Be Aware of Scorpions
HISTORY Michael Schenker was born on January 10, 1955, in Sarstedt near Hanover. At the tender age of fifteen he joined his brother Rudolf’s band, Scorpions, with whom he produced his 1972 debut album Lonesome Crow. Once the British rock act U.F.O. had discovered Schenker’s amazing talent during a joint tour with the Scorpions, they invited the exceptional guitar whiz-kid to team up with them after the tour had finished. His first recording with U.F.O. became an international masterpiece: Phenomenon (1974), featuring the classics ‘Doctor Doctor’ and ‘Rock Bottom’, is still considered one of the most important releases in the history of rock music. Schenker stayed with U.F.O. for eight years, releasing further impressive rock albums like Force It (1975) and No Heavy Pettin’ (1976) – recordings that made UFO international stars and set new standards in rock music. The two subsequent studio albums Lights Out (1977) and Obsession (1978) are still among the most significant releases of the genre. A year after the arrival of Obsession, the band decided to record a live album, Stranger In The Night, which is justly considered one of the most successful live cuts ever. At the same time, the record marked the end of the legendary line-up that had caused a stir for well over a decade. Michael Schenker left U.F.O. and temporarily teamed up with his former band Scorpions again to record the fabulous Lovedrive with them. He then returned to the public eye with the debut album by his own Michael Schenker Group, featuring musicians like Simon Phillips, Gary Barden and keyboarder Don Airey. On subsequent albums like MSG II (1981), One Night At Budokan (1982), Assault Attack (1983) and Built To Destroy, he continued to present talented band members, like the two former Rainbow musicians Graham Bonnett and Cozy Powell (R.I.P.), as well as Ted McKenny and Chris Glenn, two former members of the Alex Harvey Band. In the mid-Eighties, Schenker formed the McAuley Schenker Group together with former Grand Prix vocalist Robin McAuley, its abbreviated name remaining MSG. The musical direction leaned increasingly towards the American mainstream, which didn’t seem to affect the band’s great success. Albums like Perfect Timing (1987), Save Yourself (1989) and MSG (1992) met with unanimously positive reviews world-wide. MSG continued to tour all over the world, playing with renowned acts like Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, and Scorpions. During a creative hiatus, Schenker got involved with Contraband (featuring Bobby Blotzer of Ratt and Tracii Guns of L.A. Guns) and contributed numerous licks to their album.