David Coverdale has finally made the break from the millstone around his neck which is Whitesnake, releasing his first true solo album in over 20 years. Of course, it's not that Whitesnake was actually detrimental to his career, rather the expectations from the fans and suits over what constituted an acceptable sound for the band prevented Coverdale from releasing songs that explored the depth and variety of his song writing talents. Now free from any such restrictions and expectations, he has released a collections of songs that can be truly said to be representativeof the man himself, songs that reflect his inner most thoughts and feelings to a receptive audience. This really is a case of 'out of the darkness and into the light'. Home for Coverdale these days is Lake Tahoe, Nevada. A beautiful part of America surrounded by mountains and forest, and the perfect place to retreat and get away from it all. I remark that it's no surprise that he's still looking great and relaxed...

"I love cities and I love what cities have to offer but I'm more at peace in the country. It doesn't affect my rocking and rolling because that's a state of mind. The circumstances with Tahoe... it heals me. I can physically feel it. It's easy for me to find noise and activity, but once again, tranquillity is a very rare dream. So I get home after a tour and I can feel the moment I get home, looking at the view... the mountains and trees... I can feel the tour just dropping off me."

I have been to so many concerts of yours that I can say that at least two of the bricks of your house at Lake Tahoe I financed.

"Thanks you, that's much appreciated. Credit where credit's due."

Actually, the first time I saw you was on the support tour you did with AC/DC at the end of '81.

"That was fun. I broke my leg on that tour and AC/DC came to my room and said 'You gotta stay on, man", because we were having such great fun. And it's interesting because I've always tried to make it that way when I go out on tour - I always try to have an opening act that is real good quality. The last time I didn't have any time to do any homework on new groups, so basically the local promoters would provide the opening groups, which is not something I have done before. But normally, I like to give as much value for money as possible. I was taking ZZ Top out, I've taken Ozzy Osbourne, I took Billy Squier when he was selling millions of records in the States. And Slade I remember being a great package too."

Okay, the first thing I need to ask you about is the Van Halen rumours.

"No, there was never any foundation to those stories ever. I'm really sorry it's taken so long, but normally I only do interviews every three years. That is changing now - I'm getting involved with the internet so you can get your answers immediately. It also came out that Jimmy Page and I were going to be working together again...and who knows what will happen. I've heard three times over the years that Van Halen were going to ask me to join, but I've never actually heard directly. I think Eddie Van Halen is one of the most exciting guitarists I've ever heard in my life."

Can you imagine the two of you together?

"Not in Van Halen. I could imagine working with Eddie but what I would love to do would be to do a one-off project like I had with Jimmy Page, but more casually. Not as such a big deal, but to put a power trio together and do a power blues album or whatever. Not necessarily commercial, but just to jam with him. I'd also love to do that with Jeff Beck too. I've loved Jeff since the beginning. I went to see him at the beginning of last year... I was really tired... I was actually working the tracks on 'Into the Light' and he was literally playing around the corner. So I went to see him and I was only going to stay for around twenty minutes and I ended up staying for an hour. But he was really pissed off that I didn't go backstage and say hello... but I've always loved Jeff. Jimmy Hendrix is responsible for my love of guitarists. Well, not guitarist, but guitar playing."

How come you never tried it yourself?

"I do play... I'm pretty good. I usually compose on a beautiful old Gibson acoustic guitar I have which was formerly owned by John Lennon, which is very precious to me, or piano. In essence I usually write my ballads on piano and the rock stuff on acoustic guitar. You know, singing takes so much out of me, the emotional and physical aspect of it, that one thing would be compromised... the vocals would suffer with me trying to pay attention to the guitar, or vice versa. So it's never been really a dream of mine - at home I'm a domestic guitar god and that's fine."

How would you comment if I say I think at least some parts on the new album sound more Whitesnake-ish than the real Whitesnake?

"But why would that be surprising to you? I wrote most of the songs and I was the singer."

But in comparison to the last album, it was a little more mellow.

