eonmusic: music for life.
  • Home
  • News
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • Features

Snakemaiden: Neil Murray Reveals He Worked With Adrian Smith Following 90s' Split From Iron Maiden.

5/5/2017

0 Comments

 
EXCLUSIVE: Neil Murray has revealed that he worked with Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith following the guitarist’s exit from the band in the early 1990s. The bassist, who is about to hit the road with his band Snakecharmer, made the revelation whilst speaking to eonmusic.
Picture
Photo: Press.
By Eamon O'Neill On 5th May 2017.

EXCLUSIVE: Neil Murray has revealed that he worked with Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith following the guitarist’s exit from the band in the early 1990s. The bassist, who is about to hit the road with his band Snakecharmer, made the revelation whilst speaking to eonmusic.

Murray, a veteran player whose CV includes stints with Black Sabbath, Whitesnake and Gary Moore, says that he was called upon to rehearse and demo four tracks with former Maiden man, but that following the completion of the sessions which took place over four days in the early 1990s, it went no further.

Adrian Smith left Iron Maiden in January 1990, following differences of opinion with band leader Steve Harris over the direction of the ‘No Prayer For The Dying’ album, and despite a brief appearance with the band at Donington ‘Monsters Of Rock’ festival in 1992, he would not surface again on record until 1995, when he formed Psycho Motel. Although Adrian put together live act The Untouchables in between times, it is widely believed that he retired from the music industry during the first half of the decade.

​However, eonmusic can now reveal that as early as March 1991, Smith was looking at putting a new band together, which led to Neil Murray being asked to participate. Completing the line-up for the sessions was a drummer with another Iron Maiden connection; Fabio Del Rio, who had played on Bruce Dickinson’s ‘Tattooed Millionaire’ album the previous year.

Speaking about the recordings, Neil said; “It’s one of these rather short lived things where you do a session for somebody. It was really playing on demos for him.”

Despite the one-off nature of the sessions, Neil’s diaries reveal that the three-piece got together on three occasions; for a rehearsal on 11th March at Ritz Studios in Putney, London - which featured Smith taking on both guitar and vocal duties - and again over the following two days, for a recording session proper at Battery Studios in London.

A further session was booked for 16th March at Battery Studios for vocals and overdubs. Neil also revealed that his former Whitesnake band mate Bernie Marsden was involved at this stage; “probably in the role of ‘producer’”, whist also crediting Marsden with getting him the gig in the first place.

The band recorded four tracks; ‘So Much Love’, ‘Judgement Day’ (a song which Smith carried over into The Untouchables), ‘Break These Chains’ and ‘Singin’ The Blues’, which Neil hinted continued along a similar AOR vibe to that of Adrian’s 1989 A.S.a.P. album. None of these tracks however, have ever received an official release.

Looking back over the period and the songs that were produced, Neil says; “I don’t really know whatever happened to them. It was just a case of; go up to the studio for a couple of days, put down a few tracks, and that’s the last you hear of it, really”

Adrian Smith re-joined Iron Maiden in 1999, and has been firmly in place ever since. The band have just kicked off the UK leg of their ‘The Book Of Souls’ tour.     
​
Neil Murray hits the road with Snakecharmer this weekend, with dates all across the UK in May. The full list of shows can be seen below. The band’s appropriately titled second album ‘Second Skin’ is released on 12th May, via Frontiers Records.

Like this story? Follow us on FaceBook for more of the same! 

Check out for eonmusic's interview with Neil Murray where he discusses Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Snakecharmer and more, HERE. 

Snakecharmer 2017 UK Dates.
5th May – Cardiff, The Globe
7th May – Bingley, Arts Centre
10th May - Hull, Fruit
12th May – Sheffield, The Plug
13th May - Tavistock, The Wharf
14th May - London, O2 Academy Islington
18th May - Glasgow, O2 ABC2
19th May – Newcastle, O2 Academy 
20th May - Alva, Masonic Hall
24th May – Preston, Guildhall
25th May – Milton Keynes, The Stables
26th May – Frome, Cheese & Grain
27th May – Holmfirth, Picturedrome
RANKED: The Top Ten Iron Maiden Albums.
INTERVIEW: Steve Harris On British Lion & His West Ham Bass.
Jamming With Adrian Smith, Meeting Bruce Dickinson & An Accident Of Birth.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Rory Gallagher Remembered; 25 Years Gone.
    Picture
    The Waterboys Return With New Album 'Good Luck, Seeker'.
    Picture
    Helloween Postpone New Album & 2020 Dates.
    Picture
    The Bay Strikes Dublin as Testament & Exodus Give One More Lesson in Brutality.
    Picture
    Ian Anderson Chats Jethro Tull's 2020 Plans, and his 'Feud' With Robert Plant.
    Picture
    Download 2020 Comes to Your Living Room as Download TV Line Up Revealed.
    Picture
    Nicko McBrain Pays Tribute to "True Diplomat and Wonderful Human Being" Neil Peart.
    Picture
    Body Count Return with Brutal New Track 'Carnivore'.
    Picture
    A-ha Kick Off ‘Hunting High and Low Live’ World Tour in Ireland.
    Picture
    EXCLUSIVE: K.K. Downing Talks His Forthcoming Return to the Stage, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
    Picture
    INTERVIEW: Everclear's Art Alexakis Goes it Alone for 'Sun Songs' Album & Tour.
    Picture
    Epiphone & Lzzy Hale Team Up For Signature Explorer Model.

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    September 2015

© 2016 - 2020 eonmusic.co.uk

Contact: info@eonmusic.co.uk
ABOUT
  • Home
  • News
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • Features