Philip Neil Murray (born 27 August 1950,
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas....
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) is a
ScottishThe Scots people and an ethnic group indigenous to Scotland.An ethnic group, historically they emerged from an amalgamation of Picts, Gaels and Brythons....
bassThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
player, best known for his work in
WhitesnakeWhitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1977 by David Coverdale . The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple but by the mid eighties Whitesnake had moved away from the early blues-rock influenced heavy metal to a more commercial hard rock style.They were recently...
and
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple lineup changes, with a total of twenty-two former members...
.
Early days
Originally a drummer, Murray formed his first band with school friends in 1967 (Slap Happy and the Dum-Dums) and his musical tastes were heavily influenced by the mid-1960s 'blues boom' bands and musicians, especially
Jeff BeckGeoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He was one of the three noted guitarists — the others being Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page — to have played with The Yardbirds...
,
Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream, and as a solo performer, being the only person ever to be inducted three times...
and
Jack BruceJohn Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician, composer and singer. He is best-known as an electric bass guitarist, harmonica player and pianist, and was most famous as a vocalist and the bass guitarist for the 1960s rock band Cream. He lives in Suffolk...
, and later by Motown legend
James JamersonJames Lee Jamerson was an American bassist. He was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s , and he has become regarded as one of the most influential bassists & the father of modern bass guitar players in modern music history...
and
Tim BogertTim Bogert . He graduated from Ridgefield Memorial High School Ridgefield, New Jersey in 1963. He is a bass player and is best known for his bass solos and his work with Vanilla Fudge, Cactus and the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice.-Vanilla Fudge:Vanilla Fudge was formed along with Mark Stein,...
of
Vanilla FudgeVanilla Fudge is an American rock band. The band's original lineup - vocalist/organist Mark Stein, bassist/vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice - recorded five albums during the years 1967-69, before disbanding in 1970...
,
CactusA cactus is any member of the plant family Cactaceae, native to the Americas. They are often used as ornamental plants, but some are also crop plants. Cacti are grown for protection of property from wild animals, as well as many other uses...
and
Beck, Bogert & AppiceBeck, Bogert & Appice was a hard rock supergroup power trio formed of guitarist Jeff Beck from The Jeff Beck Group, and bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, who were both from Vanilla Fudge.- Contracts and car crash :...
. Murray moved to bass shortly before studying graphic design at the London College of Printing.
During 1973, Neil briefly played in
GilgameshGilgamesh was a jazz fusion band in the 1970s led by keyboardist Alan Gowen, part of the Canterbury scene.-History:The original basis of Gilgamesh was Gowen and drummer Mike Travis, the two working together on a band project with guitarist Rick Morcombe...
, a jazz-fusion band led by
Alan GowenAlan Gowen was a fusion/progressive rock keyboardist, best known for his work in Gilgamesh and National Health.-History:...
. After his departure from Gilgamesh, Murray toured the USA with Junior Hanson, following a recommendation from Jeff Beck’s bass player
Clive ChamanClive Chaman was born in Trinidad and is a UK-based bass guitarist and session musician.After appearing on Ram John Holder's 1969 London Blues album, Chaman became a member of the second Jeff Beck Group in 1971 until they disbanded in 1973 when he joined Cozy Powell's band Hammer...
. Hanson later became a member of
Bob Marley & The WailersBob Marley & The Wailers was a reggae band created by Bob Marley in 1974, after Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left the precursor band, The Wailers...
under the name Junior Marvin. Neil spent early 1974 supporting the album he recorded with them,
Magic Dragon.
Murray's next gig came again through a recommendation from Clive Chaman, touring with Cozy Powell's Hammer in 1974 and 1975. The line-up included
Don AireyDon Airey has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, succeeding Jon Lord. He has had a long and productive career, playing with such acts as Gary Moore, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Whitesnake, Colosseum II, Sinner, Michael Schenker, Uli Jon...
(
RainbowRainbow were an English rock band formed by former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore in 1975. In addition to Blackmore, the band originally consisted of former Elf members; lead singer Ronnie James Dio , keyboardist Mickey Lee Soule, bassist Craig Gruber, and drummer Gary Driscoll...
,
Deep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford, Hertfordshire in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members have tried not to categorise themselves as any one genre. The band...
,
Ozzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English singer-songwriter, whose career has now spanned four decades. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead vocalist of pioneering British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and eventually achieved a multi-platinum solo career which revolutionized the heavy metal genre...
) and
Bernie MarsdenBernard John "Bernie" Marsden is an English rock guitarist. Having played with Glenn Cornick's Wild Turkey in 1974, he then played with Babe Ruth, from 1975-76, before becoming an original member of Paice, Ashton & Lord in 1977 and then joining the hard rock band, Whitesnake...
(
WhitesnakeWhitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1977 by David Coverdale . The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple but by the mid eighties Whitesnake had moved away from the early blues-rock influenced heavy metal to a more commercial hard rock style.They were recently...
