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1. From Space
Rockers to Rock Phenomenon! (1969-1979)
2. A Parting of the Ways (1980-1995)
3. The Second Coming and Moore (1995-present
day)
From Space Rockers to Rock Phenomenon!
(1969-1979)
Considering that UFO were formed
before I was even born, it would
be fair to suggest that I was a bit
of a late comer to their music. My
brother introduced me to the band
from the best possible starting point,
the double live classic "Strangers
in the Night", prompting me
to go out and buy their entire back
catalogue in the space of a few weeks.
During
the seventies live albums became
important to a band's
fortunes in a way that studio albums
could seldom match, with bands such
as Kiss launching their career and
saving their record label with Alive!,
or Thin Lizzy coming to prominence
on the back of "Live And Dangerous".
For
UFO "Strangers in the Night" would
both announce the bands arrival as
a force to be reckoned with and mark
the beginning of the end for them
as the critic's choice for
greatness in the genre. Many excellent
tracks, and albums were still to
follow, however for some, the best
days were already being left behind
when Michael Schenker dealt with
the new found fame, and personality
clashes within the band by walking
out on them just as they were about
to go stratospheric. This event would
set the tone for how UFO's
career would continue to lurch from
one shambles to the next, while on
the whole they managed to keep the
standard of music they released remarkably
high throughout the turmoil.
It's hard to believe that UFO
were recording music at the same
time that bands like Led Zeppelin
and Deep Purple were only beginning
to set the standard of what Heavy
Rock and Metal were to be for many
years to come. In fact had it not
been for one live and two studio
albums before they could truly be
called a "Heavy" Rock
band, it would be possible that UFO
would be celebrated as genre defining
in the same way Zeppelin and Purple
now are. Arguably they deserve that
credit either way. Playing a more
straight ahead, less grandiose or
pretentious style of rock music,
although never simplistic, it would
be fair to suggest that U.F.O. influenced
as many bands over the next couple
of decades as either Zeppelin or
Purple.
Formed as The Boyfriends, Pete
Way (bass), Mick Bolton (guitar)
and Tic Torrazo (drums) would go
through the monikers Hocus Pocus,
The Good the Bad and the Ugly, and
Acid. Torrazo was replaced by Colin
Turner before they teamed up with
Phil Mogg on vocals and taking inspiration
from a local club finally settled
on UFO as their name. Turner wasn't
to last long behind the kit either
though, and before the band would
play their debut gig in late 1969
Andy Parker had become their new
drummer.
Having found a more settled
line up, 1970 would see the band
release debut album "UFO 1" featuring
a cover version of Eddie Cochrane's "C'mon
Everybody" that was a huge
seller in Japan. "UFO 2 – Flying-One
Hour Space Rock" followed up
in 1972 and was notable for the track
Prince Kajuku which at the time was
a live favourite and a stand out
on the album "UFO Live" which
also emerged in 1972. The majority
of the world still remained ignorant
to the band UFO, though amazingly
those first three albums had racked
up over three million sales in Japan,
Germany and France alone.
As made
obvious in the title of the later
studio album, UFO were favouring
a more Space Rock sound in their
early days, quite far removed from
the blues tinged melodic hard rock
that was about to come.
As "Live" was
coming out Mick Bolton decided to
leave the band and Larry Wallis who
would later feature equally fleetingly
in Motorhead and then Pink Fairies,
joined as replacement. Larry wouldn't
even last out a year with the band
before drunkenly telling Phil Mogg
what he thought of him and being
dumped. Lasting an even shorter time
was replacement, Bernie Marsden.
Bernie joined in November '72,
but by June '73, he too was
out although he would later find
fame with his four years in David
Coverdale's Whitesnake.
Schenker,Parker,Mogg,Way
(picture by Ross Hallin)
Almost a year and
a half after Bolton's
departure UFO finally found a guitarist
with the talent to drive the band
forward. Poaching him from his brother
Rudolf's band the Scorpions,
although due his unpredictability
they put up little fight. Michael
Schenker would join UFO in June 1973
and an almost three decade love – hate
relationship was born. Michael became
known to the UFO when the Scorpions
supported them and when Marsden missed
a flight and was late for a show
Schenker was asked to deputise for
him. After finishing the tour with
Bernie they wasted no time in ditching
him and getting the young German
on board.
With the release of Phenomenon
in 1974 Schenker's influence
on the band was obvious to see, suddenly
UFO had a sharp riffing, metal edged
sound that didn't exist on
their first two albums, and his solos
were exquisite. It was the first
UFO album to be released in the US,
and in their review Rolling Stone
said
"Phenomenon is one of
the most exciting debut albums of
the year"
The whole record is
amazingly consistent, however both "Rock
Bottom" and "Doctor
Doctor" are classic tracks
of not just UFO's catalogue,
but of rock music in general, although
one of my own personal favourite
is "Oh My".
Feeling the need for a fuller live
sound Mogg and Way advertised for
a second guitarist in Melody Maker
which was answered by Paul Chapman
previously Gary Moore's replacement
in Skid Row and who had also been
suggested to them by Paul's
Uncle, Pop legend and producer of
their early demos Dave Edmunds. Chapman
toured the Phenomenon album with
the group before leaving to form
Lone Star in January 1975.
