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Coverdale's first two solo albums were remixed using cutting-edge audio separation software, allowing them to be artificially separated into their individual multi-track stems using ]. Notable examples of this approach are "Time & Again", which separated Coverdale's voice from the original ''Northwinds'' record, allowing it to be featured in piano and string arrangement mixes that had been approached by Coverdale for decades.<ref>{{cite web |title=DAVID COVERDALE's Three Solo Albums To Be Made Available With Remixes, Remasters And Previously Unreleased Tracks |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/david-coverdales-three-solo-albums-to-be-made-available-with-remixes-remasters-and-previously-unreleased-tracks |website=Blabbermouth |access-date=17 August 2024 |date=16 August 2024}}</ref><ref name="Intothelightpress"/>
Coverdale's first two solo albums were remixed using cutting-edge audio separation software, allowing them to be artificially separated into their individual multi-track stems using ]. Notable examples of this approach are "Time & Again", which separated Coverdale's voice from the original ''Northwinds'' record, allowing it to be featured in piano and string arrangement mixes that had been approached by Coverdale for decades.<ref>{{cite web |title=DAVID COVERDALE's Three Solo Albums To Be Made Available With Remixes, Remasters And Previously Unreleased Tracks |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/david-coverdales-three-solo-albums-to-be-made-available-with-remixes-remasters-and-previously-unreleased-tracks |website=Blabbermouth |access-date=17 August 2024 |date=16 August 2024}}</ref><ref name="Intothelightpress"/>
The remixing process for ''Northwinds'' was originally inspired by a ] known as MAL (machine-assisted learning), which had been developed as an audio restoration technology for ] 2021 documentary '']''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sisario|first=Ben|date=11 November 2021|title=Know How the Beatles Ended? Peter Jackson May Change Your Mind.|language=en-US|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/arts/music/beatles-get-back-peter-jackson.html|access-date=15 November 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111102004/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/arts/music/beatles-get-back-peter-jackson.html|archive-date=11 November 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> MAL was originally named after the Beatles' former road manager, ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sparkes |first=Matthew |date=24 December 2021 |title=Beatles documentary Get Back used custom AI to strip unwanted sound |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2302552-beatles-documentary-get-back-used-custom-ai-to-strip-unwanted-sound/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=30 October 2023 |website=] |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030142329/https://www.newscientist.com/article/2302552-beatles-documentary-get-back-used-custom-ai-to-strip-unwanted-sound/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This process was used to separate ]'s home demo recording from the late 1970s, utilising a digital copy provided by ], which was of higher quality than the third-generation source the three surviving members of The Beatles had used in 1995.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Last Beatles Songs |url=https://www.thebeatles.com/announcement |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026125709/https://www.thebeatles.com/announcement |archive-date=26 October 2023 |access-date=7 November 2023 |publisher=TheBeatles.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Eras - The Beatles - Episode 6 - Now and Then |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001rzkp |access-date=2 November 2023 |publisher=BBC Sounds |archive-date=2 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102174053/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001rzkp |url-status=live }}</ref> This restoration preserved the clarity of every multi-track stem, culminating in the release of "]" in late 2023. Tom Gordon, who was working on the remixes for ''Northwinds'', was impressed by this restoration approach and contacted ]'s company, ], which had utilised the MAL technology for various music and film restorations, including The Beatles' archives. However, his request was declined as the technology was exclusive to The Beatles project and was "bespoken for" at the time. Gordon then approached Dr. Paris Smaragdis in an attempt to develop a similar version of MAL software, but due to time constraints and limited resources, this was not possible.<ref name="Reissuenotes"/>
After the initial attempts with MAL failed, Whitesnake audio engineers were under pressure to find an alternative audio isolation technology that could successfully separate the tracks from their original stems. For "Time & Again", Coverdale's vocals were mixed on the same multi-track as the Rhodes synthesiser.<ref name="Reissuenotes"/> Coverdale wanted to "ditch the Rhodes" and add string arrangements in the remix. However, when the Northwinds album was processed through various open-source audio separation software, the results included digital artefacts, rendering the remixes unusable as "the vocal was so exposed". The team eventually turned to an emerging software called "Audioshake", which was in its beta stage at the time. The software produced results that were deemed acceptable, allowing the remix of "Time & Again" to proceed.<ref name="Reissuenotes"/>
"Midnight Blue (2024 Remix)" Released: 16 August 2024
"Wherever You May Go (2024 Remix)" Released: 5 September 2024
"Time & Again (Strings Version) " Released: 26 September 2024
Into the Light: The Solo Albums is a compilation album by English hard rock band Whitesnake, showcasing the band's founder and singer-songwriter David Coverdale's solo works. The compilation includes selections from Coverdale's three solo albums: White Snake (1977), Northwinds (1978) and Into the Light (2000). The collection features "revisited, remixed and remastered" forms of previously released and unreleased material from the installment of these solo albums. The title of the compilation derives from Coverdale's third solo release, Into the Light. The compilation is set to be released via Rhino Records on 25 October 2024.
Background
Between 1977 and 1978, vocalist David Coverdale recorded the first of his two solo albums after the Mark IV dissolution of Deep Purple. Both were released as White Snake and Northwinds and were gone out in many complication sets, more recently The Early Years in 2003. Decades later after the temporary disbandment of Coverdale's formed band Whitesnake, he resumed his solo career as well to explore many forms of music. The resulting 2000 record came out as Into the Light, listing it as his most successful solo album commercially and critically, only that it charted in six countries.