).
After
Cozy PowellColin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.- Early history :...
decided to fold Hammer, Murray and Airey joined a revamped version of the British jazz rock band
ColosseumColosseum is a British progressive jazz-rock band formed in 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman, tenor sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith and bass player Tony Reeves, who had previously worked together in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Dave Greenslade, on , was immediately recruited, and the line-up was...
, named
Colosseum IIColosseum II are a British band formed by the former Colosseum drummer and leader, Jon Hiseman, following the 1974 demise of his band Tempest....
. The band's leader, drummer
Jon HisemanJon Hiseman is an English drummer, recording engineer, record producer and music publisher.-Career:...
, had evolved the band's sound by eliminating the saxophone in preference for a rockier sound courtesy of
Gary MooreGary Moore is a Northern Irish guitarist and singer.In a career dating back to the 1960s, Moore has played with artists including Thin Lizzy, BB King, Colosseum II, Greg Lake and the Blues-rock band Skid Row, as well as having a successful solo career...
's guitar.
The band lasted for one album only (
Strange New Flesh, a title thought up by Murray).
Strange New Flesh was a little less intellectual than most of the jazz rock coming out of the UK. It did not have the blackness of bands like Weather Report, but offered more accessible melodies and rock power than the more "intellectual"
Canterbury fusion sceneThe Canterbury scene is a term used to loosely describe the group of progressive rock, avant-garde and jazz musicians, many of whom were based around the city of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
presented at the time. Following months of touring Europe and the UK, Murray and vocalist
Mike StarrsMike Starrs is a vocalist of Scottish origin. He left Scotland in the 1970s to work with Rick Wakeman on various provects. Starrs was signed by the record producer Tony Atkins for Marquee Productions and released several singles. He joined Colosseum II in 1975 and featured on their first album,...
were fired, due to pressure from the record label Bronze, who soon after dropped Colosseum II altogether.
After Colosseum II, in 1976 Neil teamed up again with ex-Gilgamesh keyboardist Alan Gowen in
National HealthNational Health was a progressive rock band associated with the Canterbury scene. Founded in 1975, the band included members of Dave Stewart's band Hatfield and the North and Alan Gowen's band Gilgamesh, the band also included guitarists Phil Miller and Phil Lee and bassist Mont Campbell as...
with whom he recorded a self-titled album in 1977. Prior to recording that album, the band played with drummer
Bill BrufordWilliam Scott Bruford , better known as Bill Bruford, is an English drummer who is recognised for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. He was the original drummer for the highly successful progressive rock group Yes, and has been a prominent figure in the progressive rock movement...
of
YesYes are an English progressive rock band that was formed in London in 1968. Their music is marked by sharp dynamic contrasts, extended song lengths, abstract lyrics, and a general showcasing of instrumental prowess. Yes blends symphonic and other 'classical' structures with their own brand of...
/
King CrimsonKing Crimson is a progressive rock band founded by guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Michael Giles in 1969. They have typically been categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, although they have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation drawing from jazz, classical and...
fame, who was followed by ex-Hatfield & the North drummer
Pip PylePhillip "Pip" Pyle was an English-born drummer from Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, who later resided in France...
. Murray got the chance to work with Bruford again, playing on the rehearsals for
BrufordBruford were a band that former Yes and King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford formed and led in the late 1970s.Bill Bruford had assembled a band for his debut solo album, Feels Good to Me, with Dave Stewart , Jeff Berlin , Allan Holdsworth and Bruford . That album also had Annette Peacock on vocals,...
's
Feels Good To Me album, standing in for
Jeff BerlinJeff Berlin is an American electric bass player. Since the mid-1970s, he has been known for his virtuosic jazz fusion and progressive rock bass playing....
who was the actual bassist with the band. Murray also deputised for Berlin on Bruford's "
Old Grey Whistle TestThe Old Grey Whistle Test was an influential BBC2 television music show that ran from 1971 to 1987. It took over the BBC2 late night slot from "Disco Two", which had been running since January 1970, while continuing to feature non-chart music. It was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers...
" appearance in 1978.
National Health's complex music and the lack of commercial success prompted Murray to investigate other musical avenues planted in the world of bands like
CreamCream were a 1960s British blues-rock band and supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker. Their sound was characterised by a hybrid of blues, hard rock and psychedelic rock...
,
Jeff BeckGeoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He was one of the three noted guitarists — the others being Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page — to have played with The Yardbirds...
or
John Mayall & The BluesbreakersJohn Mayall & the Bluesbreakers are a pioneering English blues band, led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall, OBE. Mayall used the band name between 1963 and '67 then dropped it for some fifteen years, but in 1982 a 'Return of the Bluesbreakers' was announced and it has...
