Coverdale responses to Joe Lynn Turner's lip synching comments

Coverdale Responds To Lip-Synching Allegations; Calls Joe Lynn Turner “A Daft Bugger” And “A Total Prick”

gbarton / News / 17/04/2009 14:03pm





David Coverdale has fiercely denied Joe Lynn Turner’s allegations that the Whitesnake frontman mimes to pre-recorded tapes in concert (see story above), calling Turner’s claims “absolute balderdash”.

Coverdale told Classic Rock: “I have no idea what the hell the daft bugger’s talking about.
“I do not, have not and will not use tapes of my voice to mime in concert. My band and I perform and sing live in concert. Yeah… we’re that smurfing good! What a total prick.”
Coverdale continued: “We had these rumours in Germany last year while we were on tour with Alice Cooper and we actually had a journo [Frank Thiessis] sit out at the front-of-house mix to verify the rumours were unfounded.
“It’s strange… this started on the internet last summer in Spain, then again in Germany. It persisted so much that SPV, my record company, proposed we get a ‘regarded German journalist’ to witness and report on the show, so we did.
“I’m not sure what you can do when something like this does the rounds. I’m still dealing with the ‘is it true you’re joining Van Halen’ rumours from years ago.
“If this continues, I’ll get a some of my professional associates to make statements about this nonsense.”
This was the statement translated from Frank Thiessis’s story in the German edition of Metal Hammer, following Whitesnake’s show in Munich at the Olympiahalle on November 26, 2008:
With regards to the accusations, people pretending David Coverdale to perform playback during the Whitesnake/Alice Cooper Tour, Metal Hammer had the exclusive chance to check in Munich.
Standing directly next to front-of-house person Bradley Johnson during the whole show, we found out the following:
Different phrasing, sometimes shorter and sometimes longer sung tones and variations in signal strength are all indications of performing live.
David Coverdale has a very unusual technique to hold the microphone far away from the mouth which may look very strange to some people.
Bradley Johnson, working for Whitesnake since 2002, explains this as follows: “David has always sung this way. His microphone has an extremely high input level, which makes it possible that the voice is still heard even from a huge distance.
“I have my finger on the gain control during the whole show to make David’s vocals sound as constantly as possible.”
Besides usual standard vocal effects like reverb or echo we’ve seen no additional technology and that David is supported by high-class background vocal singers.
And two more things to mention: Why bother to record any show of the tour for an upcoming live CD if it is quite obvious and absolutely necessary to do overdubs later on?
And quite honestly, if a rock icon and entertainment professional like David Coverdale would really perform with full playback, it would certainly be so perfectly organised and staged, that not even the slightest suspicion would arise, wouldn’t it?
This statement was compiled for WS.com release November 2008:
In light of recent comments regarding WS current live tour we felt it necessary to offer a technical explanation for Mr Coverdale’s microphone technique, which appears to be responsible for initiating various threads online on the subject of playback, here are some comments from Bradley Johnson, Whitesnake’s very highly regarded front-of-house engineer…
“It is the goal of every front of house engineer to provide the best quality audio to as many ticket purchasing patrons as possible.
“The factors that have a direct influence on this include: room acoustics; type, size and quality of the PA system: performance of the musicians: stage volume of the backline gear; even temperature and humidity.
“I work extremely hard to accommodate David’s mic technique. I endeavour to make every syllable and nuance of his vocal heard no matter how far the microphone strays from the sweet spot.
“Getting a vocal mic audible over a juggernaut guitar rig when it is three feet from a singers mouth is no small task. Some nights I win, some nights I do not. As far as running tracks live… ludicrous.”

What is up JLT's butt?

TheNazgul wrote:

What is up JLT's butt?

Probably his wig. I have seen a few interviews with him and he's pretty arrogant.

What better way to get your name in the press than cause controversy with one of your peers?

It may get publicity but is it the kind he wants. Sounds like some personal crap here.

"A Daft Bugger?" Wow, you sure told him Dave.

Joe Lynn Turner's has made a serious of silly claims over the years, my favorite being that 'Slaves and Masters' is Blackmore's favorite post reunion Deep Purple album. Yes Blackmore loved it so much he got carried away and accidently fired Joe Lynn Turner.

Joe Lynn Turner is such an amazing talent that he can't seem to stay in a single band for more than one album...I predict he's not the easiest person to work with.

Ya. Maybe he and Mustaine could hook up.

JLT is better off on his own anyway. Most of his solo albums are great. Sure, I love his work in Rainbow, but he has done sooo much great stuff since then. The Turner/Hughes stuff is overwhelmingly awesome.