"Well actually that was supposed to be my first solo record. I'm happy to say now I'm working with new people at EMI, but the people I was working with at that time knew I was making a solo record, and they had a big success with my Greatest Hits album, and so they asked me to make a Whitesnake record, which I wasn't very happy about because I'd been trying to work under my own name now for ten years. 1990 was as much as I felt I could take Whitesnake. The whole idea of Whitesnake had become the most outrageous, overly flamboyant, over dressed Christmas tree which was really not part of the original thing, but that's where it developed, or to some people degenerated, but that's where it went. It was more successful than I ever dreamed it could be. I was going through a very unsavoury divorce - I filed for divorce at the end of 1990, and I wanted to take a year off to see if I still had the passion to do it. Then I got the call from Jimmy Page and I'm a huge admirer of Jimmy, so that was just too interesting a concept for me to pass on. And of course, working with Jimmy I realised I did still have the passion to be involved in music. So that took three years, and what would be more natural than to come out of Coverdale/Page and work as David Coverdale. But my contract at EMI said, and still does, 'David Coverdale, known as the artist Whitesnake', and they were most insistent to me that they wanted a Whitesnake record, so in essence I feel I did compromise. It was an uncomfortable compromise because 'Restless Heart' really should have been more like this one. But what I did was put some more guitars on, made the drums louder, whatever....but I don't look upon it as a Whitesnake record. I like some of the songs on it, but I think really the last Whitesnake album should have been the Greatest Hits - the end of twenty years. But as I said, I had two choices. One to go along with that, the other to go to war. But I'm an artist, and I'm not getting any younger, so I don't want to be caught up in legal battles for a couple of years...so fuck it. And the other thing I believe is that maybe the time before wasn't right. So now I am following my intuition, and there are new people in place at EMI that I'm working with that are giving me support. But there's no question that you're going to hear a Whitesnake element in my music because that was twenty years of my career. A lot of people are still delighted that there is still rock there. Now rock to me is just rock and roll, it's still a great vehicle for expression, it's a great pla ground. And as long as I feel that physically I can still utilise that I will. But I've found over the years that many of the songs that I've naturally felt to write I would stop because I would think 'This isn't Whitesnake' and that's unfair. It's also down to balls, for me to go out and not hide behind a wall of guitars. On this new record you can hear everything I do. It's the most honest, naked record I've ever done. The themes are all secure in honesty and they're indications very much of who I am. If people want to get to know a part of David Coverdale, you can, as always, through my music. Not all the songs.....some of them are just fun rock n' roll, but there are certain songs which give you great insight into my heart. But now it's more important for me to do that kind of song. I'm not interested in writing 'evil women' songs any more, unless I have an experience. I'm in such a very positive relationship that even on the last record I found I had to dig back into the past in order to write an honest lyric, and I'd probably written about these people before and exorcised [those feelings]. So it's disrespectful to my wife for me to spend time remembering those scenarios. That was then...that's gone. A big lesson I've been learning recently is to let go. There's no positive purpose served by keeping bitterness or resentment or negativity. Let it go."

Music-wise, that brings me to Earl Slick and Denny Carmassi.

"Denny and I have been friends for many years. Actually, Denny was in a group called Montrose with Sammy Hagar many years ago, and they opened forDeep Purple. Then I met Denny again when he was a member of Heart, because we were both in the same management company. I went down to see them play, and I've always enjoyed his drumming. David Geffen asked me to do a different version of 'Here I Go Again', more like in an American/Journey style which of course they put on the fucking Greatest Hits. And I have no idea, because radio didn't even play it in America, they were very happy with the '1987' version. But Denny came down and played on there, so at least the only good thing for me is that Denny is represented on that, and we got on really well and stayed in touch with each other. So when Jimmy and I were talking musicians he came up to Lake Tahoe and said 'Look, we have a couple of songs here. Why don't we have a bit of fun, let's get a bass player and drummer up and see if we can bring these songs to life'. He said fine and I had no hesitation. Denny lives about a three hour drive from me in San Francisco so he drove up with his drums along with Ricky Philips [ex Bad English] on bass. And Jimmy was immediately impressed with Denny."

I also feel that Earl brought some different attitude to the music.

"Very much so. Earl brought me the ideas for 'Slave' and 'Living on Love', and then I messed around with them. But yeah, Earl is that classic rock style guitarist which I love so much, like Keith Richards or Joe Perry. He's not flamboyant, but what he plays sounds it. It's a very understated style of guitar but it's one of my favourite styles. And I really couldn't work with a 'widdly-widdly' guitarist any more. Enough already! The only one I can hear in that style is Edward, because his guitar flourishes mean something and his guitar sings - it tells a story. So the strange thing was that we found out Earl Slick lived in the Tahoe area, so we arranged a meeting and we got on very well and then I invited him over. He came over with his little practice amp and electric guitar and I was sitting with the acoustic, and we had a sort of musical conversation, where I would play him some of my ideas, and the way he would respond, the style he played, was really inspiring to me. So I had no hesitation in asking him to do the record with me. I like Earl a lot, he's good people. A friend of mine Tony Franklin, the bass player who worked with me on 'Restless Heart', he worked with Earl."

Yeah, on the Blue Murder album.