. After playing with Bernie Marsden in Cozy Powell's Hammer, Murray had played on a couple of tracks on
Babe RuthBabe Ruth are a rock music group, primarily active through the 1970s, from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. Their characteristically 'heavy' sound is marked by powerful vocals from Janita Haan and full arrangements by Alan Shacklock...
's album
Stealing Home, prior to Marsden joining two members of
Deep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford, Hertfordshire in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members have tried not to categorise themselves as any one genre. The band...
in
Paice, Ashton & LordPaice, Ashton and Lord was a rhythm and blues, funky-soul, rock band founded after the break-up of the British band Deep Purple in 1977. Ian Paice and Jon Lord, Deep Purple's drummer and keyboardist, joined friend Tony Ashton, a British keyboardist and singer, for this project; the band was...
.
WhitesnakeWhitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1977 by David Coverdale . The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple but by the mid eighties Whitesnake had moved away from the early blues-rock influenced heavy metal to a more commercial hard rock style.They were recently...
In late 1977, ex-
Deep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford, Hertfordshire in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members have tried not to categorise themselves as any one genre. The band...
singer
David CoverdaleDavid Coverdale is an English rock vocalist most famous for his work with the English hard rock band Deep Purple, and his later band Whitesnake.-Pre-Whitesnake:...
was auditioning drummers for his new band
WhitesnakeWhitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1977 by David Coverdale . The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple but by the mid eighties Whitesnake had moved away from the early blues-rock influenced heavy metal to a more commercial hard rock style.They were recently...
, which featured guitarists
Micky MoodyMichael Joseph "Micky" Moody is an English guitarist, and a former member of the hard rock bands Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake. Together with his former Whitesnake colleagues Bernie Marsden and Neil Murray, he has founded several bands , with which they mainly perform old Whitesnake songs...
and
Bernie MarsdenBernard John "Bernie" Marsden is an English rock guitarist. Having played with Glenn Cornick's Wild Turkey in 1974, he then played with Babe Ruth, from 1975-76, before becoming an original member of Paice, Ashton & Lord in 1977 and then joining the hard rock band, Whitesnake...
. Marsden invited Murray to help out with the process which led to him landing the gig together with drummer
Dave DowleDavid 'Dave' Dowle is a British drummer who has played with the bands Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, Streetwalkers, Whitesnake, Runner, Midnight Flyer, Bernie Marsden.-Biography:...
.
Deep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford, Hertfordshire in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members have tried not to categorise themselves as any one genre. The band...
's Jon Lord joined in the summer of 1978 and, after recording
LovehunterLovehunter is the third album by the British band Whitesnake, released in 1979.-Cover art:Lovehunters cover art featuring a naked woman straddling a large snake was created by fantasy artist Chris Achilleos. Reportedly the controversial cover proved troublesome for Achilleos who subsequently...
in 1979, Dowle was replaced by
Ian PaiceIan Anderson Paice is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the seminal rock band, Deep Purple. As of Jon Lord's departure in 2002, he is the only founding member of the band still performing with the group.-The Early Years:...
.
From 1978 until March 1982, Murray helped make Whitesnake one of the most popular bands in Europe and Japan. He recorded 7 albums (
Snakebite,
Trouble,
Love Hunter,
Ready An' Willing,
Live In The Heart of The City,
Come An' Get It and
Saints An' Sinners). Murray's melodic basslines, influenced by
Jack BruceJohn Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician, composer and singer. He is best-known as an electric bass guitarist, harmonica player and pianist, and was most famous as a vocalist and the bass guitarist for the 1960s rock band Cream. He lives in Suffolk...
,
Andy FraserAndy Fraser is a British musician, best known for his songwriting and bass playing with Free.-Career:...
and even
Jaco PastoriusJohn Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged for his skills as an electric bass player....
, stand out from the rock bass-playing of the time.
He did numerous tours in the UK, Europe, Japan and played at Reading Festival in 1979 and 1980 and the Monsters Of Rock festival at Castle Donington in 1981. However, tours of the US opening for
Jethro TullJethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the songs, vocals and flute work of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and guitarist Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969....
in 1980 and
Judas PriestJudas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, formed in 1969. Judas Priest's core line-up consists of bass player Ian Hill, vocalist Rob Halford and guitarists Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing. The band has gone through several drummers, though Scott Travis has held the position since...
in 1981 were not enough to match the band's success elsewhere.
In early 1982, after tense
Saints An' Sinners recording sessions, Coverdale decided on a complete shake-up of the band, management, publishing and recording contracts. There was a period of uncertainty as to who would be in the 'new' Whitesnake, though Cozy Powell was definitely coming in to replace Ian Paice. Around this time, Paice and Murray had recorded
Gary MooreGary Moore is a Northern Irish guitarist and singer.In a career dating back to the 1960s, Moore has played with artists including Thin Lizzy, BB King, Colosseum II, Greg Lake and the Blues-rock band Skid Row, as well as having a successful solo career...
