U.F.O. featuring Michael Schenker

[Mushroom]

This guy took UoFoOo to a higher level. The one and only Michael Schenker, brother of Scorpions' Rudolf Schenker. How fucking cool is that? The story gets better!... Michael even played on a few Scorps albums. Check them out. This compressed on-line version does not do justice for the original vinyl record!

Discuss!

[VHscraps]

Could not agree more, my friend. I think the songs on the Scorpions' Lovedrive that he is featured on are brilliant, particularly 'Coast to Coast', which has been burned into my brain from listening to it over and over around 1980 or so.

As it happens I just bought myself a new turntable a few weeks ago and in the back of my mind I have been thinking - okay, this is the opportunity to sit down and play the Strangers in the Night live double vinyl. No skipping, etc. But, being an older fart than I was when I originally bought it, it is quite difficult to get time to do that ...

But, your post is a good reminder. Tomorrow ...

As it happens, I found this UFO pic from 1978 - actually a billboard on Sunset Strip from '78 for the Obsession album. If I had a UFO myself, I would transport myself back to that time and place.

[Mushroom]

...As it happens I just bought myself a new turntable a few weeks ago and in the back of my mind I have been thinking - okay, this is the opportunity to sit down and play the Strangers in the Night live double vinyl. No skipping, etc. But, being an older fart than I was when I originally bought it, it is quite difficult to get time to do that ...

I swear that is exactly what I did on Saturday March 23, 2013!

[VHscraps]

Different lyrics, but earlier version of 'Rock Bottom' from some 1973 German TV show.

[FORD]

LoveDrive is my favorite Scorpions album ever, though the two that came after it, Animal Magnetism and Blackout were pretty damn good too.

As for UFO, loved the stuff with Schenker. Couldn't give a fuck about any other lineups.


Now here's an odd bit of UFO trivia though....

Their first record label in the US was, believe it or not, a division of Motown called "Rare Earth" records. I don't actually have any UFO vinyl from that period, but I have another album on that label (the band Rare Earth) and, the record sleeve lists all the albums currently for sale by that label as well as the future releases... and in that future releases section was a band named UFO.

Who would have thought that band had anything in common with the label that launched the Temptations, Four Tops, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Michael Jackson??

[VHscraps]

There's a guy in the UK, well-known to some people - Julian Cope. He was singer of a band called The Teardrop Explodes, had a fairly successful solo career, and later branched into writing books about music - Krautrocksampler, Japrocksampler, and others ...

Anyway, he has this website, Head Heritage, where there are lots of writings about various bands (he has a long piece on a Van Halen bootleg), but one of the bands he rates is UFO. Not for the Schenker years, but for those very years FORD just mentioned - the 'Krautrock' / Spacerock years.

http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/345/

I was just on youtube, and those early albums are on there in full and have some healthy hit numbers - some people rate that stuff. I used to OWN those albums, and I could never reconcile that UFO with the Michael Schenker version ... but, what the hell:

[SunisinuS]

Billy Sheehan on bass 32-83 was not terrible....and Ainsley is still stellar.



The thing is that Ufo kinda has a good time so it rotates:




It is just a bit of Rock Academy:

[chefcraig]

One of my favorite albums (and perhaps the funniest album cover) of all time. You simply can't imagine what it sounded like to a morose, alienated 13 year old kid the first time it was discovered blasting from a mall record store sometime in 1974.

And then actually seeing the cool-as-shit bastards on Don Kirshner late one weekend after my folks had gone to sleep...

[ThrillsNSpills]

Ok, first, from Obsession this is Pack it up and Go !





Go to 2:09 to hear the lead break from Schenker on Lights Out from Strangers in the Night. Considering this was from 78 it's some serious picking. Be careful because if you don't stop listening you'll hear the phrase "Moon in June" This phrase is frowned upon at the Roth Army due to the lyrical felonies Act that one Hagar was guilty of on several counts.




This is Stopped by a Bullet from their '95 reunion Walk on Water. This has a cool riff and smoking solos.
I'm pretty sure a title like that wouldn't fly these days, but that's another issue.

[ThrillsNSpills]

solo at 2:04. Song's called Perfect view from Sharks (2002)

[Green Manalishi]

Classic Schenker - era UFO has consistently been in my top 5 all time favorite bands list since the late '70's . Killer , killer band and yet , horribly and criminally under-rated . I have witnessed UFO live at least 7 times and that is with various line-ups but none better then the classic line-up . " Strangers In The Night " , " Force It " , and " Obsession " are my three favorite UFO albums . I have a killer bootleg CD called " Parkers Birthday " that just slams !
Regardless of who is or isn't in the band , I will continue to see UFO live as long as Phil Mogg is at the helm . What a gifted lyricist and vocalist . Terribly under-rated .
Got to meet the classic re-united UFO line-up in 1995 after a killer night club show . I completely cherish those autographs .
Sadly , I have heard that bassist Pete Way's health is not so good these days .

[envy_me]

This is better

[Green Manalishi]

Nice , nearly note for note rendition of Love To Love . I gotta respectfully disagree that it's better . Good cover though. Couldn't help but notice that the lead guitarist was playing a near-white flying V through Marshall stacks . Very Schenker-esque . They have good taste in good music .
This song really reminds me of my late wife . We would slow dance to this in better times .

[GreenBayLA]

Michael Schenker is my all-time favorite guitarist by a longshot, fast but fluid and melodic. Some great material with MSG but he seems to do his best work with UFO. Schenker said his favorite guitar solo from the early UFO era was "Try Me" a ballad from Lights Out album.

Strangers in the Night was my introduction to the band in 1978/79 and I've been hooked ever since.
Here is another great song, from Obsession album, "One More For The Rodeo", a guitar workout from start to finish.



Great Billboard pic VHscraps! Anyone interested there is a decent UFO biography at Martin Popoff .com called Shoot Out The Lights that has interviews w/Phil Mogg, Pete Way, Schenker, Paul Chapman, Paul Raymond etc.

UFObook.jpg

[ThrillsNSpills]

This is better

Interesting that you posted this. Many years ago a friend sent me 2 John Norum solo albums. Now I wasn't familiar with his work in Europe other than the single they had but first listen I could tell the guy was heavily influenced by Schenker especially with his tone and approach. This tune's got Kelly Keeling on vocals, who was also on Schenker's Unforgiven album.