Back to UFO home page Term nearly finished, so I'll take a couple of days off work soon to catch up on emails!
Michael Schenker news: New album is to be called 'The Unforgiven', which is due to be released next spring at the same time as the long-awaited electric instrumental to be called 'Wanted'. In the meantime it seems that someone has been running around the MSG rehearsals with a cam-corder, the fruits of which are to be released as a video 'the making of The Unforgiven'. Actually sounds like an interesting idea, and am looking forward to seeing it. Will be avaliable through Michael Schenker Records in Pheonix (or I assume the MSR UK office for us Brits). For those of you still wary of sending money off to them, I received my copy of the 'Story of MS' video the other day about 7 weeks after ordering it, which is pretty good going.
I am also hoping to sell copies of the Cosmosquad CD through my pages to UK residents (possible extending to Europeans). This was the instrumental CD put together by Barry Sparks (ex-MSG), Shane Gaalaas (still in MSG) and Jeff Kollman (MSG for the G3 tour and now Mogg-Way). I am trying to guage interest, so if you would like to buy one can you please send me a SHORT email to that effect (US residents can order it in the US.... check out the Cosmosquad home page)>
Hard to compete with Tristans page at the moment on the news front, so this is stuff that is from his!
Track listing for the next MSG album: Rude awakening, The mess I've made, In and out of time, Forever and more, Fat City N.O., Tower, Pilot of your soul, Hello Angel, Turning off the emotion, Illusion, Live for today, The storm.
Will be produced by Mike Varney and sold through Shrapnel (USA), SPV (Europe) and Nippon Crown (Japan).
Apparantly a promotional tour of Europe and Japan is planned for Jan 1999 before Michael starts work on 'Wanted' (the electric instrumental) to be done through MSR.
A very Happy Christmas to all the visitors, new and old, to these pages, and let's all hope that next year will be a good one for all things UFO and Michael Schenker!
Thanks to everyone for their appreciation of the pages over the past year, and be warned, I will be back with a vengence in January!
Happy New Year!
I hope to do some major revamps to the pages over this month (work permitting) so some advance warning... if some or all of the pages are off-line that's why!
Was news in the latest bulletin from Brave Radio that a UFO tribute album is in the works... but this came with a disclaimer that there was no official confirmation and no record company mentioned. The list of tracks makes interesting reading though so I may post it anyway, after I've made some enquirees, for your amusement!
According to 'Classic Rock' the new PRP is out this month, titled 'Man on a Mission', featuring Moggy guesting on two tracks... however I haven't seen any mention of this on Stefans page... will force an update out of him.......
Now spoken to Stefan and PRP album is still scehduled to be ready this month after some re-mixing of tracks. Watch this space or Stefans page.
Is still no solid news on this tribute album, but inquirees are being made. However, for your information the track listing is stated as being:
MEGADETH ('Lights Out'), BRUCE DICKINSON ('Natural Thing'), EIDOLON ('Too Hot To Handle'), SCORPIONS ('Shoot Shoot'), DIO ('Mother Mary'), METALLICA ('Letting Go'), JUDAS PRIEST ('Rock Bottom'), SAXON ('Cherry'), SAVAGE ('Hot N' Ready'), UDO ('Let It Roll'), GRAVE DIGGER ('Doctor Doctor'), ICED EARTH ('Out In The Street'), IRON MAIDEN ('Gettin' Ready'), ANVIL ('We Belong To The Night'), OVERKILL ('Pushed To The Limit'), ANTHRAX ('Only You Can Rock Me') and NAZARETH ('Between The Walls'). Bonus tracks for Germany/Japan include RIOT ('One More For The Rodeo'), JAG PANZER ('Pack It Up (And Go)'), YNGWIE MALMSTEEN (You Don't Fool Me') and NEVERMORE ('Self Made Man')
A hoax or not? At the moment your guess is as good as mine!
Apparently a MSG European tour supporting the Scorpions in Spring is in the 'talking stages' (according to Brave Radio)...
Have just had an email from Marc in the States who has received the 'Making of the Unforgiven' video. His comments are that the video is interesting, but you'd have to be a hard core fan to really enjoy it. "As advertised it is 80 minutes of rehearsals, recording etc of the new CD with a few lighter moments of Michael and Linda thrown into breakup the 'recording'." Purely a 'present to his fans' to quote. Oh, he also says that the new 'Thank you' is GREAT! Thanks Marc! Both can be ordered from Michael Schenker Records at the usual address, which I am happy to report still appears to be working efficiently.
From Tristans page, next months UK magazine 'Guitarist' will feature on of the new MSG tracks on its free CD, and there is a review of the new album at melodicrock.com. Sorry for lack of updates, but usual story of too much work to do (these pages don't pay the bills)!
Have just been reading Shrapnels press release on Tims page and apparantly "UFOs internet online Fan Clubs rival the biggest acts in the country"! Nice to see we're getting recognition! Anyway, it appears that the supporting tour with the Scorps is definately NOT on because of 'musical differences' (see Tristans page for the goss).
Stand by for a review of the new MSG here very soon, and I assume Tristan will do one for us too, so keep a look out!
Cool! The new MSG album is exactly the right length to drive to work with! I put it on as soon as I left home, and the final notes of 'Carry On' were fading as I reversed into my space at work. Fate or conincidence? Anyway, my initial thoughts are that it's good, no, it's very good! Yes, I'm probaby a little biased, but it IS classic Schenker. I do have a few reservations, but they can wait until I have a better copy to listen to! Perhaps a little heavier than WITS, leaning more towards WOW in that sense, but very definately MSG with all the Schenker frills we know and love. The vocalist (Kelly Keeling) does a good job, for those unfamiliar with his work he sounded like a cross between Ray Gillen and Sammy Hagar, to my ears anyway. I was hoping to be able to heavily critisise him because personally I'd have liked to have seen David Van Landing on a studio album with MSG, but he has done well. This isn't meant to be my review, so I'll finish by saying that two songs that stand out for me are 'Fat City', notable especially for some exceptional drumming from Shane Gaalaas, and the rock ballad, and OBVIOUS choice for the first single, 'Forever and More'.