's
Corridors Of Power album, and Paice had decided to join Moore. Murray followed suit, and was replaced by Colin Hodgkinson. Coverdale reshuffled the band as Bernie Marsden departed, replaced by
Mel GalleyMel Galley was an English guitarist and a former member of the Hard rock bands Whitesnake, Trapeze, Finders Keepers and Phenomena. He was born in Cannock, Staffordshire, England...
, but Micky Moody and Jon Lord returned to the fold after initial uncertainty.
Soon after his departure, Murray briefly formed an outfit called Badlands (not to be confused with the American band featuring
Jake E. LeeJakey Lou Williams , known as Jake E. Lee is a guitarist best known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne and the band Badlands.- Musical education :...
) behind
Uriah HeepUriah Heep are an English rock band, formed in December 1969 when record producer Gerry Bron invited keyboardist Ken Hensley to join Spice, a band signed to his own Bronze Records label....
's
John SlomanJohn Sloman was born as John Anthony David Sloman in Cardiff , 26 April 1957 as the eldest of six children. He is a former member of Trapper, Pulse, Lone Star, and Uriah Heep...
on vocals and future
Thin LizzyThin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band who formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969. The band were led throughout their recording career by bassist, songwriter and singer Phil Lynott, and are best known for their songs "Whiskey in the Jar", "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town", all major...
's
John SykesJohn Sykes , is an English heavy metal/hard rock guitarist who has played with Streetfighter, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Badlands, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Blue Murder, and his solo projects....
on guitars. The band recorded some demos, played London's
Marquee ClubThe Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
and shopped for a record deal, unfortunately to no avail. The band's music was hard rock and fitted the gap between a melodic band like Thin Lizzy, a blues influenced outfit like Whitesnake and a more straight-ahead AC/DC.
In 1982, Neil Murray and Ian Paice both joined Gary Moore for a very successful 2 years. Moore was about to become one of the most popular hard rock guitarist of the era. Neil and Paice recorded three albums with the Irishman:
Corridors Of Power,
Victims of The Future and
Rocking Every Night - Live In Japan.
The period 1979–1982 also saw Murray participating in a number of solo albums from Bernie Marsden,
Graham BonnetGraham Bonnet is a rock and roll vocalist and songwriter. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist and with several bands including Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Impellitteri and Alcatrazz....
, Cozy Powell, Forcefield and
Jon LordJon Lord is an English composer, Hammond organ and piano player.Lord is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms. He has most famously been a member of Deep Purple, as well as of Whitesnake, Paice, Ashton & Lord,...
, sometimes playing with drummer
Simon PhillipsSimon Phillips is a prolific English jazz, pop and rock drummer.-Career:He got early prominence as the drummer on the acclaimed 1976 LP 801 Live with Phil Manzanera and Eno...
, which led in 1981 to Murray playing with a trio of superstars – Jeff Beck, Sting and Eric Clapton – at two of the Secret Policeman's Other Ball series of four concerts at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London. This event was filmed and recorded; Murray is to be heard on "Crossroads" with Beck, Clapton and Simon Phillips even though the album sleeve does not contain any individual credits.
In late 1983, Whitesnake went through one of its many line-ups changes.
Micky MoodyMichael Joseph "Micky" Moody is an English guitarist, and a former member of the hard rock bands Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake. Together with his former Whitesnake colleagues Bernie Marsden and Neil Murray, he has founded several bands , with which they mainly perform old Whitesnake songs...
and
Colin HodgkinsonColin Hodgkinson is a British rock, jazz and blues bassist, who has been active since the 1960s.-Career:...
were no longer part of the band. They already had recorded a new album
Slide It In. At that time, Coverdale hooked up with A&R guru
John KalodnerJohn David Kalodner is a retired American A&R executive. His achievements included signing Foreigner, Boston, AC/DC, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins to Atlantic Records in the seventies....
and signed with the powerful major
Geffen RecordsGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. After failed attempts at hiring
Adrian VandenbergAdje van den Berg is a Dutch rock guitarist, best known for his tenure as lead guitarist in Whitesnake during their successful late 1980s period.-Early years:...
and Mama's Boys'
Pat McManusPatrick A. McManus was a Major League Baseball pitcher during part of the 1879 season. He was a native of Ireland....
, Coverdale welcomed
John SykesJohn Sykes , is an English heavy metal/hard rock guitarist who has played with Streetfighter, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Badlands, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Blue Murder, and his solo projects....
(
Tygers of Pan TangTygers of Pan Tang are a heavy metal band originating from Whitley Bay in the North-East of England, formed in 1978. They are a notable band of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement...
,
Thin LizzyThin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band who formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969. The band were led throughout their recording career by bassist, songwriter and singer Phil Lynott, and are best known for their songs "Whiskey in the Jar", "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town", all major...
