foreigner and Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening.

CD 1: Unzipped… In The Studio: The Love Songs

1. Love Is Blind
2. One of These Days *
3. All The Time In The World *
4. Wherever You May Go
5. Easier Said than Done *
6. Fare Thee Well *
7. Summer Rain
8. Forevermore
9. ‘Till The End Of Time
10. Wherever You May Go (Instrumental) Strings only * [Bonus Track]
11. Love Is Blind (Instrumental) Strings only * [Bonus Track]

CD 2: Starkers In Tokyo

1. Sailing Ships
2. Too Many Tears
3. The Deeper The Love
4. Love Ain’t No Stranger
5. Can’t Go On
6. Give Me All Your Love
7. Don’t Fade Away
8. Is This Love
9. Here I Go Again
10. Soldier Of Fortune
11. Only My Soul (Acapella) * [Bonus Track]
12. Fool For Your Loving (Excerpt) * [Bonus Track]

CD 3: Snakeskin Boots: Starkers In Europe

1. Intro [Starkers In Warsaw (Poland, April 18, 1997)]
2. Sailing Ships [Starkers In Warsaw (Poland, April 18, 1997)]
3. Too Many Tears [Starkers In Warsaw (Poland, April 18, 1997)]
4. Here I Go Again [Starkers In Warsaw (Poland, April 18, 1997)]
5. Intro [Starkers In Stockholm (Sweden, December 2, 2006)]
6. Give Me All Your Love [Starkers In Stockholm (Sweden, December 2, 2006)]
7. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More [Starkers In Stockholm (Sweden, December 2, 2006)]
8. Only My Soul (Acapella) [Starkers In Stockholm (Sweden, December 2, 2006)]
9. All I Want Is You [Starkers In Stockholm (Sweden, December 2, 2006)]
10. Dog [Starkers In Stockholm (Sweden, December 2, 2006)]
11. Here I Go Again [Starkers In Stockholm (Sweden, December 2, 2006)]
12. Intro [Starkers In Cologne (Germany, November 24, 2006)]
13. Give Me All Your Love [Starkers In Cologne (Germany, November 24, 2006)]
14. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More [Starkers In Cologne (Germany, November 24, 2006)]
15. All I Want Is You [Starkers In Cologne (Germany, November 24, 2006)]
16. Slow & Easy [Starkers In Cologne (Germany, November 24, 2006)]
17. Dog [Starkers In Cologne (Germany, November 24, 2006)]
18. Give Me All Your Love [Starkers In Paris (France, November 30, 2006)]
19. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More [Starkers In Paris (France, November 30, 2006)]
20. Northwinds (Acapella) [Starkers In Paris (France, November 30, 2006)]
21. All I Want Is You [Starkers In Paris (France, November 30, 2006)]
22. Dog [Starkers In Paris (France, November 30, 2006)]
23. Blindman (Acapella) [Starkers In Paris (France, November 30, 2006)]
24. Here I Go Again [Starkers In Paris (France, November 30, 2006)]

CD 4: More Starkers

1. If You Want Me * [Promo Tour Rehearsals (2005)]
2. Give Me All Your Love * [Promo Tour Rehearsals (2005)]
3. Slow & Easy * [Promo Tour Rehearsals (2005)]
4. All I Want Is You * [Promo Tour Rehearsals (2005)]
5. Judgement Day * [Promo Tour Rehearsals (2005)]
6. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More * [Promo Tour Rehearsals (2005)]
7. Dog * [Promo Tour Rehearsals (2005)]
8. Give Me All Of Your Love” [Starkers In New York (New York City, April 10, 2008)]
9. Can You Hear The Wind Blow [Starkers In New York (New York City, April 10, 2008)]
10. All I Want All I Need [Starkers In New York (New York City, April 10, 2008)]
11. Lay Down Your Love [Starkers In New York (New York City, April 10, 2008)]
12. Fool For Your Loving [Starkers In New York (New York City, April 10, 2008)]
13. The Deeper The Love [Starkers In New York (New York City, April 10, 2008)]
14. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City [Starkers In New York (New York City, April 10, 2008)]
15. Here I Go Again [Starkers In New York (New York City, April 10, 2008)]
16. Easier Said Than Done [“WSTV Jams” Excerpts (2012)]
17. Fare Thee Well [“WSTV Jams” Excerpts (2012)]
18. Love Will Set You Free [“WSTV Jams” Excerpts (2012)]
19. Mistreated [“WSTV Jams” Excerpts (2012)]
20. Slide It In [“WSTV Jams” Excerpts (2012)]
21. ‘Till the End of Time [“WSTV Jams” Excerpts (2012)]
22. Shake My Tree [“WSTV Jams” Excerpts (2012)]
23. Good To Be Bad [“Made In Japan” Soundcheck Versions (2011)]
24. Tell Me How [“Made In Japan” Soundcheck Versions (2011)]

CD 5: Up Close & Personal

1. Wherever You May Go (Demo Version) *
2. Surrender *
3. Ain’t No Doubt About My Girl *
4. Scat Man Blues *
5. Love’s A Crazy Game *
6. I Will Love You *
7. Oh Baby You’re The One *
8. So Long (Acapella) *
9. So Long *
10. It Would Be Nice *
11. Slide Thingy Blues *
12. Down To The River *
13. Feel Your Love Grow Stronger *
14. Blues Jam Riff *
15. Fun Lick Blues *
16. Don’t Wanna Change The World *
17. It’s So Hard *
18. River Song (Early Version) *
19. Let’s Have A Drink Before I Go *
20. Can You Ever Forgive Me *
21. So Much To Live For *
22. Another Lick While The Missus Is Busy In The Kitchen *
23. Just The Two Of Us (Together You And I) *
24. Oh S___ Blues (featuring Jessica) *
25. Seasons *

DVD:

Starkers In Tokyo (1997)

1. Sailing Ships
2. Too Many Tears
3. The Deeper The Love
4. Can’t Go On
5. Is This Love
6. Give Me All Your Love
7. Here I Go Again
8. Soldier Of Fortune
9. Love Ain’t No Stranger
10. Don’t Fade Away
11. Only My Soul (Acapella)
12. Fool For Your Loving (excerpt)

Starkers In New York (2008)

1. Give Me All Of Your Love
2. Can You Hear The Wind Blow
3. All I Want All I Need
4. Lay Down Your Love
5. Fool For Your Loving
6. The Deeper The Love
7. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City
8. Here I Go Again

Starkers In Warsaw (Poland, April 18, 1997)

9. Intro
10. Sailing Ships
11. Too Many Tears
12. Here I Go Again

Starkers In Stockholm (Sweden, December 2, 2006)

13. Intro
14. Give Me All Your Love
15. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More
16. Only My Soul (Acapella)
17. All I Want Is You
18. Dog
19. Here I Go Again

Starkers In Cologne (Germany, November 24, 2006)

20. Give Me All Your Love
21. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More
22. All I Want Is You
23. Dog

Starkers In Sofia (Bulgaria, November 24, 2015)

24. Soldier Of Fortune

Starkers In Paris 2 (France, June 4, 2009)

25. Blindman

Starkers In Wolverhampton (England, June 16, 2011)

26. Fare Thee Well

Starkers In Glasgow (Scotland, June 15, 2011)*

27. One Of These Days

Bonus Features:

• One-on-One with David Coverdale and Adrian Vandenberg discussing “Starkers”
• Poor Albert’s Last: Photographic Slideshow (featuring audio from “Sailing Ships”)
• Purplesnake’s “Forevermore” Video
• “Love Is Blind” Music Video

* previously unreleased

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com