Guitar legend Micahel Schenker is featured in a new career-spanning interview with Guitar World. Following is an excerpt from the two-and-a-half-hour conversation, which covers his formative years, joining the Scorpions and UFO, turning down the offer to join Ozzy Osbourne's band, MSG and more.
Guitar World: Let’s talk about the formation of the Michael Schenker Group. What was your initial vision for the band?
Schenker: "Well, the original line-up was me, Billy Sheehan, Denny Carmassi (ex-Montrose) and Gary Barden, but I was really untogether, and that fell apart: basically I lost the whole band. As I said, 1979 was a difficult year, and I needed to sort myself out. Then Peter Mensch wanted Mutt Lange to produce our album, but I didn’t want to sound like AC/DC, and we argued over that. Mensch also kept talking about working with David Coverdale, and we actually wrote one song together at his apartment, but of course Coverdale didn’t want to leave Whitesnake, he wanted me to join him. So then Gary came back and Mensch found Mo Foster (bass) and Simon Philips (drums) and off we went."
"I thought the songwriting was really good on that first album, but it could have been more powerful. I liked working with (Deep Purple bassist) Roger Glover, but his production wasn’t as deep as what Ron Nevison might have done, and the rhythm section, while brilliant players, were lighter than what I wanted."
Guitar World: With the MSG album, the band’s second recording, you scored Top 20 success in the UK and Japan. Was that a happy time for you?
Schenker: "Making the album, I wasn’t in a great place, mentally, and I think (producer) Ron Nevison wasn’t either. We ended up going to Montserrat to record, but we spent too much time messing around, and basically treated it like a holiday. The songs were very good, Gary and I wrote them in (rehearsal studio) John Henry’s in London when we were completely straight, but we got less focussed in the studio. Things were happening so fast. Suddenly we’d a live album to record, (1982’s One Night At Budokan) and by the time it was released Graham Bonnett was in the band, and he was autographing album sleeves for a record he wasn’t on! It was all a bit confusing. And then I got a phone call from Ozzy Osbourne in the middle of the night, stuttering, asking me to help him out because Randy Rhoads had died in that plane crash."
Guitar World: But you said No…
Schenker: "I loved Sabbath, and I should have been delighted to join – I instantly had visions of Ozzy dragging me across the stage by my hair - but a voice in my head said, 'Michael, follow your vision.' I’d left UFO and Scorpions because I didn’t want to go any further with the fame thing, and I wanted freedom and peace, so I felt it would be crazy to join. Ozzy knew that I was Randy’s favourite guitar player, so he thought I’d be the perfect fit, but it wasn’t the right time. We were already rehearsing the Assault Attack album with Graham Bonnet. The only way I could think of getting out of the Ozzy gig was by making outrageous demands, so that’s what I did. In his book (I Am Ozzy) Ozzy said I asked for a private jet, and that’s true, but it was only so that he’d turn me down."
Read the complete interview here.
Michael Schenker brought MSG to O2 Shepherd's Bush in London, England on November 30th, 2023. Fan-filmed video of the entire show courtesy of Room With Mirrors can be viewed below.
Setlist:
"Into the Arena"
"Cry for the Nations"
"Doctor Doctor" (UFO)
"Looking for Love"
"Lights Out" (UFO)
"Red Sky"
"Shoot Shoot" (UFO)
"Emergency"
"On and On"
"Let It Roll" (UFO)
"Attack of the Mad Axeman"
"Natural Thing" (UFO)
"Armed and Ready"
"Let Sleeping Dogs Lie"
"Desert Song"
"Rock Bottom" (UFO)
"Too Hot to Handle" (UFO)
"Only You Can Rock Me" (UFO)
More MSG live dates:
June
3 - Ballyshannon, Ireland - Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival
8 - Zamora, Spain - Z! Live Rock Fest
July
8 - Knislinge, Sweden - Time To Rock Festival
29 - Pyras, Germany - Pyraser Classic Rock Night *SOLD OUT*
August
11 - Kortrijk, Belgium - Alcatraz Metal Fest
12 - Villena, Spain - Leyendas del Rock
Current MSG touring lineup:
- Michael Schenker (lead guitars)
- Robin McAuley (vocals; until the end of 2023)
- Steve Mann (keyboards, guitars)
- Barend Courbois (bass)
- Bodo Schopf (drums)
