In a recent interview with VWMusic, former Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker shared his thoughts on his time with the band. The rocker reflected on how his brother Rudolf Schenker‘s lack of guitar playing forced him to leave the band and join UFO.
The Schenker brothers always had their ups and downs from childhood to when they started Scorpions. In one of his interviews with The Metal Journal, Michael described his brother as a bully and a control freak. He also claimed that he later found out he was being taken advantage of because of being seven years younger than Rudolf and the rest of the band.
After leaving the Scorpions to play with UFO, he didn’t stay with them long either. He decided to become an independent musician and focus on his solo career. Despite being sought after by influential figures such as Ozzy Osbourne and Deep Purple, he was determined to be unrestricted with his music.
When asked about his thoughts on the brotherly dynamic in Scorpions, he stated that his only focus was always music before money or fame. He also said that he needed more from the group, primarily since Rudolf could not deliver, causing Scorpions to die out. Michael also talked about playing with UFO in England, where he didn’t need to push anyone, and everything went as it should.
In the interview, Michael Schenker said:
“Well, I was always focused on the music first, so even at a young age, I brought to focus. I thought the drummer Wolfgang Dziony and bass player Lothar Heimberg were amazing for German musicians. With what we had to work with in Germany, they were really good. I liked the drums and the bass and, of course, Klaus Meine’s singing; I liked that too.
In general, it was a great sample, but the problem was that everything was going too slow for me. Rudolph could hardly play guitar, which brought us down during the sessions, and with that album, even though I was fifteen, I had to do everything with the guitars. I had to be very patient, and I tried to teach Rudolph, but it was slow-moving, and he wasn’t getting it.
I had to move on because I wanted to go somewhere where people understood, knew what I was doing, and where it all came from. That’s why I went to England, and once I went there and I joined UFO, it all went very fast and was non-stop. We had lots of company, the audience, and the people who loved the music. Everything was happening in London, and we started touring straight away. So, England was where I didn’t have to hold anyone’s hand, and everything was developing to my liking.”
Now Michael is focused on the Michael Schenker Group. They played their new album ‘Universal’ at Hellfest recently. They also have several shows lined up in the UK. The musician also said they plan to perform in the United States in the fall, followed by Japan.