According to Coverdale, his first two solo works, including Whitesnake material have been digitally copied and possess the ability to be restored and remastered but unfortunately cannot be remixed at that time. This was a result from the 2008 Universal Studios fire, which archived the band's material belonging to Geffen Records. Purple Records, one of the sub-divisions of EMI at that time, retained the masters to Coverdale's first two solo albums, but had been gone out of print ever since. Sound engineer and producer Tom Gordon claimed that the original multitrack masters to White Snake were lost for over twenty years and a search was conducted to regain access, but ended up obtained the outtakes from the album.
History and production
Into the Light: The Solo Albums featured musicians that participated from singer David Coverdale's solo albums. His first album White Snake was released on 20 February 1977 throughout Europe then 6 May in the UK, featuring then-Whitesnake guitarist, Micky Moody. As a first solo effort, Coverdale remarked the record was "a very inward-looking, reflective and low-key affair in many ways, written and recorded as it was in the aftermath of the collapse of Deep Purple". The album title would be later be derived as an inspiration of his future band, which happened after the upcoming album was released. It was followed by its successor Northwinds, released on 10 March 1978. The album was viewed in blues-based and R&B influenced rock followed as an "antithesis" of Whitesnake 1987. It was also largely viewed as nothing differentiated compared to Led Zeppelin, given that Whitesnake had been compared that group on many occasions. Decades later, Into the Light was released on 25 September 2000, with its elements featured a more stripped-down and blues-influenced sound that Coverdale "felt appropriate" in his songwriting.
Both White Snake and Northwinds were originally produced by Deep Purple's then ex-bassist, at that time, Roger Glover, while Into the Light was produced by Coverdale himself alongside Doug Bossi, Bjorn Thorsrud, John X. Volaitis and Michael McIntyre being credited as associate producers.
Coverdale's first two solo albums were remixed using cutting-edge audio separation software, allowing them to be artificially separated into their individual multi-track stems using artificial intelligence. Notable examples of this approach are "Time & Again", which separated Coverdale's voice from the original Northwinds record, allowing it to be featured in piano and string arrangement mixes that had been approached by Coverdale for decades.
The remixing process for Northwinds was originally inspired by a neural network known as MAL (machine-assisted learning), which had been developed as an audio restoration technology for The Beatles 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back. MAL was originally named after the Beatles' former road manager, Mal Evans. This process was used to separate John Lennon's home demo recording from the late 1970s, utilising a digital copy provided by Sean Lennon, which was of higher quality than the third-generation source the three surviving members of The Beatles had used in 1995. This restoration preserved the clarity of every multi-track stem, culminating in the release of "Now and Then" in late 2023. Tom Gordon, who was working on the remixes for Northwinds, was impressed by this restoration approach and contacted Peter Jackson's company, WingNut Films, which had utilised the MAL technology for various music and film restorations, including The Beatles' archives. However, his request was declined as the technology was exclusive to The Beatles project and was "bespoken for" at the time. Gordon then approached Dr. Paris Smaragdis in an attempt to develop a similar version of MAL software, but due to time constraints and limited resources, this was not possible.
After the initial attempts with MAL failed, Whitesnake audio engineers were under pressure to find an alternative audio isolation technology that could successfully separate the tracks from their original stems. For "Time & Again", Coverdale's vocals were mixed on the same multi-track as the Rhodes synthesiser. Coverdale wanted to "ditch the Rhodes" and add string arrangements in the remix. However, when the Northwinds album was processed through various open-source audio separation software, the results included digital artefacts, rendering the remixes unusable as "the vocal was so exposed". The team eventually turned to an emerging software called "Audioshake", which was in its beta stage at the time. The software produced results that were deemed acceptable, allowing the remix of "Time & Again" to proceed.
Release and promotion
Although the three albums were recorded entirely by Coverdale as a solo artist, he now regards them as Whitesnake albums. He stated, "As I'm recognized as 'Mr. Whitesnake', I thought, Why not? They're all Whitesnake albums to me... we've remixed them to stand proudly alongside any Whitesnake album." 1997's Restless Heart was at first originally viewed as a solo album, but was eventually grouped as a "David Coverdale & Whitesnake" album due to EMI's contract demands. This, along with Into the Light, was envisioned as "brother and sister albums", respectively due to their similar sound in comparison to Whitesnake's other recordings.
On the morning of 16 August 2024, Coverdale announced the upcoming complication on his Twitter/X page. That same day, a promotional music video for the track "Midnight Blue" from the album Into the Light was also released. Into the Light: The Solo Albums is set to be reissued via Rhino Entertainment on 25 October 2024 as a multi-disc box set, featuring remastered and remixed versions of the solo albums, as well as previously unreleased demos. The collection will also feature music videos and a 60-page booklet containing photographs and an interview with Coverdale. Additionally, the set will be released as a double vinyl album, featuring tracks exclusively from Into the Light, marking its first release on vinyl format. Separately, the 2024 remixes of White Snake and Northwinds will also be reissued in the same format, pressed on translucent vinyl, released on 4 October for "RHINO Rocktober" sales event, following a Japanese release on 6 November. Snippets of the remixed tracks "Lady" and "Northwinds" are featured in their respective promotional videos. On 5 September, a remixed track of "Wherever You May Go" was premiered, following with another promotional music video of the song. "Time & Again" was released on 26 September with a promotional video featuring "Hook City Strings" arrangements.
Track listing
All tracks are written by David Coverdale, except where noted.