) to the band. Sykes brought a lot of fresh ideas, technical ability and an appropriate image to project the band on MTV. Murray was asked back and he and Sykes re-recorded a lot of the guitar and all of the bass parts for
Slide It In, resulting in two available vinyl versions: one for Europe featuring Moody and Hodgkinson and a US remix version with Sykes and Murray. The US version was remixed by
Keith OlsenKeith Olsen is one of the most prolific and successful music producers in the industry.-Career:With over 120 albums produced netting a 1 in 4 Gold or better ratio, of which more than 24 are Platinum or better, and more than 14 are multi-Platinum, sales from Keith Olsen’s work exceeds 110 million...
(Fleetwood Mac, Journey, Sammy Hagar, Pat Benatar) to give it a more radio friendly sound.
1984 was occupied with touring, headlining in the UK and Europe; however Mel Galley semi-permanently injured his arm resulting in him having to leave the band and John Sykes taking care of all guitar duties on the road after a couple of months. In the summer, Jon Lord left the band for the Deep Purple reunion thus making Whitesnake a four-piece outfit (Coverdale, Murray, Sykes, Powell) with off-stage keyboard player Richard Bailey (ex-Magnum). Support slots in the USA with
DioDio is an American heavy metal band led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who formed it in 1982 after leaving Black Sabbath. In an interview, available on the special edition re-release of Holy Diver, Dio states that he never intended to begin a solo career. His intention was to form a new band with...
then
Quiet RiotQuiet Riot was an American heavy metal band whose 1983 US Festival appearance helped to solidify metal's image. They are best known for their hit singles "Cum on Feel the Noize" and "Metal Health." They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the name Mach 1...
(at the height of their brief success) helped to bring Whitesnake to a much wider audience.
The album and tour, culminating with an appearance at the 1985
Rock In RioRock in Rio is a series of rock festivals held in Brazil and later in Portugal and Spain. Future festivals are planned in Poznań Three incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991 and 2001, three in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006 and 2008, and one in Madrid in 2008. The shows were...
Festival in front of 500,000 people, marked the end of an era for the band. Disagreements over financial matters led to Cozy Powell leaving the band for
Emerson, Lake & PowellEmerson, Lake & Powell, sometimes abbreviated as ELPowell, were an English rock band, an offshoot or variant lineup of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, that released one official studio album in 1986....
.
Aynsley DunbarAynsley Thomas Dunbar is an English drummer. He has worked with some of the top names in rock and roll, including John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Whitesnake, Sammy Hagar, UFO, and Journey.-Career:He was almost the drummer for The Jimi...
(
JourneyJourney is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California with former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases, but its strongest commercial success came in the late 1970s to the early 1980s...
,
Jefferson StarshipJefferson Starship is an American rock band that was popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Although its origins are complex, it is generally regarded as a spinoff from Jefferson Airplane and evolved from a 1970 science fiction-themed concept album by then-Airplane member Paul Kantner entitled Blows...
) was in place for the recording of what was to be Whitesnake's most successful album.
The making of
Whitesnake 1987 was fraught with delays, illness and difficulties. Murray's status as an official member of Whitesnake was unclear and although Coverdale had given all members permission to get involved in other projects, there was not enough money to keep Murray and Dunbar on a retainer until the album was completed.
Murray continued doing sessions for several artists (
PhenomenaPhenomena is a rock concept around a supergroup formed by producers Tom Galley and Wilfried Rimensberger and Tom's brother Mel Galley. Contributors are leading rock musicians such as Glenn Hughes, Brian May, Tony Martin and John Wetton among others...
amongst others) and recorded with a band project put together by music impressario
Jonathan KingJonathan King is a British singer, songwriter, TV personality, impresario, writer, producer and convicted sex offender....
called Gogmagog, featuring former Iron Maiden singer
Paul Di'AnnoPaul Andrews , better known as Paul Di'Anno, is an English singer best known as the first vocalist to record with the iconic heavy metal band Iron Maiden, from 1978 to 1981....
, future Iron Maiden guitar player
Janick GersJanick Robert Gers is one of three current guitarists in the English band Iron Maiden and a songwriter for the band. His father, Bolesław, was an officer of the Polish Navy.-Career:...
(ex-Ian Gillan), ex-Def Leppard's Pete Willis and another ex-Iron Maiden member
Clive BurrClive Burr was the drummer in the British band Iron Maiden. Previously a member of Samson, Burr joined Iron Maiden in 1979. An acquaintance of then-Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton, Burr played on their first three records: Iron Maiden, Killers and their breakthrough release The Number of the...
on drums. The band released an EP
I Will Be There to general apathy.
Whilst still waiting for things to move in the Whitesnake camp, Murray teamed up with his friend Marsden and Galley in the short-lived MGM. The band did some live dates (including the Reading Festival in 1987), but never really took off. A year after recording the backing tracks for
1987, with work proceeding at a very slow and expensive pace on the album, Murray took the opportunity to redo some of the bass parts, but disagreements over leadership led to John Sykes quitting the band 16 months after recording had begun.
