Dionne WordPress Banner

The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

  • Home
  • News
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Features
    • Release Round-Up
    • The Weekend Stream
    • Giveaways!
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Release Calendar
    • Coming Soon
    • Now Available
  • About
  • Second Disc Records
    • Full Catalog
  • Contact

/ News

EMI U.K. Opens Up a "Box O' Snakes"

September 22, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

Here they go again: EMI is releasing a hefty box of the earlier works of acclaimed rock band Whitesnake, according to Classic Rock.

While most remember Whitesnake for the leadership of onetime Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale - the sole original member of the band, as it stands - and the 1987 smash hit "Here I Go Again" (aided by that oft-referenced music video featuring Tawny Kitaen slithering on the hood of a Jaguar) - the band in fact traces their roots to 1978, in what began as the backing band for Coverdale's solo performances and eventually morphed into its own unit. That year, the band would release its first EP, Snakebite, for Sunburst Records/United Artists Records; by 1980's Ready An' Willing, the band were on their way to no less than seven U.K. Top 10 albums through the decade. The band's tenure with Sunburst ended with 1982's Saints An' Sinners, after which Coverdale and company packed up for Geffen Records. But that last LP featured an early version of "Here I Go Again" (which dented the U.K. Top 40) - a sign of success to come on both sides of the Atlantic.

EMI U.K. reissued these albums in the past decade with bonus tracks to spare, something this nine-disc set doesn't replicate in full. What you do get, though, is replicas of all seven of the band's studio and live albums for Sunburst (including a reproduction of the Japan-only live disc Live at Hammersmith, first released as a bonus disc with 1980 live album Live...in the Heart of the City), two discs of live performances from the 1979 and 1980 Reading Festivals, a DVD of promo videos, TV performances and an "official bootleg" of a concert taped at Washington's Capital Center in Washington and a vinyl EP reproducing Snakebite in its entirety. A 90-page(!) book of liner notes and rare photos is also included.

A November 7 release date is slated for the U.K., but pre-order links have not been prepared yet. You can, however, view the full track list beyond the jump.

Whitesnake, Box O' Snakes: The Sunburst Years (EMI U.K., 2011)

Disc 1: Trouble (originally released as United Artists/Sunburst UA-LA937-H (U.S.)/EMI International INS 3022 (U.K.), 1978)

  1. Take Me with You
  2. Love to Keep You Warm
  3. Lie Down (A Modern Love Song)
  4. Day Tripper
  5. Nighthawk (Vampire Blues)
  6. The Time is Right for Love
  7. Trouble
  8. Belgian Tom's Hat Trick
  9. Free Flight
  10. Don't Mess with Me

Disc 2: Live at Hammersmith (originally released as Sunburst/Poldyor MPF 1288 (JP), 1980)

  1. Come On
  2. Might Just Take Your Life
  3. Lie Down
  4. Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
  5. Trouble
  6. Mistreated

Above tracks recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London - 11/23/1978.

Disc 3: Lovehunter (originally released as United Artists/Sunburst LT-981 (U.S.)/UAG-30264 (U.K.), 1979)

  1. Long Way from Home
  2. Walking in the Shadow of the Blues
  3. Help Me Thro' the Day
  4. Medicine Man
  5. You 'n' Me
  6. Mean Business
  7. Love Hunter
  8. Outlaw
  9. Rock 'N' Roll Women
  10. We Wish You Well

Disc 4: Ready An' Willing (originally released as Mirage/Sunburst WTG-19276 (U.S.)/United Artists UAG-30302 (U.K.), 1980)

  1. Fool for Your Loving
  2. Sweet Talker
  3. Ready An' Willing
  4. Carry Your Load
  5. Blindman
  6. Ain't Gonna Cry No More
  7. Love Man
  8. Black and Blue
  9. She's a Woman

Disc 5: Live...in the Heart of the City (originally released as Mirage/Sunburst WTG-19292 (U.S.)/United Artists SNAKE 1 (U.K.), 1980)

  1. Come On
  2. Sweet Talker
  3. Walking in the Shadow of the Blues
  4. Love Hunter
  5. Fool for Your Loving
  6. Ain't Gonna Cry No More
  7. Ready an' Willing
  8. Take Me with You

Above tracks recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon, London - 6/23 and 6/24/1980. Original pressing included a second LP featuring the contents of Live at Hammersmith (Disc 2 in above set).