I think the whole band except for Coverdale and Tommy Aldridge was playing to a tape at the '87 mtv awards.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFs8873rUhU

UNCLE SAXON wrote:

JLT is better off on his own anyway. Most of his solo albums are great. Sure, I love his work in Rainbow, but he has done sooo much great stuff since then. The Turner/Hughes stuff is overwhelmingly awesome.

Mostly ALL things with Glen HUghes are AWESOME

James B. wrote:

UNCLE SAXON wrote:

JLT is better off on his own anyway. Most of his solo albums are great. Sure, I love his work in Rainbow, but he has done sooo much great stuff since then. The Turner/Hughes stuff is overwhelmingly awesome.

Mostly ALL things with Glen HUghes are AWESOME

Yeah, I would have to agree with that. So what are these albums with Turner & Hughes? That's something I haven't run across (at least not that I recall).

detuned wrote:

Joe Lynn Turner is such an amazing talent that he can't seem to stay in a single band for more than one album...I predict he's not the easiest person to work with.

He's a cheese-ball, he turns every band he joins into pop/rock drivel!

Fat Freddy wrote:

"A Daft Bugger?" Wow, you sure told him Dave.

manny wrote:

Joe Lynn Turner's has made a serious of silly claims over the years, my favorite being that 'Slaves and Masters' is Blackmore's favorite post reunion Deep Purple album. Yes Blackmore loved it so much he got carried away and accidently fired Joe Lynn Turner.

He wouldn’t let it lie! David Coverdale has issued a further response to Joe Lynn Turner’s interview remarks about Cov’s supposed ‘miming’ in concert. “Next he’ll be accusing me of wearing a wig on stage,” the Whitesnake frontman quipped.

Coverdale has released a full statement that reads as follows:
I am shocked, very disappointed and surprised by Mr Turner’s misleading and completely untrue observations he felt it necessary to discuss in a recent interview. Whatever his motives, they are disturbing, to say the least.
I do not ‘mime’ in concert. I never have and I never will.
I am David Coverdale. My career spans almost 40 successful years and I have worked with some of the finest musicians in contemporary music and in all that time I have never ‘pretended’ to sing to tapes when I am performing in front of a paying crowd.
I have no idea how anyone who has seen me working live in concert, or is remotely connected to the music business can even suggest such an odious thing.
I have seen the purported video of me supposedly ‘miming’ and all I can say is he and anyone else who believes this nonsense should look more closely.
It is obvious that I am holding the microphone out to the crowd and inviting the audience to participate, as I do during every show, and have done since the beginning of Whitesnake while my background singers keep the songs vocal momentum.
It is hugely important to me that the audience feel completely part of the Whitesnake show and participate with me from the beginning to the end.
They are called the ‘Whitesnake Choir’ for that reason.
Please know, as most sensible people do, that I am especially blessed in this band with two very powerful singers in guitarist Reb Beach and keyboardist Timothy Drury and also two very capable background singers in bassist Uriah Duffy and guitarist Doug Aldrich, and when I am working the crowd, these guys hold the songs for me exceptionally well, as most sensible people can see and hear.
There are no vocal backing tapes… everything you see and hear is being performed live by the musicians and vocalists on stage.
I have no idea why Mr Turner has launched this foolishness, but, I ask that it stop now. It has no merit, serves no purpose &and is a total waste of precious time.
No apology is necessary as I have no desire in any way, shape or form to have any communication with him. He should know better.
Next he’ll be accusing me of wearing a wig on stage.
David Coverdale
Lake Tahoe April 2009

Sounds like a set-up to me. Dave just happens to be doing a huge summer tour with the Earth's biggest metal band. He cannot think of another way to get his name out there? And don't get me wrong. Coverdale is top 5 ALL TIME for my tastes! But this reaks of modern era pub.

UNCLE SAXON wrote:

Sounds like a set-up to me. Dave just happens to be doing a huge summer tour with the Earth's biggest metal band. He cannot think of another way to get his name out there? And don't get me wrong. Coverdale is top 5 ALL TIME for my tastes! But this reaks of modern era pub.

That's the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread.
The timing of this right before a big tour is certainly kinda suspicious.

What I can't understand is why Coverdale would even need to respond, who gives a smurf poo what Turner says?!

candlemass wrote:

What I can't understand is why Coverdale would even need to respond, who gives a smurf poo what Turner says?!

Excellent point. JLT is a non-issue to most of those that even listen to his genre. Dave would have been better off just blowing it off. The dude is 60. You would think he would have learned that by now. IE: my publicity theory

"Daft bugger"...man, I love the Brits.