In early 1987, Coverdale put together a completely new version of the band in Los Angeles, and Murray was no longer part of the band. Murray had to hire lawyers to get his financial due from the huge success of
1987. The album that went on to sell well over 10 million copies worldwide. To this day, Murray remains the individual who has played on the second most Whitesnake albums, behind only David Coverdale himself.
Vow Wow
In 1987, Murray joined Japanese hard-rock band
Vow Wowis a hard rock band from Japan, who are regarded with influencing many hard rock and heavy metal bands.Beginning as Bow Wow in 1975, they changed their name to Vow Wow in 1984 when they adopted a more commercial sound, and recruited vocalist Genki Hitomi. In 1987 the band relocated to England, and...
, who recently relocated to
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He recorded four albums with the band between 1987 and 1989, and toured the UK, Europe, and Japan. He also lived in Tokyo for a few months in 1988. The bands vocalist wanted to remain in Japan, so the group recorded their last album titled
Helter Skelter, which was produced by Tony Taverner, who has previously engineered for
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple lineup changes, with a total of twenty-two former members...
.
Black Sabbath
By 1989, with
Geezer ButlerTerence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler is the English founding bassist for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He is currently involved in Heaven and Hell.-Career:...
's refusal to join the latest
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple lineup changes, with a total of twenty-two former members...
line-up, Murray was asked by Cozy Powell to try out. He joined soon after the release of
Headless CrossHeadless Cross is the fourteenth album by heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1989.This is the band's second album to feature singer Tony Martin and the first to feature drummer Cozy Powell.-Album information:...
and toured with the band in support of the album. Murray stayed with the band until late 1990, recording the
TyrTYR is the fifteenth studio album by heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1990 by I.R.S. Records.This was previously thought to be a concept album dealing with Christianity and Norse Mythology, but bassist Neil Murray dispelled that belief in 2005, stating that while many of the songs may...
album and once again touring. Live, Murray was able to showcase various bass styles that had not been able to flourish in Whitesnake, ranging from Jack Bruce-type improvising to heavy metal soloing to delicate false harmonics.
After Black Sabbath reformed their "Mob Rules" lineup in 1991 with Dio, Butler and Appice for
Dehumanizer, Powell and Murray started a band project and recorded songs with singer
John WestThe Rev. John West emigrated from England to Van Diemen's Land in 1838 as a Colonial missionary, and became pastor of an Independent Chapel in Launceston's St. John's Square in 1839. His contribution to Launceston and Australian life was great and varied promoting private and charitable...
(Artension,
Royal HuntRoyal Hunt is a progressive metal band based in Denmark, founded in 1989 by keyboardist Andre Andersen. The band is known for creating melodic music with a progressive and symphonic flair...
). Nothing came out of it until 1998 when those songs resurfaced on a tribute album released after Powell's death in April 1998.
In 1992, Murray played with Powell and Black Sabbath's
Tony MartinAnthony Martin Harford, is a heavy metal vocalist best known for his work with Black Sabbath from 1987 to 1991 and again from 1993 to 1997. Martin was the band's second longest serving vocalist after Ozzy Osbourne...
, in a new version of Cozy Powell's Hammer that was short lived. Murray had earlier recorded most of Martin's first solo album
Back Where I BelongBack Where I Belong is former Black Sabbath singer Tony Martin's first solo album. It was recorded after Martin was briefly replaced in Black Sabbath by Ronnie James Dio in the early nineties. It was released in 1992. Martin played all the instruments himself when recording demos for the album, but...
and later played at a series of concerts at Expo' 92 in
SevilleSeville is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as Sevillanos or...
, Spain backing
Steve VaiSteven "Steve" Siro Vai is an Italian American instrumental rock guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, producer, beekeeper, and actor. After starting his professional career as a music transcriptionist for Frank Zappa, Vai would also record and tour in Zappa's backing band starting in 1980...
,
Joe SatrianiJoseph "Satch" Satriani is an American multi-instrumentalist, known as an instrumental rock guitarist, who has been nominated for Grammy Awards. Early in his career, Satriani worked as a guitar instructor, and some of his former students have achieved fame with their guitar skills...
and
Brian MayBrian Harold May, CBE, is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. As a guitarist he uses his home built guitar, "Red Special", and has composed hits such as "Tie Your Mother Down", "We Will Rock You", "Who Wants to Live Forever",...
. He also reunited with his ex-Whitesnake pals, guitarists Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody, for some dates in the UK with their Moody Marsden Band.
In 1992, Queen's
Brian MayBrian Harold May, CBE, is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. As a guitarist he uses his home built guitar, "Red Special", and has composed hits such as "Tie Your Mother Down", "We Will Rock You", "Who Wants to Live Forever",...
was ready to go on the road for the first time as a solo artist. Murray and Powell had done sessions for May's solo album “Back To The Light” and they were a natural choice for the touring band. For two years, the band toured the world, notably supporting Guns & Roses and releasing
Live At Brixton Academy in 1993.
