Jimmy joining Whitesnake?

[zooma]

I recently heard that Jimmy was thinking of joining with Whitesnake in 1981 or 82. Has anyone else heard about this?

[ZeppFanForever]

I recently heard that Jimmy was thinking of joining with Whitesnake in 1981 or 82. Has anyone else heard about this?

I heard about that in the 80's but it was only a rumor. It was no secret that Pagey wanted to work with David Coverdale and he would years later. What really silenced the Pagey / Whitesnake rumor was the reunion talks in the early 80's for the Live Aid 1985 Concert.

[SteveAJones]

I recently heard that Jimmy was thinking of joining with Whitesnake in 1981 or 82.

Any such rumor is absolutely untrue. During that time on occasion someone would book his Sol Studio in Cookham to work on an album and it would be played up as "Jimmy Page to join (fill in the blank). One specific example is from March 1981 when Bill Wyman's use of his studio led to a flurry of "Page to join the Stones" rumors. In 1983 Jimmy did visit Vandenburgh twice while they recorded their debut album at the Sol, but again no intentions on Jimmy's part to join them. Whitesnake never even used the Sol.

[jmorton]

David once told me he was a bit perplexed about the "Jimmy Page in Whitesnake" rumor in 82. Several things came together at once at that time. David basicly sacked his entire band with the exception of Jon Lord and was taking one of his soon to be frequent sabbaticals while he cared for his ailing daughter Jessica who nearly died. Meanwhile this was after Page had finished the Death Wish 2 soundtrack and had a bit of a loose end. The British tabloids, displaying their usual fine journalistic nuance, somehow put the two together based on only supposition. There's an interview floating around from 1984 where David scoffs at the rumor.

David hired back Micky Moody and rounded off the rest of that particular era of Whitesnake with Jon Lord, Cozy Powell, Colin "Bomber" Hodgkinson and the late Mel Galley. He recut some tracks on the already completed Saints and Sinners album and they went on to headline Donnington in 83. Great tour.

Jimmy of course hooked up with Paul Rogers during the ARMS benefit concert tour. David thought the rumor was funny because Whitesnake was a two guitarist band and he thought Jimmy would have a hard time with that sort of arrangement. Jimmy did enjoy early Whitesnake but he and David never really hooked up (except for a hilarious story that DC told me about Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin literaly running into each other in Malibu in 75 where both were rehearsing new albums...that story is for another time however) until 1991 in New York.

Long winded answer I know

Jeff