Why Whitesnake’s Slip of the Tongue Failed
Whitesnake was on top of the world in 1987. The self-titled album sold over 8 million copies, launched massive MTV hits like “Here I Go Again,” “Still of the Night,” and “Is This Love,” and turned David Coverdale into one of the biggest stars of the hair metal era.
But just two years later, Slip of the Tongue arrived… and something had changed.
In this video, we review the 1989 Whitesnake album Slip of the Tongue and break down why it failed to match the magic, chemistry, and success of the 1987 album. We discuss the departure of guitarist/songwriter John Sykes, the arrival of Steve Vai, the changing sound of the band, sales decline, and whether David Coverdale made the biggest mistake of Whitesnake’s career.
Did Slip of the Tongue deserve the backlash? Or has the album been unfairly judged for decades?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
#Whitesnake #SlipOfTheTongue #HairMetal #DavidCoverdale #JohnSykes #SteveVai #80sMetal #GlamMetal #ClassicRock #TheHairMetalGuru
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@HairMetalGuru419
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Lay it on me… what do YOU think of Slip of the Tongue? Does it hold a candle to 1987?
@Ratsnake71
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
It’s a solid album. No bad songs, but not as good as 87’. I haven’t heard it since the 90s, and it was a fun listen for the video.
Steve Vai is great, but John was a better fit… and the lack of his huge beefy guitar tone really stands out.
@royburnopp5147
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Enuff z nuff – self titled
Leppard-retro active or Euphoria
@HorseWaterDrink
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
"Slide it in" … is a great album too
@JohnnyDreadnought
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Totally understandable why Coverdale fired Sykes. Despite the obvious talent, it seems Sykes tried to take the music he recorded for Whitesnake and in sneaky machinations tried to boot Coverdale from his own album. No way that flies, no matter how talented a guitarest. Love both albums, similar to Ryan's words. Still of the Night, I can listen to that all week and watch Tawny Kitaen in that video too.
@ThreeGuysandaRecord
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Thank you Matt for that Still of the Night Cover 😉
@rcameron4091
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
I think it's obvious the timing of the industry shift was a factor concerning record sales . As far as the record itself goes , I enjoyed most of it .
@Chaz4543
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Whitesnake does not deserve to be in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. I think there are hair metal fans who think they deserve to be in but objectively speaking no they do not. If you wanna say they are rock n roll and non rock artists are in there so Whitesnake should be in, well those non rock artists that are in are the cream of the crop in their respective genres and in the rock world Whitesnake are not the cream of the crop in the rock world. They are a band that had longevity and a brief period of mainstream success. We can debate whether late 70s and early 80s Whitesnake had a huge influence on hair metal or not but I dont think it did. Not compared to Van Halen ceratainly.
@moodlefyful
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Steve Vai is what's wrong with this album….his tone and sound is simply all wrong….not a bad album…but following up to 1987 was always gonna be a huge task….even Biue Murders first album falls short…great show!
@birdab.6873
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Good show – I love Slip Of The Tongue. Especially Sailing Ships, Wings of the Storm, Judgement Day and Slip of the Tongue are true stand-outs for me.
@sammybosma
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
How to log onto hair metal mansion? It wouldn't work the link please help
@RattnRoll4Life
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
I remember being disappointed with it when it came out. I loved 87 and got Slip right when it came out. I think I listened to it once or twice and it went on the self to collect dust while I still played 87 regularly.
@thepatester
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
It's just ok. Nowhere near '87.
@CarlosSmith-q8i
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Sykes…….that's all that needs to be said. Hi Anthony
@timmywarren3996
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
House of Lords originally did slip of the tongue on there debut album from 1988 and the song sucked then and it still does.
@VampireJack10
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
87 is my favourite 'snake album, but Slip is a damn fine release too.
@DanielOzzzy189
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
RVK says sailing ships is filler! Wtf? Get this guy off the channel 😂😂😂❤
What a doobtard 😂(yeah I just made that up, feel free to use it 😅)
@fbettr2627
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
No WHITESNAKE studio album holds a candle to its self-titled '1987' release. John SYKES composed the music to seven (7) out of the nine (9) songs featured on the North American (GEFFEN Records) release; and SYKES's musicianship and guitar tone are sublime on '1987' and BLUE MURDER's self-titled album . 'Slip Of The Tongue' was a huge letdown. I'm a huge fan of Steve VAI's solo work and especially of VAI's groundbreaking guitar work on David Lee ROTH's 'Eat 'Em and Smile'. VAI wasn't the right fit for WHITESNAKE's bluesy sound. VAI's over processed guitar sound on 'Slip Of The Tongue' and the fact that all the guitar parts were recorded in VAI's home recording studio are indicative of the end result. WHITESNAKE is David COVERDALE's band; and COVERDALE has gone on record as stating that John KALODNER's (GEFFEN Records A&R guru's suggestion of Steve VAI joining WS) wasn't the brightest idea. COVERDALE's ego got the best of him when he fired John SYKES prior to WS's self-titled ('1987') album's release in the spring of 1987. Aynsley DUNBAR's (John MAYALL; Frank ZAPPA; David BOWIE Jeff BECK; JOURNEY; et cetera) drumming, and John SYKES's songs (7 out of 9; or 9 of the 11 songs on the European release) and musicianship, and videoclip director Marty CALLNER's (TWISTED SISTER; AEROSMITH; HEART; Pat BENATAR; et cetera) tailor-made videoclips for MTV were among the many factors that contributed to the huge crossover success of '1987'.
@fromalongtimeago
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
This is how you know these guys are straight out glam pop guys. On a past video they were saying they were/are afraid of Judas Priest' Painkiller and heavier music. You should be reviewing Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and Tears for Q'rs music… the Slide It In album was 'snakes best! The one guy saying he loves the ballads but not a heavier song like "Judgement Day". Limp!! What went wrong with 'Slip of the tongue' was having Steve Vai play on it. Great guitarist on his own just not for a blusey hard rock type band
@ByronTurner-j2y
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Scratch what I said earlier I listened to the whole thing for the first time. IT KICKS ASS I think Its underrated
@vaughnbrown4878
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Disappointing compared to 1987 but still a decent album. But felt like a fumble getting rid of Sykes
@AnsVorza
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
The guitar tone on Slip was not in the same universe as what John gifted us. It sounded like a totally different band. Neutered like a cat. Adrian is a great player but I never thought that was a great fit for David's style, which Sykes was born for. "Judgement Day" was a patently clear effort to create a Sykes vibe and while a great song live, the guitar tone on the original track is grating. As for Steve, in the videos, he looked like he couldn't get out of there fast enough. 😂
@jay6.29
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
I'm with RVK on this one, love it and its nearly as good as the '87 album…can't wait for the Ultraphobic episode! Should be an interesting one…take care and Rock On brother🤘
@Jsing6946
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
Plain and simple…… besides the new rendition of fool for your loving, the ballads now you're gone and deeper the love……
IT SUCKS ASS! Even Vai couldn't save it, and no Sykes like the last😂
@jimthar17
May 9, 2026 at 7:49 pm
It’s a great album. Bunch of solid rockers on it. Kittens got claws, Slip of the Tongue, Cheap an Nasty, etc. plus the ballads and mid tempo stuff. All around great album. This and the self titled (it’s not called 1987) are my go to WS albums.
And speaking of Blue Murder, I’ve always said that Black Hearted Woman was the best song Whitesnake never wrote. That song is a ‘Whitesnake’ song top to bottom. Would have been a great addition to SOTT.
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