Some of the biggest hits in music history almost ended up in the hands of entirely different artists.
That was nearly the case for one of Whitesnake’s most recognizable rock ballads.
Long before “Is This Love” became a defining hit for the British rock band in 1987, frontman David Coverdale had another legendary singer in mind when he wrote it: Tina Turner.
The song’s origin goes back to Whitesnake’s self-titled 1987 album, as Coverdale and guitarist John Sykes worked on new material at a villa in the South of France.
After being asked if he had any material that would be suitable for Turner, Coverdale began to explore a softer and more romantic sound. The result was a tune that would eventually become the soaring power ballad, “Is This Love,” which was suited perfectly for Turner’s powerhouse vocals.
However, it never made it into her hands, as Coverdale admitted he didn’t know if it ever even got sent to her after record executive David Geffen heard the song and suggested Coverdale keep it for his band instead.
“This is the chorus that’s going to take over the world! We’re going to make it a huge f—ing hit!” And then David Geffen heard it and went, “Oh, no no no — you keep it,” Coverdale told Sound and Vision.
Despite it being a “scary moment,” as Coverdale “hadn’t really done a real, full ballad” before, it turned out to be the right decision, as the single became one of Whitesnake’s biggest commercial successes, climbing to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, kept from the top spot by George Michael’s “Faith.” It was also the band’s second-highest charting single ever, surpassed only by 1987’s “Here I Go Again.”
The song was crucial in solidifying the band’s mainstream success in the late ‘80s, and decades later, it’s still having its moment, most recently as the soundtrack to a Verizon ad starring The Summer I Turned Pretty heartthrob Christopher Briney, with the song appearing in the viral clip.
Despite the ballad’s massive success and enduring influence, Coverdale still had one lingering wish for the classic—he never got to hear Turner perform the song he’d originally envisioned for her.
Coverdale expressed that he would have loved to hear what the legendary singer could have done with it.
“I would still love to have heard her sing it, though. If you were to imagine it in your mind’s ear, you know she’d do a superb job on it,” he said, per American Songwriter.
Had it gone to Turner, music history could have unfolded very differently.
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