"Slash came to the studio in Frankfurt. He told Axl that he was going to record with me, and Axl said, 'Oh, I want to sing a song or two as well!'": Michael Schenker talks revisiting UFO classics and collaborations on 'My Years with UFO' | Interview

"Slash came to the studio in Frankfurt. He told Axl that he was going to record with me, and Axl said, 'Oh, I want to sing a song or two as well!'": Michael Schenker talks revisiting UFO classics and collaborations on 'My Years with UFO' | Interview

Michael Schenker has been an inspirational force for fans and fellow artists alike with his unique blend of Flying V-powered guitar work for over half a century. With an illustrious career that includes seminal works with UFO and his own Michael Schenker Group (MSG), Schenker is now reflecting on his time with the band he joined as a 17-year-old in his latest release, 'My Years with UFO,' out now worldwide via earMUSIC.

The new album—the first of a trilogy—revisits and reworks the classic tracks that defined his early career, with the help of some special guests like Slash, Joe Lynn Turner, Jeff Scott Soto, Carmine Appice, Axl Rose, and more. Forever revered as the "German wunderkind," Schenker talks exclusively to Gi's Jonathan Graham about the new release, his early days with UFO, if a reunion was ever on the cards, and that new signature Gibson Flying V.

Michael, there are so many great tracks from this era of the band. How did you narrow down which tracks would make it to 'My Years with UFO?'

"We picked the best songs, or our favourite songs,  anyway. When I started with UFO — during the time of 'Phenomenon,'  which was released in '74 — we did that for live performances. We did the same with 'Force It,' 'No Heavy Petting,' 'Lights Out,' and 'Obsession.' And, at the end of the day, when we did 'Strangers in the Night,' we always had our best songs for the setlists, and most of them were my musical compositions.

So, celebrating 50 years, I took the opportunity to educate or re-educate newcomers. I had noticed that over the years, there was less and less information available about who wrote the music, etc., so I wanted to let people know more about the details  It just so happens that most of the songs that were on 'Strangers in the Night' were my compositions. And, of course, I wanted to celebrate this with fans and friends who made a mark over the years, being influenced by UFO and myself. It was a lot of fun."

You've got some amazing special guests like Axl Rose, Slash, Joe Lynn Turner, and Carmine Appice. Was it a challenge to bring all these musicians together?

"Oh well, you know, it just happened. Michael Voss and I started putting down my guitars, and as we did, we started to have ideas. Some situations were more direct, like when I worked on a Monsters of Rockcruise and bumped into Stephen Pearcy. He was taking pictures, coming towards me, saying, 'Hey Michael, we love you!' So, I took the opportunity to ask him if he wanted to sing. I really love the song 'Round and Round,' and I saw him perform it with his own band on the cruise, and he was excellent.

Another situation was with Pete Schneider—he told me how much of a UFO fan he was, so I asked him. Also, Slash came to the studio in Frankfurt. He told Axl that he was going to record with me, and Axl said, 'Oh, I want to sing a song or two as well!' Axl ended up singing 'Only You Can Rock Me,' 'Too Hot to Handle,' and 'Lights Out,' but he wasn't happy with his performance on 'Too Hot to Handle' and 'Only You Can Rock Me,' so he decided to focus on 'Lights Out.' He did a fantastic job!"

Did you manage to get everyone into the studio?

"Well, it's not like the old days of using horses and wagons! We used today's technology, which is much more efficient. Some guys recorded their parts remotely and sent them over. It's more focused—no need for unnecessary back-and-forths. Slash and I were going to jam in Frankfurt, and I had all my gear ready, but then I realized I had already done my part. So, all we needed was for Slash to fill in the gaps I had left for him. It was much more productive this way. We recorded his parts, chose the best takes, and that was it."

Were there any other artists who you couldn't squeeze on the album and potentially make the next release?

"Anything is possible, but I'm just focusing on the now."

Could we see these songs performed live with some of the album's special guests joining you on stage?

"Yeah, absolutely. We are working on that."

You're touring Europe next year, but is there a possibility of shows in the UK?

"Yeah, for sure! Wherever we are welcome."

The Flying V shape is so synonymous with you. What first drew you to that model?

"Well, you know, like many things in my life, they just happened due to circumstances. That guitar was the same. I was never looking for a V or any particular guitar. One time, my Les Paul was locked up, so I had to play my brother's guitar quickly because I broke a string on mine. Another time, my guitar was locked away before a show, so I used my brother's V. Both times, I plugged the V into my amp, and it sounded great. I also noticed that the V, when put between my legs, gave me great hold for using a heavy vibrato. All in all, the V contributed to my technique, and it gave me a unique posture that became iconic.

