“We all adored BB, and he asked us to write something for him. But when we listened back to the demo we agreed we should keep it. Sorry, BB!”: The classic song that Whitesnake wrote for the King of the Blues – but didn’t give to him…
In 1980, Whitesnake earned their first UK Top 20 success with “Fool For Your Loving,” but the song almost ended up in very different hands.
According to band leader David Coverdale, the track was originally intended for blues icon B.B. King.
The connection began after Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden interviewed King, who mentioned enjoying the band’s 1978 interpretation of the R&B classic “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City.” That song was first recorded by Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland in 1974 before being covered by Whitesnake on their 1978 EP Snakebite.
Flattered by King’s praise, Coverdale and Marsden, together with guitarist Micky Moody, set out to write a new song specifically with King in mind during sessions for Whitesnake’s third album Ready An’ Willing.
But once a demo was recorded, the band reconsidered.
“When we listened back to the demo of ‘Fool For Your Loving,’ we agreed we should keep it,” Coverdale recalled. “Sorry, B.B.!”
The twist? The demo version they made ended up being the final recording included on Ready An’ Willing.
What started as a gesture toward a blues legend ultimately became one of Whitesnake’s defining tracks — and a milestone in the band’s early commercial breakthrough.