The Snakes

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Snakes
Alias = Company of Snakes


Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = flagicon|Norway Norway
flagicon|UK United Kingdom
Genre = Hard rock, Blues rock
Years_active = 1998–1999
1999–2004 (as Company of Snakes)
Label =
URL =
Current_members = Jørn Lande
Bernie Marsden
Micky Moody
Sid Ringsby
Willy Bendiksen
Past_members = John West
Neil Murray
Cozy Powell
Associated_acts = Company of Snakes, Whitesnake, Vagabond, Masterplan, TNT, Beyond Twilight, ARK

The Snakes were a British-Norwegian hard rock band, formed by former Whitesnake members Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, Neil Murray and Cozy Powell, although the final line-up consisted of guitarists Marsden and Moody with Norwegian vocalist Jørn Lande.
The band also featured bassist Sid Ringsby who later joined popular Noewegian hard rock TNT and Jorn's solo band. Drummer Willy Bendiksen also joined later to Jorn's solo band.

The band released two albums, titled "Once Bitten" in 1998, and "Live In Europe" which was produced by famed TNT guitarist Ronni Lé Tekrø.

Biography

The Snakes were formed as an project by Whitesnake refugees - guitarists Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody, exclusively performing Whitesnake material. Initially, the project was called "Saints and Sinners" and featured other Whitesnake refugees - bassist Neil Murray and drummer Cozy Powell, plus American vocalist John West. Powell's own solo album with West put an end to this venture.

For the August 1998 "Once Bitten" album, released only in Japan through the Pony Canyon label, three Norwegians, including ex-Vagabond vocalist Jørn Lande, were drafted in and production duties were handled by TNT guitarist Ronni Lé Tekrø. TNT's keyboard player Dan Stokke engineered the album. A live opus, comprising Whitesnake songs, followed that same December.

By 1999 the band had evolved into Company of Snakes with the guitar duo joined by ex-Whitesnake and Black Sabbath bassist Neil Murray and former Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Whitesnake keyboard player Don Airey. The new band was fronted by none other than erstwhile Bad Company singer Robert Hart.

During 1999 Lande was fronting Mundus Imperium, releasing an album through Nuclear Blast. With Moody and Marsden pursuing Company of Snakes quite bizarrely though Lande, Ringsby, Airey and Bendickson held onto the name The Snakes and intended further albums with new guitarist Tore Morem, although those plans were never officially executed.

Band members

*Jørn Lande - lead vocals (1998–1999)
*Bernie Marsden - guitars (1998–1999)
*Micky Moody - guitars (1998–1999)
*Sid Ringsby - bass (1998–1999)
*Willy Bendiksen - drums (1998–1999)

Former members

*John West - vocals (1998)
*Neil Murray - bass (1998)
*Cozy Powell - drums (1998)

Company of Snakes Band members

*Robert Hart - lead vocals (1999–2000)
*Stefan Berggren - lead vocals (2000–2004)
*Gary Barden - lead vocals (2000)
*Bernie Marsden - guitars (1999–2004)
*Micky Moody - guitars (1999–2004)
*Neil Murray - bass (1999–2004)
*Don Airey - keyboards (1999–2002)
*John Lingwood - drums (1999–2002)

Discography

*"Once Bitten" ("1998")
*"Here They Go Again" (as "Company of Snakes") ("2001")
*"Burst the Bubble" (as "Company of Snakes") ("2002")

External links

* [http://www.rockdetector.com/artist,9207.sm Rock Detector The Snakes page]

The Official Jorn Lande Website - http://www.jornlande.com/