There are songs that transcend time, format and trend. Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” is one of those songs. Played for close to four decades on Active Rock, Classic Rock, Classic Hits and Hit Radio stations, “Here I Go Again” is Whitesnake’s highest charting song. It reached number one on Billboard in 1987. The track helped the Whitesnake 87 album become one of the best-selling rock albums of the 1980s.
Many don’t know that “Here I Go Again” was not a new song written for the 87 album. In fact, it actually appeared on a 1982 Whitesnake album called Saints and Sinners. Guitarist Adrian Vandenberg’s solo helped make the song a smash hit. Additionally, Adrian added what was needed and completely reworked the guitar parts. He was brought in to “Vandenberg Up” the Whitesnake 87 album, most notably “Here I Go Again,” by Geffen A&R legend John Kalodner. In this week’s episode of the Carr Stereo Podcast, Adrian discusses crafting the solo, his 13 years in the band, and why he’s taking his “Adrian Vandenberg — My Whitesnake Years” Tour out on the road this summer.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
The Impact of a Classic Debut
Terrie Carr: I am so honored to welcome the incredible crafter of sound — the one and only Adrian Vandenberg. I was telling you before we started how much the Vandenberg debut record meant to me growing up. I wore my battle vest and my denim Iron Maiden jackets. “Burning Heart” was my first power ballad in junior high. It made me cry. It had such an impact, and it still holds up today. Does it surprise you when you still hear that from people?
Adrian Vandenberg: Yeah, I hear it and it still surprises me. First of all, it’s an honor. I’m fully aware that I’m a lucky bastard and fortunate. I vividly remember writing the song behind my dad’s piano. I used an acoustic guitar on my right leg then switched between the piano and the guitar. Then I thought, “Oh, this is cool. This is going to be great.” Then parts of the lyrics popped into my head while I was working on the music. It often happens that way.
Whenever somebody brings it up, I think, “Man, how interesting is that?” You write a song, you stick out your antenna and you catch ideas. They come from wherever they come from. You end up recording it. Moreover, it becomes important to other people, as well as yourself. Basically, I write the music for myself. I love music and I love writing it. I think when it makes me happy, the chances are big that it’s going to make a lot of other people happy too.
Taking the Whitesnake Years on Tour
Terrie Carr: You are hitting the road with your friends Marco Mendoza and Vinnie Moore. It’s called the “My Whitesnake Years Tour.” I think this is incredible. There’s such love and passion and appreciation for classic hard rock music these days. The love is stronger than ever. Was that the impetus for you to put this together with Marco and Vinny? Furthermore, why did you think that this tour would work? There are quite a few August dates on this thing!
Adrian Vandenberg: Well, Marco and Vinny are going to do a separate set. They will play songs from their previous bands like Journey, UFO and Thin Lizzy. I’m bringing my own band over. I got this amazing singer. He really does justice to David Coverdale vocals on the Whitesnake stuff. There aren’t many people who can get away with that, you know?
The Story Behind “Here I Go Again”
Terrie Carr: So let’s harken back to Whitesnake. David Coverdale calls you and does he say, “Listen, I need a visual for the band and I have this song”? Now, of course, “Here I Go Again” was not a new song. It wasn’t written for the big Whitesnake 87 record. It was on a Whitesnake record that came out in 1982 called Saints and Sinners.
Did you know the song? Because here’s my take on the song. Here’s what you brought to it. Here’s how I view it. The song to me is very much the same as the 82 version. But different. The structure is the same. The vocal structure is the same. The difference is the song’s longing. That longing needed your solo. It needed this solo of emotion. And some sexiness. It needed what you brought to bring that song to life. Your solo made it a song played every day on the radio. Whether it’s an active rock station here in the states, a hard rock station, a classic rock station, or — dare I say it — an oldies station or pop station, that solo gave that song not a new life. It gave it life, even though the song was still the same. Tell me, how did you do that?”
Adrian Vandenberg: (laughs) Well, first of all, the first time David asked me to join Whitesnake was in 1982. I was recording the first Vandenberg album in Jimmy Page’s studio. I heard “Here I Go Again” on the radio all the time. It was the old version. It wasn’t a big hit in England. I hadn’t talked to David yet. I hadn’t met him yet. But I knew the song. It happened shortly after the Vandenberg album came out. I thought, “Man, what a great song, great vocals.” I was a fan of David since he was in Deep Purple anyway.
So at the end of 1986, I got an offer from John Kalodner, legendary A&R manager for Geffen. He came over to the States because he wanted to offer me a new contract for Vandenberg. I said, “Yes, I’m in.” The next day, I ended up in his office. He said, “I haven’t been completely honest with you, Adrian. I actually have two offers. One is to form an entirely new lineup for Vandenberg with top class American musicians. The other one is I would really love you to join Whitesnake.” That sounded familiar because David had already asked me two or three times to join.
Terrie Carr: So John wanted you to choose which one you thought would be best for you?
Adrian Vandenberg: Yes, Kalodner said, “Whatever you’d like most.” I said, “Well, you need to give me a day to think about it.” John said, “Okay,” and then he asked, “While you’re here, would you like to add a guitar solo to Here I Go Again? And also change some of the guitar parts?” Apparently, John Sykes — the Whitesnake guitarist who played on most of the 1987 record — didn’t like the song very much. When John Sykes recorded it, Kalodner described it as a country Western band playing a metal song.
Therefore, Kalodner didn’t like that. He asked me to change that and give it another color. You play guitar and then lead it back into the vocal at the end. I think the difference between me and a lot of guitar players might be that many guitar players see the solo as a platform. They show what they can do, which is great. There are so many fantastic guitar players. But I approach it differently. I approach it like I do the vocals. I like to play solos that you can relate to. Additionally, it needs to be a part of the emotion of the song. That’s what I try to achieve. I’m still trying to achieve that to this day.
How does Adrian stay in shape to tour as much as he does? Where does he see the classic hard rock scene in 2026? What can people expect on the “Adrian Vandenberg My Whitesnake Years” tour? Check out the full interview for the answers.
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