1979 studio album by Whitesnake

Lovehunter is the second studio album by British band Whitesnake, released in 21 September 1979.[3] It was the bands first UK Top 30 album,[4] charting at No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart.[5] "Long Way from Home", the leading track on the album reached No. 55 on the UK charts,[5] while "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues" was one of the most popular and praised Whitesnake`s songs in the beginning.[4][6] The album became controversial because of its cover art.[4]

Background

The band worked on the album at Clearwell Castle.[4] Like their two previous recordings it was also produced by Martin Birch.[4] It was the group`s last album to feature Dave Dowle, before being replaced by ex-Purple drummer Ian Paice.[4]

Marsden recalled that at the time band members argued in "a good, healthy, positive" way and "because of that the band got better and more successful with Ready An` Willing (1980) and Come an` Get It (1981)". He considered it a good record, a sentiment Coverdale didn`t share and would have rather released it as an EP.[4]

Both Coverdale and Marsden considered "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues" as one of their best compositions,[6][7] with Coverdale stating that the song "really summed up my musical approach of the time. It was very much my feeling, my perspective and probably my life`s philosophy back then ... Bernie and I put the music together very quickly. It was obviously meant to be as a song. I`m very proud of that one".[6] Eduardo Rivadavia writing for AllMusic described it as combining "near-perfect songwriting with one of Coverdale`s maturest and most compelling lyrics".[8]

Cover art

Lovehunter`s controversial cover art, showing a naked woman straddling a large snake and blood on her hand from a snake bite, was created by fantasy artist Chris Achilleos.[4] Coverdale recalls such an idea was made as response to the critics, "just to piss them off even more".[4] Actually, it did spur more journalistic criticism for sexism, and the cover was "banned" at the time in the USA (woman was partly covered with a sticker; album sold "in a brown paper bag") and Argentina (woman`s was partly airbrushed with a "chain-mail bikini bottom").[4]

It was the last album cover Achilleos designed for many years, until 2003 and Gary Hughes` rock opera Once and Future King Part I.[9] The original Lovehunter artwork was stolen in the 1980s.[10]

Critical reception

The Rolling Stone Album Guide noted that "the playing is as good as on any early-`70s Deep Purple album."[12]

Track listing

Side one

1. "Long Way from Home" (David Coverdale) – 4:58
2. "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues" (Coverdale, Bernie Marsden) – 4:26
3. "Help Me Thro` the Day" (Leon Russell) – 4:40
4. "Medicine Man" (Coverdale) – 4:00
5. "You `n` Me" (Coverdale, Marsden) – 3:25

Side two

6. "Mean Business" (Coverdale, Micky Moody, Marsden, Neil Murray, Jon Lord, Dave Dowle) – 3:49
7. "Love Hunter" (Coverdale, Moody, Marsden) – 5:38
8. "Outlaw" (Coverdale, Marsden, Lord) – 4:04
9. "Rock `n` Roll Women" (Coverdale, Moody) – 4:44
10. "We Wish You Well" (Coverdale) – 1:39

Bonus tracks

Lovehunter was remastered and reissued in 2006 with several bonus tracks taken from Andy Peebles BBC Radio 1 sessions recorded 29 March 1979 (tracks originally from the band`s debut album Trouble).

11. "Belgian Tom`s Hat Trick" (Moody) – 3:40
12. "Love to Keep You Warm" (Coverdale) – 3:30
13. "Ain`t No Love in the Heart of the City" (Michael Price, Dan Walsh) – 4:54
14. "Trouble" (Coverdale, Marsden) – 4:30

Personnel

Whitesnake

• David Coverdale – lead vocals (all but track 8), backing vocals
• Micky Moody – guitars, slide guitar, backing vocals
• Bernie Marsden – guitars, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on track 1, lead vocals on track 8
• Neil Murray – bass
• Dave Dowle – drums
• Jon Lord – keyboards

Production

• Martin Birch – producer, engineer, mixing at Central Recorders Studio, London
• Chris Achilleos – LP artwork

Charts