BERNIE MARSDEN To Launch New Solo Project In The Fall

Former WHITESNAKE and current M3 guitarist Bernie Marsden has posted the following message on his official web site:

"This year has been interesting to say the least. The new [Bernie Marsden] solo project is ready for release in the autumn. It features Jimmy Copley on drums, John Gordon on bass and Dino Baptiste on keyboards.

"We have recorded two sessions for Paul Jones's BBC Radio 2 show. The first of these goes out on Thursday 19th August at 8 PM.

"Hope you enjoy it, the songs featured are from the new CD. I have re-recorded a couple of titles from 'Big Boy Blue', but they are very different versions. 'Pick It Up' has now gone full circle and ends with a really fiery rock guitar outro. It's the kind of thing you ask me to record more often, just pure guitar indulgence! Still at my age I think I have earned it!

"I recently ran into my old pal Pete Way whom I played with in UFO. Pete was recording at West Street Studios in Buckingham, that is also full circle for me. When I first joined UFO as a pro I was fresh into London from Buckingham, and boy did they give me some stick for that, 'Here comes the farmer guitarist' and such like. My time with UFO is a bit surrounded in mystery, but it was a great break for me, and I will always have a place in my heart for UFO, thirty years on though it seems a long time ago.

"The M3 DVD is shaping up very nicely, some thought is going into the extras disc, I get pretty bored with straight concert footage,we will try to keep it interesting for you, but this is good, take it from me, I was there!

"Stefan Berrgren and Doogie White really know how to present and sing these WHITESNAKE classic songs, they put real thought and passion into their personal performances, and do not have a private agenda, they work together as all good and experienced musicians should.

"I have lots of backstage footage, including a tour of The Azores with guide Micky Moody, and a new quiz programme called 'Unknown Guitar Player'. There will also be footage of myself and Micky at the Royal Albert Hall on June 30, where we opened up for TOTO. Steve Lukather asked us to do it, Brian May was there and we had a great evening.

"I went to see Jeff Beck at the RAH a week before with Jimmy Copley, Jeff was awesome, only reduced me to tears once at this gig, it is usually at least two, and I didn't sell my guitars the next day, but at the end of the JB show I did consider it, me and many other so called name guitar players I suspect.

"I spent some time at the gig chatting to Hank Marvin, great guy and where would we all be without Hank I wonder.

"Social card was also used at the birthday celebrations of Jim Marshall OBE, I was invited to his party along with amongst many others Gordon Giltrap, Nicko McBrain, and the great Bert Weedon, I played a couple of tunes and Jim played drums and sang. A very enjoyable evening.

"So there you have it, Hank, Bert, Jeff, Steve, Brian, Micky, more guitar players than you can shake a Les Paul at!

"I will be on the road with my own band in the autumn, European dates have been booked and the UK is being booked at this time.

"I will have the 'Big Boy Blue' live album with me on the gigs as well as the new studio offering. M3 is on hold until the DVD and live album are ready, although I know we have shows in the book for spring 2005, hopefully we can squeeze some shows before the end of the year.

"Work on the autobiography is almost complete, lots more about UFO, PAL, Tony Ashton, Jon Lord and of course all the things about WHITESNAKE that you never knew, well some of them!

"See you in the Autumn, all the best to you all out there."