Before a new, more hard-hitting Whitesnake was launched in late 1982, there was a lot of chopping and changing within the group. Bernie Marsden left to set up SOS, and then Alaska - who later supported Deep Purple at the 1985 Knebworth Festival. Ian Paice and Neil Murray jumped ship to join Gary Moore's band for two years of rather ghastly heavy metal.
The band initially toured to promote 'Saints & Sinners', which had mostly been recorded by the Mk 4 line-up as it was in the process of disintegrating. Unsurprisingly it ranks as one of Whitesnake's weakest efforts. The two strongest tracks (by some distance) were 'Here I Go Again' and 'Crying In The Rain' (both of which would be re-recorded by later incarnations). Nevertheless, Whitesnake's UK popularity remained undiminished, and the new band's tour was rounded off with a pyrotechnic headlining appearance at the Donnington Festival, which adopted a suitably military theme ("Whitesnake Commandos" t-shirts and press packs). New single 'Guilty Of Love' was released to coincide, and the band made the 'Slide It In' album for release in early 1984. Yet again however, by the time it appeared, the line-up which had recorded it was history. (photo: Cozy Powell, Mel Galley, Jon Lord, David Coverdale, Colin Hodgkinson, Micky Moody)
The band's increasingly heavy, flash approach lead to Micky Moody leaving for good at the end of the tour. He was replaced by latter-day Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes, who embodied the style which the band were heading towards. Colin Hodgkinson had not fitted in as hoped, and was quickly replaced by the returning Neil Murray.
The band continued as a five piece, with the lead instrumentalists enjoying more space to express themselves on stage within Whitesnake's dense wall of sound. It was ironic for Jon Lord, who was planning to leave at the end of the tour. He played his last Whitesnake show on Swedish TV's 'Mandagsborsen' (April 16th 1984), and then left to help finalise the Deep Purple Mk 2 reunion. In keeping with the new, streamlined Whitesnake, it was decided not to replace him. Keyboards were instead handled by off-stage player Richard Bailey and for a time Whitesnake were officially a four piece. (photo: Mel Galley, Jon Lord, Neil Murray, John Sykes, David Coverdale, Cozy Powell)
Before recording their all important new album, another personnel change was made, when Cozy Powell's suggestion of a four way financial split within the band fell on stony ground. He played his last Whitesnake show at the huge 'Rock In Rio' festival in January 1985, before leaving to become the 'P' in a new 'ELP'. (photo. Cozy Powell, David Coverdale, John Sykes, Neil Murray) .... 1982-85 Whitesnake Discography ....
.... 1982-85 Whitesnake On Video ....
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David
Coverdale managed to retain Jon Lord's services, and also brought
back a supposedly reinvigorated Micky Moody. The new men to add
extra punch to the group were ex-Trapeze guitarist Mel Galley,
ex-Rainbow and MSG drummer Cozy Powell, and - another jazz rock
musician - bassist Colin Hodgkinson, who Coverdale hoped would
add a different slant to the music.
'Slide
It In' was a chart success in the UK, but came in for hostile
press reaction aimed at the double-entendre drenched lyrics
and titles for which Whitesnake were already infamous (but which
were considered increasingly un PC), as well as the resoundingly
flat production job. That was soon to change when the band's
new US label Geffen demanded that the album be remixed by producer
Keith Olsen. It was possibly the most important decision in
the band's lifetime. The difference was startling. Suddenly
Coverdale had the powerful, dynamic sound which he'd been striving
for over the years. Murray had also taken the opportunity to
re-dub all of the bass, while Sykes managed to replace a proportion
of Moody's work. A strong European tour duly followed, which
ran into trouble in Germany when Mel Galley suffered a serious
arm injury during a moment of high-jinx. It would lead to him
having to leave the band.
As
the band shed members, their profile in America began to rise
rapidly. The newly remixed and rearranged 'Slide It In' was
gaining airplay (such was the demand it had to be released back
in Europe as a special edition), and armed with MTV-friendly
promo videos and support tours with current US hot-shots Quiet
Riot and then Dio, the American market was opening up fast. 
.... 1982-85 Whitesnake, Further Reading....
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