Disc 6: Come An' Get It (originally released as Mirage/Sunburst WTG-16043 (U.S.)/Liberty LBG-30327 (U.K.), 1981)

  1. Come An' Get It
  2. Hot Stuff
  3. Don't Break My Heart Again
  4. Lonely Days, Lonely Nights
  5. Wine, Women An' Song
  6. Child of Babylon
  7. Would I Lie to You
  8. Girl
  9. Hit An' Run
  10. Till the Day I Die

Disc 7: Saints & Sinners (originally released as Geffen GHS-24173 (U.S.)/Liberty LBG-30354 (U.K.), 1982)

  1. Young Blood
  2. Rough An' Ready
  3. Bloody Luxury
  4. Victim of Love
  5. Crying in the Rain
  6. Here I Go Again
  7. Love An' Affection
  8. Rock An' Roll Angels
  9. Dancing Girls
  10. Saints An' Sinners

Disc 8: Live at Reading Rock 1979

  1. Walking in the Shadow of the Blues
  2. Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
  3. Steal Away
  4. Belgian Tom's Hat Trick
  5. Mistreated/Soldier of Fortune
  6. Love Hunter
  7. Breakdown

Tracks 2 and 5-7 previously released on the expanded edition of Ready An' Willing (EMI 09463 59692 2 1 (U.K.), 2006). All other tracks previously unreleased.

Disc 8: Live at Reading Rock 1980

  1. Sweet Talker
  2. Walking in the Shadow of the Blues
  3. Ain't Gonna Cry No More
  4. Love Hunter
  5. Mistreated/Soldier of Fortune
  6. Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
  7. Fool for Your Loving

Disc 9: DVD

  • Promo videos 1978-1982
  • TV performances
  • Official Bootleg: Live @ The Capital Centre, Washington, USA 1980

Vinyl EP: Snakebite (originally released as Sunburst INEP 751 (U.K.), 1978)

  1. Bloody Mary
  2. Steal Away
  3. Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
  4. Come On

Categories: News Formats: Box Sets

Avatar photo

Mike Duquette

Mike Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he was a teenager. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, holding positions at Legacy Recordings and Rhino Records and contributing to Allmusic, Discogs, City Pages, Ultimate Classic Rock and Mondo Records, for whom he penned liner notes for his favorite piece of music: John Williams' Oscar-winning score to 'E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.' Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with his wife, a cat named Ravioli, twin daughters and a large yet tasteful collection of music.

Connect With Mike:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Upcoming Releases

  • Status Quo Live deluxe
    Live! Deluxe Edition
    Status Quo
    May 16, 2025
    US UK
  • Brothers in Arms 40
    Brothers in Arms: 40th Anniversary Edition
    Dire Straits
    May 16, 2025
    US UK
  • Version 1.0.0
    The Bridge
    David Sancious
    May 16, 2025
    US UK
See Full Calendar

Connect

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,673 other subscribers

Popular Posts

  • Most Commented
  • Most Viewed
  • Dionne Warwick Make It Easy on Yourself(Don't) Walk On By: Dionne Warwick's "Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings 1962-1971" Due in June on 12...
  • Tracks II CD packshot no disc artShut Out the Light: Bruce Springsteen Offers Seven Unheard Albums on 'Tracks II'
  • Rod Stewart Ultimate Hits Amazon exclusiveHe Wears It Well: Rod Stewart's 'Ultimate Hits' Due in June
  • RSD 2025 best of restRecord Store Day 2025: The Best of the Rest
  • record store day logoThe Second Disc's Guide to Record Store Day 2025: Our Favorite Picks
  • John Williams Anthology 1Mondo Maestro: New John Williams Box Set Series Announced, Plus 'Star Wars' Re-Recordings on Vinyl

Music Resources

  • Addicted to Vinyl
  • Crap from the Past
  • Discogs
  • Film Score Monthly
  • IMWAN Forum – From the Vaults
  • MusicTAP
  • Musoscribe
  • Pause & Play
  • Popdose
  • Slicing Up Eyeballs
  • Steve Hoffman Music Forums
  • Ultimate Classic Rock
  • Vintage Vinyl News
  • Wolfgang's Vault

Labels of Note

  • Ace Records
  • Analog Spark
  • Bear Family
  • BGO Records
  • Big Break Records
  • Blixa Sounds
  • Cherry Red Label Group
  • Craft Recordings
  • Demon Music Group
  • Friday Music
  • Funky Town Grooves
  • Iconoclassic Records
  • Intervention Records
  • Intrada
  • Kritzerland
  • La La Land Records
  • Legacy Recordings
  • Light in the Attic
  • Masterworks Broadway
  • Now Sounds
  • Omnivore Recordings
  • Real Gone Music
  • Rhino Entertainment
  • Rock Candy Records
  • SoulMusic Records
  • Sunset Blvd. Records
  • Supermegabot
  • Varese Sarabande
  • Vinyl Me, Please
  • Wounded Bird
Copyright © 2025 The Second Disc. All rights reserved. · Site by Metaglyphics

The Second Disc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy