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"Here I Go Again"
#1 weeks: 1
weeks: 1987-10-10
genre: hard rock, heavy metal
artist: Whitesnake
album: Whitesnake
writers: David Coverdale, Bernie Marsden
producers: Mike Stone & Keith Olsen
label:
formats: Cassette, CD
lengths: 4:36

"Here I Go Again" is a song recorded by Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, Saints & Sinners, the song was re-recorded for their eponymous 1987 album Whitesnake. The 1987 version hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on October 10, 1987, and number nine on the UK Singles Chart on November 28, 1987. The 1987 version also hit number one on the Canadian Singles Chart on October 24, 1987. In 2006, the 1987 version was named the 17th Greatest Song of the 1980s by VH1. The song was re-recorded yet another time in a new "Radio Version" for the band's Greatest Hitsalbum in 1994.

The song was written by lead singer, David Coverdale, and former Whitesnake guitarist, Bernie Marsden. The most notable differences between the original and revamped version are the style of the music (blues-rock versus hard rock) and a slight change in the lyrics. The chorus of the original version features the lines:

Whereas the newer version is:

The change was made because even before finishing writing and recording the 1987 album, Coverdale had decided to release a new version of "Here I Go Again" as one of the singles. He was afraid an American audience might think he was singing "Like a homo, I was born to walk alone" so he changed the lyrics.

The guitar on the 1993 remix version was played by session guitarist Dann Huff.

The music video for the song was directed by Marty Callner who directed most of Whitesnake's videos in the 1980s. It became memorable due to actress Tawny Kitaen's appearance wearing white lingerie. In the video she is seen prancing on the hood of Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale's Jaguar and massaging him while he is trying in vain to concentrate on driving. Kitaen would later become Coverdale's wife for a brief period.

The music video was parodied in an American Dad!episode, as well as the films Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobbyand Death Proof. It was also featured a number of times in the Frat Pack film Old School. It was featured being sung by Nicholas D'Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen during the credits of "Fired Up!" It was also parodied in Bowling for Soup's "1985" music video. Originally recorded by SR-71, the song itself contains further references with the lyrics "She was gonna shake her ass/On the hood of Whitesnake's car".

There are several different versions of the song, all recorded officially by Whitesnake. They are:

In 1987, EMI released a limited Collectors Poster Edition 'USA Single Remix' 7" vinyl [EMP 35], the B-side of which consists of an engraved signature version, and the sleeve of which unfolds into a poster of the band.

While the 1987 album version and the "Radio" version (released on the Greatest Hitsalbum) of the tune are fairly similar, there are several significant differences. The original 1987 version has a long and slow keyboard and vocal intro, whereas the other kicks straight in with the band. One was recorded for the album 1987, the other for a U.S single release. They contain two very different guitar solos, Adrian Vandenberg plays the album and video solo, and Dan Huff plays on the radio edit version. Of the two versions, the one most widely referred to is the remastered version released in 1987, although both receive significant airplay today.

The song appeared in the 1998 film I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

The song appeared prominently in the 2003 comedy Old School.

The song appeared in the 2008 film Adventureland.

The song appeared in the credits of the 2009 film Fired Up.

"Here I Go Again" was rendered anew as the debut single by Polish dance/pop singer Mandaryna. Remixed by Groove Coverage, the song was a smash hit in Poland, Europe and Asia, peaking at #2 on the Polish Singles Chart.

Christian rock parody band, ApologetiX, released a parody of the song titled "Here I Go (Against All I've Known)" on their 2006 studio album, Wordplay.

The song appears as a cover in the game Karaoke Revolution Party.

Eurotrance group Topmodelz covered the song on their 2008 album, Time 2 Rock, and released two remixes of their cover.

The song was featured in the Broadway musical Rock of Ages, which opened on 7 April 2009 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

Uncle Kracker released his new album, Happy Hour in 2009 with the track Livin' The Dream featuring the chorus of Here I Go Again in the song.

The song is played during the final cutscene of the real-time strategy video game World in Conflict.