It is with no doubt a happy David Coverdale speaking. He is full of spark and he’s living a healthy life. He parties way less than he used to and he even works out these days!

“I feel 10 years younger now then I did when I last toured the U.S. 10 years ago…” he says. His latest solo release “Into the Light” has now been on the shelves for about a year and we go on and on talking about that, as well as all the different changes he’s been through in his three decades long career…

“Into the Light” was partially tracked at his house in the mountains near Lake Tahoe, CA. It is the album he really wanted to make and according to David the most consistent and honest to date.

“You can hear every cigarette I’ve smoked, every drink I’ve had and every tear I’ve cried. The vocals are more “in your face” than ever. I have more control now and I have chosen players that influence and add to the music, but at the same time play more “stripped down” and for the song (sort of bluesy like the early Whitesnake), which also allows me to be more versatile and dynamic, like letting my voice go from a whisper to a scream.”

On the album you’ll find Marco Mendoza on bass (Ted Nugent, Thin Lizzy), guitarists Earl Slick (David Bowie) and Doug Bossi, Mike Finnigan (keyboards) and Whitesnake drummer Denny Carmassi, all of whom David is hoping to take on the road. “These guys never worked together before, but they sound like they’d played together for 10 years.

There are no barriers anymore so “live”’.’ I can do my solo stuff as well as songs from my days with Deep Purple, Whitesnake and Coverdale/Page.” -NO MORE WHITESNAKE- Most of us have a hard time forgetting his incredible time with “Purple” in the early 70’s.

On December 15 of 2000 David reunited with bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes for the first time in 24 years (!). Together they did the super-classic “Burn” at The Mark & Brian X-mas Show (95.5 KLOS). I was unable to attend but heard that it was truly amazing. But what about Whitesnake, a group that David led for 20 years and had incredible success with?

Well, David wishes he had a chance to work more with people like Steve Vai and explore his playing some more, but has no plans on doing anything with Whitesnake ever again: “The way the rest of the band played would determine the feel of a song. I have no idea where songs like “Here I go Again”, “Love Ain’t No Stranger” and “Judgment Day” would have gone had I just been responsible to myself, but at the same time I feel like I was compromising myself in my writing to accommodate a particular line-up of players.”

So what do you consider the absolute peak in your career I asked? “Now! I don’t live in the past, but I appreciate all that happened to me, positive or negative, as it’s made me who I am today. But I must say that I did enjoy the Coverdale and Page album a lot. How is today’s music scene affecting you? I try not to let the current trends interfere with what I’m doing. At the same time I really don’t feel like I’m competing with Britney Spears, In Sync etc.

Today there’s only 3 or 4 doors to knock on if you’re an artist/group looking for a record deal. What if they all turn you down? Well, then you have two options: 1) Go home and run a hot bath and grab a razor blade OR 2) Start your own label. Pro-Tools is a great and affordable way to record, and with help of the internet you can reach people worldwide and have direct dialog with anyone.”

David seems healthy and happy and gives me lots of signs that he still has a lot to offer. He’s turning into a seafood-vegetarian and will spend up to an hour on the tread mill on a regular basis. “I don’t ignore my body’s signals anymore. I’ve always used a bit of common sense when it comes to feeding my body with chemicals but I also drink more moderately now not looking at each couple of wine bottles as the last on earth.

I was never willing to sacrifice my vocal range, as opposed to some of my fellow singers, they’d stay up and party for six days, where as I’d keep it to two!” David both looks and feels 10 years younger today than he did 10 years ago. He’s more positive and folks, there were 18 songs left over in the making of “Into The Light” so count on Coverdale coming back for more!

Bjorn Englen is an acclaimed L.A. session bassist and instructor who has recorded and toured with many well-known artists. Visit him below...