The core of the Brian May Band (Neil, Cozy,
Spike EdneyPhilip 'Spike' Edney is a British musician who has appeared as part of numerous bands. His most notable collaboration has been with Queen since 1984, to the extent that he has sometimes been described as the fifth member of Queen. In the mid 1970s, he recorded and toured with The Tymes and Ben E....
and Jamie Moses) became the basis of the SAS Band (Spike's All Stars), which continues to this day, playing sporadic live gigs with many famous guest vocalists, including
Paul RodgersPaul Bernard Rodgers, is an English rock singer-songwriter best known for being a member of Free and Bad Company. Both bands experienced international success in the 1970s. Before establishing a career as a solo artist, he was also a member of The Firm and The Law. He has recently toured and...
, Brian May,
Roger TaylorRoger Taylor is an English musician best known as the percussionist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of the most influential rock drummers of the 1970s and 1980s...
,
Chaka KhanChaka Khan, born Yvette Marie Stevens on March 23, 1953, is a Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter best known for such hit songs as "I'm Every Woman", "Ain't Nobody", "I Feel for You" and "Through the Fire". She sang a modernized theme song for the popular children's TV show Reading Rainbow...
,
Arthur BrownArthur Brown is an English rock and roll singer best known for his flamboyant, theatrical style and significant influence on Alice Cooper, Kiss and Bruce Dickinson, and for his number one hit in the UK Singles Chart and Canada, "Fire" in 1968.-History:Brown attended the University of London and...
,
Lionel RichieLionel Brockman Richie, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, record producer who has sold more than 100 million records.- Early years :...
,
Bob GeldofRobert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band Boomtown Rats. Geldof was born and raised in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, and attended Blackrock College...
and many others. After the first year, Steve Stroud became their main bassist, but Neil returns to play with the band every couple of years.
In 1994, Powell and Murray returned to Black Sabbath. They recorded
Forbidden and toured the US & Canada in 1995, although the tour of the UK, Europe and the Far East saw the return of
Bobby RondinelliBobby Rondinelli is a rock drummer best known for his work with the hard rock/heavy metal bands like Blue Öyster Cult, Rainbow, Quiet Riot, and Black Sabbath.-Background:...
on drums when Powell departed.
1996 and 1997 saw Murray and Powell helping to kickstart the return of the legendary
Peter GreenPeter Green is a British blues-rock guitarist and founder of the band Fleetwood Mac.A figurehead in the "second great epoch" of the British blues movement, Green inspired B. B...
(John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Fleetwood Mac) in his Splinter Group. Murray recorded three albums with Green and toured the UK with occasional European dates.
In 1998, Brian May released his third solo album,
Another World, which Murray and Powell had once again played on, but Powell's death meant a tour with
Eric SingerEric Doyle Mensinger , better known as Eric Singer, is a hard rock and heavy metal drummer for the rock band Kiss and singer Alice Cooper...
(KISS, Alice Cooper, Lita Ford, Black Sabbath) instead.
In 1999, Murray started working again with Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody, who had been working with Norwegian Whitesnake tribute band The Snakes. When Marsden and Moody eventually parted ways with their Norwegian colleagues, they changed the band name to
Company of SnakesThe Company of Snakes were an English rock band was formed in 1998, by former members of the English rock band Whitesnake who were also members of The Snakes. They released two albums before morphing into M III during 2004.- History:...
with the vocalist
Robert HartRobert Hart, Bob Hart, or Bobby Hart may refer to:* Bob Hart , a.k.a. Al Trace, American musician* Bob Hart , American bass player* Bobby Hart , American songwriter...
(The Jones Gang, Bad Company, The Distance, solo artist/songwriter) joined them, together with Don Airey on keyboards.
After of few years of gigging mainly in the UK and Europe, Hart decided to leave to concentrate on his solo/songwriting career. The only available recording of this line-up (with Don Airey on keys and
John LingwoodJohn Lingwood is an English drummer.He is perhaps best known as the drummer for Manfred Mann's Earth Band between 1979 and 1987. He featured on the albums Chance, Somewhere in Afrika, Budapest Live, Criminal Tango and Masque...
on drums) is on Micky Moody's solo album
I Eat Them For Breakfast. In 2001 Swedish singer Stefan Berggren was recruited and COS released two albums:
Here We Go Again Live (the gig was recorded in Germany with temporary ex-MSG singer Gary Barden, but his vocals were erased and Berggren overdubbed) and
Burst The Bubble, which featured songs written by most of the band.
