In the Still of the Night

David Coverdale left the band Deep Purple and recorded 2 solo albums before founding Whitesnake in 1978. The White Snake Band  toured with Coverdale as his support band for both of the solo albums he released, White Snake (1977) and Northwinds (1978). At this time, the band was made up of David Coverdale, Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, Neil Murray and drummer David "Duck" Dowle with keyboardist Brian Johnston. Johnston would soon be replaced by Procol Harum keyboardist Pete Solley. Because of Solley's producing commitments he was replaced by the former Deep Purple keyboard player Jon Lord, during sessions for the first LP.

Whitesnake recorded the EP Snakebite, in 1978. The EP had some success in the UK and subsequent reissues of this EP included four bonus tracks from Coverdale's second solo. A blues rock/R&B debut album Trouble, was released in 1978. Whitesnake toured Europe to promote the album and their first live album Live at Hammersmith was recorded on this tour and released in Japan in 1979.

Whitesnake released Lovehunter in 1979, with its risqué album cover featuring an illustration of a naked woman straddling a coiled snake. Drummer Ian Paice replaced David Dowle (giving Whitesnake three ex-Deep Purple members), and this new line-up recorded the 1980 release Ready an' Willing . The single "Fool for Your Loving", which the band originally wrote for B.B. King, made No. 13 in the UK single charts and No. 53 in the US, and the title track also hit No. 43 in the UK charts. While still mostly unknown in the US, the modest success of Ready an' Willing helped Whitesnake as an opening act for Jethro Tull and AC/DC. The band also released Live...In the Heart of the City, which contained recordings made in 1978 and 1980.

In 1981 the band recorded the album Come an' Get It. The album flopped in the US. During 1982 Coverdale took time off to look after his sick daughter and decided to put Whitesnake on hold. When Coverdale returned to music he reformed the band and after the recording of the album Saints & Sinners replaced Bernie Marsden, Ian Paice and bass player Neil Murray with Mel Galley from Trapeze, bassist Colin Hodgkinson, and Cozy Powell as the new drummer. Saints & Sinners was another Top 10 UK album and contained the hit "Here I Go Again", which featured guest keyboard player Malcolm Birch from Pegasus.

In late 1983, the band recorded Slide It In. At this same time, the band secured a major US record deal. The Slide It In album had drawn mixed reviews, the negatives particularly focusing on its "flat" mix. While a personnel change saw the touring band replace Moody with former Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes, plus the return of bassist Neil Murray in place of Hodgkinson, producer David Geffen insisted that the album be remixed for the US release. In addition to the remix, Sykes and Murray re-recorded the lead guitar and bass parts. This revised version of the album had its US release in April 1984 and contained album the album-oriented rock hits "Slow an' Easy" and "Love Ain't No Stranger", as well as the album's title track. It was at this point that Coverdale started taking America seriously.

While touring in spring 1984, Mel Galley suffered a broken arm in an accident, leaving John Sykes as the sole guitarist for the remaining dates. A few weeks later, Jon Lord left to reform Deep Purple. Starting in 1985, Coverdale and Sykes began writing the material for a follow-up studio album. The approach was more modern, adding a slick Eighties studio polish to a band that had a bluesier sound rooted in the Seventies. Sykes would play the rhythm and lead guitars for almost the entire album. Cozy Powell had left to join Emerson, Lake & Powell. Drummer Aynsley Dunbar, formerly of Journey, and keyboardist Don Airey from the Ozzy Osbourne band and Rainbow, were brought in for the recording of the album. The album was put on hold when Coverdale contracted a sinus infection that put his singing career in jeopardy. He eventually recovered, and the Whitesnake album was finished in 1987. But shortly before the album's release, Coverdale had dismissed Sykes.

