Think about your favorite bands — wouldn’t it be great to see them working on the same song or album? Collaborations make these dreams come true, and many of them take their place among the classics in the history of rock music. Some of the memorable collabs in the rock scene are David Bowie and Queen’s ‘Under Pressure,’ Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen’s ‘Beat It,’ and Run-DMC and Aerosmith’s ‘Walk This Way.’
Back in 1993, Led Zeppelin and Whitesnake fans had the best of both worlds when Jimmy Page and David Coverdale entered the studio to work on an album together. At the time, Whitesnake had just disbanded, while Page focused on solo works and the remastered material by Led Zeppelin as the highly-anticipated Zeppelin reunion had failed. So, it wasn’t that much of a productive period for the two, and fans wouldn’t say no to new releases.
Produced by Coverdale, Page, and Mike Fraser, ‘Coverdale–Page’ featured songs recorded in 1991 and 1992. Following its release, the album received generally mixed reviews. While some music critics believed ‘Coverdale–Page’ was the perfect fusion of Led Zeppelin and Whitesnake, others saw the collab as a second-rate Zeppelin. However, a song that appeared on the album, ‘Take Me for a Little While,’ had a special meaning for the two.
Until they got together and decided to work on an album, Jimmy Page and David Coverdale went through personal tragedies. Coverdale was distressed about Whitesnake’s situation, and his divorce from Tawny Kitaen hurt him. On the other hand, Page was still grieving John Bonham’s loss and sad that Led Zeppelin didn’t reunite despite his attempts.
‘Coverdale–Page’ featured songs that reflected these feelings, and it seems like David Coverdale believed ‘Take Me for a Little While’ brought him and Page on the same page regarding the pain they both suffered. Speaking to Dmitry M. Epstein in 2008, the singer said he and Page both lost dear friends in their lives, which made the song a heartfelt expression about loss and grieving.
Here is what David Coverdale said about ‘Take Me for a Little While’:
“It was a song about loss and grieving. We’d both lost dear friends in our lives. It was a very honest sentiment, and I still enjoy the record when I hear it. I saw Jimmy earlier this year; he came to our London show. He told me he wished we’d had more time to work together. We maintain a good, supportive friendship. I treasure him in my life.”
Following a short tour in Japan in 1993, David Coverdale and Jimmy Page parted ways. However, in 2021, Coverdale revealed he’d been working on songs to present to the guitarist. He later offered Page to work on a second album but said Page’s manager talked him out of it. As of now, the two are getting ready to release a 30th-anniversary reissue of ‘Coverdale–Page,’ which will feature remastered and remixed versions of the songs, four unreleased tracks, and more bonus content.
