Synopsis
Whitesnake perform "Is This Love" on a shadowy, mist-filled stage while David Coverdale moves between frontman theatrics and intimate scenes with Tawny Kitaen. Kitaen appears alone in a dark, softly lit room before joining Coverdale in a series of sensual, romantic moments. The performance footage and close-ups of the couple give the video a polished, dramatic feel, emphasizing the song's softer power-ballad character rather than the band's heavier side.
Factoids & Trivia
- "Is This Love" was initially developed with Tina Turner in mind. David Coverdale later said that an earlier version had been intended for her, but John Sykes encouraged him to turn the idea into a Whitesnake song.
- Tawny Kitaen was Coverdale's girlfriend when the video was made. Their highly visible relationship became closely associated with Whitesnake's late-1980s image, and they married in 1989.
- Coverdale is the only member of Whitesnake's 1987 album lineup who appears in the video. The other musicians had been dismissed before the album's release, so the promotional clips used performance footage featuring replacement or touring players rather than the complete recording lineup.
- The video helped present Whitesnake as a mainstream MTV act, pairing the band's hard-rock identity with a glossy romantic image and a large-scale power-ballad production.
- Released as the second single from the 1987 album "Whitesnake," the song reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart.