MGM Team Gambler ex. Whitesnake Marsden, Galley & Murray/Former Whitesnake members come together Austria 1987

After Bernie Marsden left WHITESNAKE, he frequently formed bands with his partners Mickey Moody and Neil Murray. If you are a fan, you probably know that at that time, we often featured WHITESNAKE numbers in response to fans’ expectations. Among Bernie’s band activities, 1987’s “M.G.M.” is supported by enthusiasts as being particularly unique. In this work “TEAM GAMBLER”, you can enjoy that precious live with a high quality audience master obtained from overseas enthusiasts! “MGM” is an acronym for “Marsden, Galley, Murray.” In other words, the band was formed by Bernie, Mel Galley, also formerly of WHITESNAKE, and Neil Murray. Other members include John Saxon (who was discovered by his manager at the time) on vocals, and John Marter, an early member of MARILLION, plays drums. They performed steadily as a band, including appearing at the “Reading Festival” in England in 1987. This work, which recorded the live performance in Vienna, Austria on July 8th, is considered to be one of the warm-up live performances for the “Reading Festival”. The sound quality is good for an audience recording of this period, and the close and vivid sound typical of a club gig is irresistible. Although it does not have the stereo feel and clarity of modern recordings, the contours of the songs and performances are solid, and you can fully enjoy rare live performances with a high sense of stability. Galley, who left WHITESNAKE due to an arm injury, thought about restarting TRAPEZE with Glenn Hughes after returning with the PHENOMENA project, and produced several demos with Glenn’s vocals. However, the reunion of TRAPEZE at this time ended up flowing, and they turned to activities with Bernie and Neil. At that time, the songs he had composed with Glenn were brought in and have become an important part of MGM’s repertoire. The first song “Welcome To The Real World” and the latter half “Don’t Ever Give Your Heart Away” and “Fighting” are songs with Glenn. “Welcome To The Real World”, which directly conveys the charm of high-quality melodic rock (later played at the reunion of TRAPEZE), “Fighting”, which is powerful and lively as its name suggests, and an even more American taste. “Don’t Ever Give Your Heart Away,” which has a “g” sound, both make you feel Mel’s qualities as a songwriter. Along with these, the WHITESNAKE number is also important. Bernie frequently takes up WHITESNAKE numbers in his solos, but this is the only take on “Gambler” he plays. The part where he shares the guitar solo with Mel is also full of solid power. Furthermore, the last song “Rough An’ Ready” is a long version of about 8 minutes. The energetic performance greatly enlivens the climax of the live performance. The other songs are all full of originality and wonderful performances, allowing you to enjoy “numbers that can only be found here.” “Love’s A Miracle,” whose intro reminds you of NIGHT RANGER’s “Do You Close Your Eyes,” is a good number that lets you enjoy Mel’s flavorful vocals and a high-quality melody. In addition, there are more flavorful songs such as “Be Good To Me”, which is reminiscent of TOTO, the cheerful “Suite 509”, and “Palace Of The King”, which has an intro reminiscent of “Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues” ( In this “Palace Of The King”, Barney himself takes the vocals, and like Mel, you can hear the skillful singing). At the end of the live performance, you can also hear Bernie’s words of gratitude after John’s powerful MC, “Dankeshen, see you again!” The live show, where a variety of high-quality songs are performed one after another, is a great listen. You can enjoy the full flavor of this band featuring two excellent songwriters, Mel, whose background is funk, and Barney, who has roots in the blues. Live in Vienna, Austria 8th July 1987 TRULY AMAZING SOUND 1. Welcome To The Real World 2. Love’s A Miracle 3. Gambler 4. Be Good To Me 5. Suite 509　6. Palace Of The King 7. Don’t Ever Give Your Heart Away 8. Fighting 9. Rough An’ Ready Bernie Marsden – Guitar & Vocal Mel Galley – Guitar & Vocal Neil Murray – Bass & Vocal　John Marter – Drums John Saxon – Vocals