On The Road Again: Coverdale • Page "Coverdale • Page"

jueves, 13 de octubre de 2022

Coverdale • Page "Coverdale • Page"

Coverdale–Page (stylised as Coverdale • Page) is a collaborative studio album by English singer David Coverdale and guitarist Jimmy Page. It was released on 15 March 1993 by EMI in Europe, 16 March by Geffen Records in North America and 18 March by Sony Music Entertainment in Japan. The album's production was handled by Coverdale, Page and Mike Fraser. Following the disbandment of Coverdale's band Whitesnake and a failed reunion attempt by Page's band Led Zeppelin, John Kalodner proposed the idea of the musicians working together. After meeting each other, they began writing songs, which were then recorded over the course of 1991 and 1992.

Critical reception towards Coverdale–Page was generally mixed; some music critics praised Coverdale and Page's partnership as a successful blend of both their respective bands. However, others viewed the collaboration as a second-rate Led Zeppelin, with many drawing unfavourable comparisons between Coverdale and Robert Plant. The album charted in 12 countries, including reaching number four in the UK and number five in the US. It was certified platinum in the US and Canada, respectively. Following a short Japanese tour in December 1993, Coverdale and Page parted ways. A reissue is tentatively scheduled for 2023, while Coverdale and Page have also discussed a potential reunion.

After completing the Liquor & Poker World Tour in September 1990, vocalist David Coverdale decided to put his band Whitesnake on indefinite hold, wanting to take a break from the music industry. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, meanwhile, had been working on the Led Zeppelin Remasters, which led to discussion with singer Robert Plant and bassist John Paul Jones about a potential reunion. Though initially interested, Plant decided to back out, feeling that a reunion might "put his solo career at risk". Wanting to work on new music, Page then began looking for a new collaborator. As both he and Coverdale were signed to Geffen Records, A&R executive John Kalodner suggested them working together. The idea was submitted to Coverdale and Page in January 1991. While the two had met many times in passing, they did not know each other well. Still, both parties were interested, thus a meeting was scheduled.

Coverdale and Page met at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York at the end of March 1991. The two got along well with one another and while on a walk in Manhattan, they apparently stopped traffic with onlookers asking if a collaboration was in the works. Coverdale and Page agreed to take the project slowly, first making sure they could actually write songs together. The two then met up for a writing session at Lake Tahoe, Coverdale's residence. Within the first day they had written "Absolution Blues" together. From there, Coverdale and Page continued writing, eventually relocating to Barbados at Page's suggestion. The two were later joined by drummer Denny Carmassi and bassist Ricky Phillips to flesh out the songs; these rehearsals lasted for several months. Coverdale and Page made their first public appearance together in May 1991, when they joined Poison onstage in Reno for a rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" (1971).

Recording for Coverdale–Page began at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, where all the rhythm tracks were recorded. From there, recording was moved to Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, where the vocals and overdubs were done. Coverdale and Page also employed several local session musicians while in Miami. Additional recording was also done at Abbey Road Studios in London, and Highbrow Productions, Coverdale's home studio in Nevada. The recording process lasted from late 1991 to early 1992. According to Phillips, however, it took Page approximately a year to record his guitar parts. The album was recorded using analog equipment as opposed to digital, as Coverdale and Page felt analog suited their style of music better. Initially, Coverdale and Page were set to be credited as the sole producers, but they eventually decided to give recording and mixing engineer Mike Fraser a co-production credit for his extensive work on Coverdale–Page. Mastering was handled by George Marino at Sterling Sound, while the cover art was designed by Hugh Syme. Aside from Coverdale and Page, the album features performances from Carmassi, Phillips, keyboardist Lester Mendez and backing vocalist Johnne Sambataro, among others.

Despite their project's short lifespan, both Coverdale and Page have reflected positively on the experience. Assessing the collaboration in retrospect, Page stated: "There was no [bullshit] in any respect or in how we executed. I wanted to show that I was still alive and kicking, and in that regard it was a total success." In 2004, Page noted: "David was really good to work with. It was very short-lived, but I enjoyed working with him, believe it or not." Coverdale later commented in 2011: "If I got a call from [Page], asking if I'd work with him on a solo album or anything, I'd be there in a heartbeat." VH1's Greg Prato put forth the idea that the whole Coverdale–Page project was just a way for Page to spite Plant, who had been reluctant to reunite Led Zeppelin. Page denied this outright, calling the entire notion "pathetic".

In 2019, The New York Times listed Coverdale–Page among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. In 2021, Coverdale revealed plans for a tentative reissue in 2023 to celebrate the album's 30th anniversary. Having procured the rights to the record from Universal, Coverdale told SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk that the reissue will potentially feature remastered and remixed versions of Coverdale–Page, four unreleased tracks, live material, as well as other bonus content. He also stated that he and Page had discussed the possibility of writing and recording together again, though their plans were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Track listing

All tracks are written by David Coverdale and Jimmy Page.

Coverdale–Page track listing