None of that was planned; it just happened because of circumstances. The shape of the V became a part of my technique, and it worked!"

Any chance we might see a new signature model from you in the coming years?

"Yeah, I mean, I started playing Gibson. They sent me two handpicked guitars, and they are very good. I don't know the exact models, but I started playing Gibson for the first time on this UFO project. Gibson has been working on something for me, and I can't wait to see what it is!"

You're using the Gibson Flying V on the new album. How does it compare to your Dean model? Are there any major differences in specifications, pickup output, etc.?

"Yeah, that's what I used on the album. I'm not looking for anything in particular. I like the professionals to come up with the latest technology and offer what they have, and then I see if I like it or not. The main difference between Dean and Gibson is that the Gibson is a bit smaller. Technically, I don't know much about how pickups work; I just go by what I hear. If it sounds good, then that's it!"

We can at least assume the signature model is going to be black and white, though, right?

"I don't know. They handpicked two guitars for me—one black and one white, which is ironic because that's exactly what I had 50 years ago before I started using a black and white guitar. It's almost like a full circle. But I don't know if they are thinking of building a black and white guitar again. I forwarded an idea, so let's see what happens!"

This year marks 50 years since the release of 'Phenomenon.' could you reflect on how the writing and recording process was for the album from your perspective?

"Yeah, well, that was the first UFO album with my involvement, and it actually turned UFO from a space rock band into a hard rock/metal band. Most of my musical compositions were actually instrumentals. Phil [Mogg] would hear them and say, 'I like this, just give me the chords so I can do something to it.' That's what we did with 'Doctor Doctor.' I had the solo, he liked it, and I gave him the chords. He created the song from that. The same happened with 'Rock Bottom'—I had the riff, played it at rehearsal, and Phil jumped up with an idea for it. Many of the songs were instrumental until Phil put vocals on them."

What would you say was the most challenging record for you to complete in your career to date?

"For me, it's all about development. There are no favourites or more challenging ones. I'm expressing myself—there is no good or bad; it's just self-expression. If people like it, that's the icing on the cake. But for me, the main reward is the fun of doing it. I just keep developing, and each moment is unique with different surroundings. It's all about now, and that's what I focus on."

This new album celebrates your time with UFO. We know the band has now played their final show earlier this year. Was there ever any chance we could have seen you rejoin the band at some point during this final run?

"I don't really know. I don't focus on that. There's only Andy and Phil left, and Phil had a heart attack, so I don't know. I have no idea what those guys are up to."

You've announced that 'My Years with UFO' is the first of a trilogy of new releases; what can you tell us about the next two albums?

"Yeah, it's part of a trilogy. The idea is to showcase what I've been doing over the years. I started with the UFO material, then I did an MSG album with [Ronnie Romero] singing most of the songs and some with Michael Voss. That album is called 'Don't Sell Your Soul.' The third album was supposed to be an acoustic, instrumental album, but as I was laying down the music, Michael Voss kept singing, and it sounded so good that I thought, 'Let's make this something special.'

Then someone suggested tuning the album to 432 Hz, which is the frequency of the universe—the same tuning as 'Dark Side of the Moon.' We invited Herman Rarebell to play drums, and it kept evolving with new surprises every day. It turned into my favorite album right now. It's called 'Freedom of Expression,' and it's very different from what people expect from me. Some might be shocked, but I love it."

My Years with UFO,' out now worldwide via earMUSIC

Michael Schenker - 'My Years with UFO' Tracklisting:

1. Natural Thing feat. Dee Snider & Joel Hoekstra

2. Only You Can Rock Me feat. Joey Tempest & Roger Glover

3. Doctor Doctor feat. Joe Lynn Turner & Carmine Appice

4. Mother Mary feat. Slash & Erik Grönwall

5. This Kids feat. Biff Byford

6. Love to Love feat. Axl Rose

7. Lights Out feat. Jeff Scott Soto & John Norum

8. Rock Bottom feat. Kai Hansen

9. Too Hot To Handle feat. Joe Lynn Turner, Adrian Vandenberg & Carmen Appice

10. Let It Roll feat. Michael Voss

11. Shoot Shoot feat. Stephen Pearcy

For more information on Michael Schenker, tour dates, and tickets, please visit michaelschenkerhimself.com