So it was the four
piece of Mogg, Way, Parker and Schenker
that again set about the task of
recording, for what would this time
be a follow up to a widely acclaimed
album. The result would be "Force
It" which was released in July
1975. The heavy melodic blue print
was followed again, and with equal
success to its predecessor. With
songs as strong as "Shoot Shoot" and "Mother
Mary", "Force It" would
cement the reputation of the band
for having great riffs but with feel
and emotion. The pairing of Schenker's
awesome guitar style and Mogg's
bluesy yet commanding vocals proving
the perfect combination.
The musician merry go round would
continue for the "Force It" tour
with ex-Heavy Metal Kid Danny Peyronel
joining to play guitar alongside
Michael and also add keyboards, which
was something the "Mad Axeman" as
Schenker was becoming known, had
great reservations about. Peyronel
made his debut with UFO at the Reading
Festival, and stayed for the recording
of 1976's "No Heavy Petting" album.
Seen as a slight disappointment at
the time "No Heavy Petting" is
still a fine album. Had it not had
such a hard act to follow in "Phenomenon" and "Force
It", opinions may have been
more favourable. Stand out opening
track "Natural Thing" was
a match from anything from the last
two albums, but general consensus
was a small dip in standard.
Peyronel, Schenker,
Way, Parker, Mogg
As was becoming the norm now, the
second guitarist in the band, this
time Peyronel, decided to go his
own way at the end of the album's
tour, going on to form "The
Blue Max". Greater success
found him when he wrote "Midnight
at the Lost and Found" for
Meat Loaf.
By this time it was becoming apparent
that not all was well in the UFO
camp. Mogg and Way were happily using
and abusing, and there was constant
tension between them and Schenker,
as well as between Schenker and whoever
happened to be the second guitarist/keyboard
player. The singer and bassist took
great pleasure in playing practical
jokes and wind ups on the guitarist.
Schenker in turn was struggling to
cope with the adulation aimed at
him by the fans, and he too would
find solace in a bottle. Fall outs
becoming common place and even resulted
in "The Mad Axeman" walking
off stage mid show on more than one
occasion.
Savoy Brown's Paul Raymond
was the next recruit to fill the
second guitarist and keyboard roll,
and with him on board UFO would go
on to record what many to believe
to be their finest two studio albums, "Lights
Out" and "Obsession".
American producer Ron Nevison was
brought in to oversee the "Lights
Out" sessions and he would
bring a broader, more mature influence
to the band's sound. Released
in May 1977 "Lights Out" featured
the likes of acoustic guitars on "Getting
Ready", and even a string section
for "Just another Suicide" and "Try
Me". Overall the production
was slicker and more commercial,
but somehow it retained the bands
vitality, and it was still the heavier
numbers that really hit the mark. "Too
Hot To Handle", "Love
to Love" and the awesome title
track were so far, as good as "UFO" had
been. The slight change in direction
caught the imagination of the US
public, and "Lights Out" stayed
on the Billboard top 100 for nearly
half a year. To capitalise on the
US interest a spot opening for Rush
would provide "UFO" with
their debut American gigs. Already
gaining a reputation for unreliability
it was now that Schenker decided
to pull the first of many disappearing
tricks. Unable to locate their temperamental
guitarist, and with the US dates
already confirmed, Paul Chapman was
hastily convinced to put Lone Star
on hold to substitute. After being
found Schenker was persuaded to join
the band mid tour and he completed
the dates.
With Michael back
on board the tour was deemed a success,
and not wanting to break a winning
team the band almost immediately
re-entered the studio with Nevison
to begin work on "Obsession". Most
notable for rock anthem "Only
You Can Rock Me", "Obsession" continued
the success of its predecessor, and
it looked all set for UFO to become
one of the real big boys of rock.
However Michael Schenker stayed true
to his unpredictable ways and after
an alleged fist fight with Phil Mogg,
he quit the band.
Released just after their parting,
live album "Strangers In The
Night" was released in January
1979 to mass critical acclaim, and
even after all this time is still
seen as one of the best live records
ever released, illustrating the Way,
Parker rhythmic power house, Mogg's
vocal prowess, and the importance
of Raymond's guitar work and
his particularly emotive keyboard
work. Even with the rest of the band
on top of their game, Schenker was
undoubtedly the focal point. Driving
the band with powerful riffs, and
passionate solos he was second to
none at this point in his career,
and was seen as one of the new breed
of guitar Gods, his departure was
a blow that in many ways UFO would
never recover from. Schenker would
continue his success with the "Michael
Schenker Group", as their first
three albums, "Michael Schenker
Group", "MSG" and "Live
at Budokan" are fantastic riff
heavy albums with great vocals from
Gary John Barden. From there Schenker's
music and career would follow some "interesting" paths
to say the least.
To many it was all downhill for
UFO from this point, however that
would be both unfair, and untrue.
1. From Space Rockers to Rock Phenomenon!
(1969-1979)
2. A Parting of
the Ways (1980-1995)
3. The Second Coming
and Moore (1995-present day) |