"Unfortunately, but he has seen the light,' replies Coverdale with a smile in his eyes. I guess Sykes is still a sore point. He continues, 'Earl recommended a guy called Doug Bossi who I'd never heard of. I always do a lot of homework on my musicians before I meet them, but with Doug Bossi I couldn't find a lot of material on, so I invited him up to the house and we got on very well. Not only is he a great guitarist but he is a great singer. He's more of a versatile guitarist than Earl and he has the power to play that kind of exciting, fast, fluid guitar. He's the guy who does the solo on 'She Give Me...'. A very talented young man and we got on well immediately. Marco Mendoza had been recommended to me years ago by one of my former technicians. He was actually the first guy that was gonna work with me years ago, but he's a very busy session guy so the time was not right. So this time...I actually offered Tony the job but he was really busy so I made an agreement with Marco, and of course as soon as I shake hands with Marco, two days later Tony calls up and says 'I've cleared everything, I'm yours' and I say 'Ohhhhh Tony...' But Tony plays bass on 'Don't You Cry' so I'm very pleased that at least I have him on the album."

You also have this duet with Linda Rowberry.

"Yes, she's 18 years old, voice of an angel."

Is this the first time you have sung with a woman?

"No, also on some of my very early stuff after I left Deep Purple. I love to sing with women... I love women's voices. This was interesting because the song, 'Wherever You May Go', I actually wrote for my wife's birthday about four or five years ago and a guy I work with named Bjorn, he said 'David, this is one of the nicest songs I've ever heard, you've got to record it' and I went 'Nahhh, it's not Whitesnake'. So of course then he reminded me of this and I played it to the musicians and they all loved the song so... but when we'd finished the song I'm looking at it and thinking I'm missing something... if we just put a piano on it's going to be ordinary, so we thought about a harp, so we searched for a contemporary harpist, which was really difficult. So we ended up putting harp on it which was really pretty, and then Bjorn said 'What about trying Linda?' Linda is an exceptionally talented singer out of Salt Lake City, and she's actually Bjorn's girlfriend. I've heard her demos and they are fantastic and I hope this is an opportunity for her to get a deal because she is a fantastic talent."

So you've never had any trouble working with women?

"No, no...living with them...ha, ha. Now I've been involved with my wife for ten years which is just great, but it is also a testament to what an incredible person she is. One of the songs, 'Living On Love', it says 'So many mistakes I had to make to lead me here to you'. I wouldn't change anything... nothing. Even the really bad stuff, the lowest of the low, was all necessary. And certainly in two marriages as well as many relationships, because it helped me to see that this was right."

Do you think you have changed through the years?

"I would imagine so. Very much so. That's the reason I called the album 'Into The Light'. I'm looking much more positively at the world and my life and myself, which I'm pleased to say. And one of the reasons I have been able to achieve letting go and find out who I am, is that I think for the first time in my life I have felt safe in a relationship. I have no fear. I have support, honest support to find out who I am, instead of pretending to be this other person, as we all can do. And now I am utterly convinced that our main purpose in life is to find out who we truly are. Not to get caught up in everybody else's drama. By all means if it's a friend or family member, be compassionate, help, but you have to remember this is their issue, their drama, not yours."

I was wondering about this womanising image. In the early days I was asking myself whether this was an act or...how has your mom raised you.

"I was an only child. I can't remember sex being discussed at home. It was a very tough childhood at times. My mother and father's relationship was fuelled by alcohol at times, and one extra drink would turn from happy to anger. So that was uncomfortable and I left home as early as I could. I've always admired women, always! And I've always been absolutely curious about them. I think I am in touch with my femininity. I believe in past lives also, so I have no doubt that in other lives I have been female. I've always enjoyed their company more...I wish I'd had bands of women, for more than one reason! The only time I've been negative about women is when I've been writing a song which was about a negative experience. You've got to remember that most of the hits I've had were about negative experiences. They weren't happy fucking songs, that's for sure. I've always, always wanted to use music as a vehicle for self-expression. And I think when I write my songs about broken hearts or search for direction, it's not just a masculine thing, it's what a woman goes through too. I find most women I've known have more balls than most of the men I've known. I've had my bad experiences too, but much more with guys in terms of professional relationships than I've ever had in private relationships. And I've never been afraid to wear my heart on my sleeve...I think one of the reasons that I've had such a great relationship with audiences is because I felt safe with them. My wife said to me years ago 'I think you're more honest on stage than off' and that was something that resonated very deeply in me, for me to look into and think about."

So will you be playing these songs live?

"I hope so. In my heart I'm a live performer, for me to be able to share these stories with people. It depends on whether the album is successful. I'm doing this concentrated press tour to bring as much awareness to the album as possible. For me to make a commitment to the musicians, if indeed I'm blessed with the musicians on the record, they ain't cheap. And for me to turn round and make a tour and a commitment to promoters, there's got to be a foundation for them. But I hope next year."