 The success of Whitesnake  also pushed sales of Slide It In and made the band a bona fide arena headliner for the first time in North America. The resulting music videos from Whitesnake featured actress Tawny Kitaen, whom Coverdale later married and also featured new band members Rudy Sarzo, Adrian Vandenberg, Tommy Aldridge and Vivian Campbell. None of the band members who appeared in these videos played on the album  with the exception of Adrian Vandenberg, only having played the solo on "Here I Go Again"

It featured many great tracks including "Here I Go Again", "Still of the Night", "Crying in the Rain", and "Give Me All Your Love".  While some long-time fans viewed the album as a sell-out and attempt to pander to mainstream tastes at the time, Coverdale was still reaching back to his musical roots, including most prominently Led Zeppelin, but even older artists like Elvis.

Guitarist Vivian Campbell left Whitesnake and the band's line-up changed yet again for the 1989 album Slip of the Tongue. Although he co-wrote all of the songs, while preparing for the recording of the album, guitarist Adrian Vandenberg sustained a serious wrist injury, making it impossible for him to play without pain. Coverdale had no choice but to find a new guitar player to record the parts. He found former Frank Zappa and David Lee Roth guitar player Steve Vai, whom Coverdale had seen in the 1986 film Crossroads. Steve Vai became an official member of the band and appeared in all of the band's new music videos.

With Vai and Vandenberg both as a full-time members, the band hit the road to support the album. After the last show of the tour in 1990, Coverdale decided he would fold the band. Coverdale announced that he would be taking a break from the music business, but the next year he started to work with former-Led Zeppelin guitarist, Jimmy Page, which resulted in the album Coverdale and Page (1993).

A new line-up of the band was assembled for 1994's Whitesnake's Greatest Hits album. They embarked on a short tour in Europe, with former Ratt guitarist Warren DeMartini playing lead guitar, drummer Denny Carmassi, the return of bassist Rudy Sarzo and guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, and the addition of keyboard player Paul Mirkovich.

In 1997 Coverdale and Vandenberg re-grouped to work together on a new Whitesnake album Restless Heart. This was originally to be a solo album for Coverdale, but the record company released it under the Whitesnake name.  The album featured Coverdale, Carmassi, Vandenberg, Pink Floyd touring bassist Guy Pratt with keyboardist Brett Tuggle who had played with Coverdale and Page. The touring lineup featured Coverdale, Vandenberg, Carmassi, Mr Mister guitarist Steve Farris, keyboardist Derek Hilland and The Firm bassist Tony Franklin. During the tour, Coverdale and Vandenberg recorded an unplugged show in Japan entitled Starkers in Tokyo (released in 1998). In the end of '97, Coverdale folded the band and took another break from the music business.

In December 2002 Coverdale reformed Whitesnake for Whitesnake's 25th anniversary the upcoming year. Joining Coverdale for a 2003 tour were guitarists Doug Aldrich of Dio and Reb Beach of Winger, bass player Marco Mendoza, drummer Tommy Aldridge and keyboard player Timothy Drury. The anniversary tour line up remained stable until early 2005, when Mendoza left and was replaced by Uriah Duffy. In February 2006, Whitesnake released a live DVD titled, Live... In the Still of the Night. Whitesnake released a double live album entitled, Live: In the Shadow of the Blues which also included four new studio tracks: "Ready to Rock", "If You Want Me", "All I Want Is You" and "Dog". In December 2007 Aldridge left the band, and was replaced by Chris Frazier, who had previously worked with Eddie Money and  Edgar Winter.

Good to Be Bad is the tenth studio album by Whitesnake released in April 2008. This is the first album of new studio material in a decade, since 1997's Restless Heart, not including the four new tracks recorded for the 2006 live album Live: In the Shadow of the Blues. 

In 2010, Whitesnake parted ways with bassist Uriah Duffy and drummer Chris Frazier. Their new drummer is former Billy Idol drummer Brian Tichy and their new bassist is Michael Devin. Keyboardist Timothy Drury announced his departure from Whitesnake, although he returned as a guest musician for the band's 2011 album Forevermore.

A live album, Live at Donington 1990, was released in 2011.

In January 2013 drummer Brian Tichy left Whitesnake and was replaced by former drummer Tommy Aldridge.

Whitesnake are planning to go back into the studio when they take a break fro touring.

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