Before they were a hugely successful MTV hair metal band, Whitesnake was one of heavy metal’s best kept secrets. Formed in 1978 by former Deep Purple front man David Coverdale, the band released 6 albums of blistering material before their huge 1987 self-titled breakthrough record.

From their sixth album, 1983’s Slide It In and featuring former Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes, here is Whitesnake with their first real American hit, “Slow An’ Easy.”

With over ten years playing in one of the best British rock bands ever, guitarist Doug Aldrich has cemented his place as one of the greats. With fellow American and guitar partner Reb Beach, only band leader David Coverdale has spent more time in the Whitesnake camp. And this snake continues to slither.

With the imminent release of the CD/DVD Made In Japan, recorded in 2011 at the Saitama Super Arena, came the news that iconic drummer Tommy Aldridge would be returning to the drumseat.

The band is gearing up for another busy year of touring and is due to hit UK shores in May on a dream bill with Journey and Thunder. Aldrich was on hand to give us the lowdown.

Geeks of Doom: Are you excited to have Tommy [Aldridge] back in the band?

Doug Aldrich: Absolutely. Tommy is a legend and a part of Whitesnake history. He’s one of the greats on drums. We have been in WS together and I love working with him. We are all very excited.

Right now, Whitesnake‘s 1987 album Whitesnake is on sale for only $5 in MP3 format and $4.99 as an AutoRip CD, which means when you purchase the CD, you get the MP3 download for FREE. This is the album that everyone remembers for the song “Here I Go Again,” which had the video with Tawny Kitaen on the hood of the car. Other hits from the album include “Still Of The Night,” “Crying In The Rain,” “Bad Boys,” and “Is This Love.”

Also, Whitesnake‘s immediate predecessor, Slide it In, with tunes like the title track, “Slow An’ Easy,” and ” Love Ain’t No Stranger,” is also on sale for only $4.99 as an AutoRip CD.

If you’re looking for more music deals, be sure to check out the 2,000 albums on sale right now for only $5 each in MP3 format.

As part of Amazon’s monthly $5 MP3 album deals for September 2012, Whitesnake‘s megahit supergroup album Whitesnake is on sale for only $5.

If you would like a physical copy of Whitesnake, the CD is available for only $4.99.

Released in 1987, Whitesnake is the eponymous seventh studio album by the band, but only their second one released in the U.S., following their 1984 album Slide it In. With songs ranging from the hard rocking “Still of the Night” to the power ballad “Is This Love,” Whitesnake achieved such massive crossover appeal, the album sold over eight million copies in the U.S. Two of the tracks, “Crying in the Rain” and “Here I Go Again,” were originally recorded on their 1982 album Saints & Sinners.

Browse the main sale page to see all 100 albums on sale for only $5 each in MP3 format through the end of September 2012.

From a “˜secret’ stint with English hard rock outfit UFO guitarist Bernie Marsden has just about done it all. After brief turns in Wild Turkey, Babe Ruth (the English rock band) and Paice, Ashton & Lord, he grabbed the attention of a certain David Coverdale who approached him to join the new band he was putting together.

Marsden and Coverdale collaborated on some of Whitesnake’s best and most popular songs including “Fool For Your Lovin'” and the magnificent “Here I Go Again.” With all this in mind, Marsden and I had plenty to talk about and he was happy to recount his early days with Whitesnake and his surprising appearances with the band last year – when he shared a tender moment with current guitarist Doug Aldrich…

Geeks of Doom: Your first big break was with UFO, but that was never an ideal situation for you was it?