Despite success on the touring front, COS called it a day in early 2002, with the band being transformed into M3 Classic Whitesnake, dropping recent original material in favour of a purely Whitesnake set. Ex-Sabbath frontman Tony Martin was their singer initially, before being replaced by Berggren. The band has released one live album (with Tony Martin on vocals) and one live DVD (with Berggren and Rainbow/Yngwie Malmsteen/Cornerstone singer
Doogie WhiteDoogie White , is a Scottish rock vocalist, who has sung for Sack Trick, Midnight Blue, Praying Mantis, Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen and Cornerstone.-Early life and career:...
) featuring songs from the classic Whitesnake era 1978–1982. Murray is also a member of German heavy rock band Empire with whom he has recorded three albums. The band is the brain child of guitarist Rolf Munkes and featured Tony Martin on the
Trading Souls and
The Raven Ride albums.
Since April 2002, Murray has been in the band of the highly successful London musical "
We Will Rock You"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen. Rolling Stone ranked it #330 of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004...
". He also performed at 2007's 'Classics In Rock' concert in Rotterdam and the first London
Rock 'n Roll Fantasy CampRock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp is an event that can be experienced in one to five days. The five day experience is offered in New York, Las Vegas, London and Hollywood...
.
Michael Schenker GroupThe Michael Schenker Group is a guitar-oriented hard rock band formed in 1979 by the former Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker...
Neil Murray is playing on the Michael Schenker Group album
In the Midst of BeautyIn The Midst Of Beauty is the 11th studio album by the Michael Schenker Group . The album was released on 13 May, 2008 and marked the comeback of the original MSG singer, Gary Barden, so the MSG name is added with Schenker - Barden on the album's cover.By Schenker's own notes to the CD, "This title...
which was released on 11 May 2008.
With Whitesnake
- Live At Hammersmith
Live at Hammersmith is a live album released by the hard rock band Whitesnake. It was released in Japan only, although these recordings would become sides 3 & 4 of the international double-vinyl release, Live...In the Heart of the City, which was released in 1980.-Track listing:# "Come on" - 4:06#...
(1978)
- Snakebite
Snakebite is an Extended Play and the first release by Whitesnake which was mid-1978. This EP unto itself would not be released in the U.S...
(1978)
- Trouble
Trouble is the second album from British rock band Whitesnake, led by former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale. It reached #50 on the U.K. Chart when it was released in October 1978.-Recording:...
(1978)
- Lovehunter
Lovehunter is the third album by the British band Whitesnake, released in 1979.-Cover art:Lovehunters cover art featuring a naked woman straddling a large snake was created by fantasy artist Chris Achilleos. Reportedly the controversial cover proved troublesome for Achilleos who subsequently...
(1979)
- Ready an' Willing
Ready an' Willing was Whitesnake's 1980 album and it was the band's first to chart outside of the U.K. reaching #32 in Norway and #90 in the U.S. It featured two of the band's UK single-hits from that year: "Fool for Your Loving", which reached No. 13 in the charts in April 1980 and the...
(1980)
- Live...In the Heart of the City
Live...in the Heart Of The City is a 1980 live album by Whitesnake. Originally released as a double-vinyl album, and double-play cassette, it utilises recordings made in 1978 and 1980....
(1980)
- Come an' Get It
Come an' Get It is the fifth studio album by hard rock band Whitesnake, released in 1981.It was, at the time, Whitesnake's highest-charting release in the UK, hitting #2 and being kept off the top spot by Adam and the Ants Kings of the Wild Frontier....
(1981)
- Saints & Sinners
Saints & Sinners is the 1982 album by the British rock band Whitesnake. It is the sixth studio release from the band.Two of the tracks, "Crying in the Rain" and "Here I Go Again", were later re-recorded on their 1987 album Whitesnake.-Track listing:...
(1982)
- Slide It In
Slide It In is the seventh studio album by British hard rock band Whitesnake, released in 1984. It was the first Whitesnake album to be released in the United States, but was remixed for the release there. Because of this, two different editions of the album exist, each with its own unique qualities...
(US release) (1984)
- Whitesnake
Whitesnake is the eighth studio album by British hard rock band of the same name , released in 1987. The album was a major crossover hit eventually selling over eight million copies in the United States alone...
(1987)
- The Early Years (2004)
With Black Sabbath
- Tyr
TYR is the fifteenth studio album by heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1990 by I.R.S. Records.This was previously thought to be a concept album dealing with Christianity and Norse Mythology, but bassist Neil Murray dispelled that belief in 2005, stating that while many of the songs may...
(1990)
- Forbidden (1995)
With Empire
- Hypnotica (2001)
- Trading Souls (2003)
- The Raven Ride (2006)
- Chasing Shadows (2007)
With Gary Moore
- Corridors of Power (1982)
- Victims of The Future (1983)
- Rocking Every Night - Live In Japan (1986)
With Queen + Paul RodgersQueen + Paul Rodgers was a collaboration between Brian May & Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
- The Cosmos Rocks Tour, Cardiff (2008)
- The Cosmos Rocks Tour, Birmingham NIA (2008)