For those of you who don't give a monkeys about MSG and want UFO news, nothing to report at the moment although there, hopefully, will be soon..... and keep an eye out for news on the new PRP album which should also hopefully be with us soon!
UPDATE: I have now set up an 'Unforgiven' page in readiness for the release. It is still in the working stages, and most links don't go anywhere but for reference it's here.
From Steve Olsen we have a list of US album sales for UFO since 1992, it makes interesting reading (album title and numbers only given here):
PHENOMENON
8103
NO HEAVY PETTING
2474
FORCE IT
3823
LIGHTS OUT
27031
OBSESSION
7932
STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
49901
BEST OF THE REST
6940
AIN'T MISBEHAVING
464
ESSENTIAL UFO
44975
HIGH STAKES & DANGEROUS MEN
1335
BBC RADIO ONE LIVE
3322
HEAVEN'S GATE
1097
WALK ON WATER
24376
Also from Steve his annual report on the KISW Top 1000 for 1998:
"UFO topped out at 209 with "Rock Bottom". In that position, they look
to be in good company....
210 VOODOO CHILE (slight return), JIMI HENDRIX
209 ROCK BOTTOM, UFO
208 JAILHOUSE ROCK, ELVIS PRESLEY
Followed by...
434 LOVE TO LOVE, UFO
728 LIGHTS OUT, UFO
774 TOO HOT TO HANDLE, UFO
908 ONLY YOU CAN ROCK ME, UFO
The complete list is here...
http://www.kisw.com/top1000_98/index.html"
Thanks Steve!
Forgot to mention that I put my review of 'The Unforgiven' up a couple of days ago at the 'Unforgiven Pages'
which have also been updated with more links.
To duplicate news on both Tristans and Ritchies sites it also seems that Michael is to play all guitar on his sisters new album.... I hope that it's not the same music she was playing in the 80's or we'll be in for a shock I think!
Thanks to Clive for this which is from the new 'Classic Rock' which I haven't bought yet! It appears that this UFO tribute album IS happening, to be called 'Spaced Out' and features the following tracks
Iron Maiden (Getting Ready) Judas Priest (Rock Bottom) Megadeth (Lights Out) Scorpions (Shoot Shoot) Nazerath (between These Walls) Saxon (Cherry) Dio (Mother Mary) Anthrax (Only You Can Rock Me) Bruce Dickinson (Natural THing) Savage (Hot N Ready)
In addition the Jap release will contain Yngwie Malmsteen (You Don't Fool Me). Personally I'm not sure what to make of it although I think it will certainly be 'interesting'!
Despite the Classic Rock bit, it appears that this UFO tribute thing MAY still be a non-starter. I will carry on trying to get to the truth!
According to Stefan, the new Paul Raymond CD is slated to be released second weekend in March. The recent double CD 'Worlds Away' is avaliable now through Zoom Club Records (link from Stefans page).
No real news on the new MSG at the moment, but watch this space!
The UK magazine 'Classic Rock' is this month compiling the top ten guitarists of all time. This magazine keeps cropping up in UFO and related matters, and deservedly so! Something has to fill the void once inhabited by Kerrang! Anyway, send your lists, with a brief reason for each choice to Classic Rock. As a bit of fun, here's the list I sent ....
Lost Horizons have a new email address:
losthor@tcp-ip.or.jp
Is a link at Tristans page to a UFO chat room, which I gather Tyson set up? The link is here and if it is a success I will add a more permanent link somewhere.
Unforgiven released (in UK at least) on Monday! If anyone wants a review to be added at the Unforgiven pages feel free to send them... I'm beginning to get on top of my emails now!
Have just been on the phone to the distributers (Koch) and the Unforgivens' release has been put back a week to next Monday (1st March)
And sorry, but it was Sean Mentz who set the chat room up! Cheers Sean!
Mogg/Way news from Phil via Wendi:"Pete, Paul, Simon, Jeff Kollman and himself have pretty much finished off an album set tentatively for springtime release on Shrapnel, with hopes of some form of tour to accompany it. Although the band has no name yet, (the UFO name is still tied up in red tape, but theyre not really wanting to call it Mogg/Way not to be confused with MogWai!) the songs have titles: Muddys Gold, Jerusalem, Too Close to the Sun, King of the City, Living and Dying, This is a Life, Death in the Family, Whip that Groove, Last Man in Space, Sparkling Wine, and the bonus track for Japan: Somebody Somewhere."
Mogg/Way related: Simon is due to continue the Dio tour in Russia soon
MSG: Seems that it is only the UK which has had distribution problems, Christian has emailed to say that he has bought a copy of TU in Germany.. and copies are avaliable via mail order companies now. He has also been kind enough to send a rough translation from the German edition of Metal Hammer (Feb) which has an interview with Michael. Main points are that he blames management for the problems with UFO, Kelly was chosen over Gary for TU because of a suggestion by Mike Varney, first choice for producer was Ron Nevison but he was busy and they will probably concentrate on touring the States for now since Michael toured Europe twice last year...
Apparantly on March 6th there will be a program called 'Heavy Metal Top Ten' broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK which will feature both Michael Schenker and Pete Way......
As of today Stefan has advanced signed copies of Man On A Mission, £10.99 when ordered from the UK, £12.99 rest of the world. Details will be added to his web site very soon.
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