The Michael Schenker Group is now called Michael Schenker Fest. The new album "Resurrection" brings a rehearsal with the lead singers with whom the band scored in the eighties and nineties. With Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet and Robin McAuley as well as Doogie White from Temple Of Rock, the German star guitarist has gathered a whole vocal quartet around him in the studio. The fact that the many cooks have not spoiled the porridge is due to producer Michael Voss. We talked to him and Schenker about the developments at MSF.
After the end of his band Temple Of Rock Michael Schenker (63) was invited to a handful of concerts in Japan with the MSG shouters Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet and Robin McAuley. All musicians thought that this was a unique event in advance. The concert film "Michael Schenker Fest Live", recorded in Tokyo, clearly showed that this formation, which is completed by the MSG fighters Steve Mann (guitar, keyboards), Ted McKenna (drums) and Chris Glen (bass), has much more to offer than chewing on their heroic deeds from the eighties.
On "Resurrection", however, there is not only a succession like at the concerts, but a togetherness. Together with the man of his trust, the experienced producer Michael Voss, who is also singer and guitarist of the Münster-based hard rockers MadMax, the former lead guitarist of the Scorpions and UFO has created an album that can actually compete with the early MSG works. And on "Resurrection" you can also hear Kirk Hammett with some licks, who has fulfilled a dream with it.
eclipsed: How did the guest appearance of Kirk Hammett come about?
Michael Schenker: I met Kirk at the VH1 show "The Metal Show" in April 2015 in New York City. So I know that when he heard UFOs [album] "Force It" for the first time when he was 15 years old, he was blown away by my guitar playing and decided to take guitar playing seriously. Shortly afterwards he came to us on stage at a concert in California for "Natural Thing" by UFO and "Blackout" by the Scorpions. So I knew he'd be happy if I offered him a guest role.
Michael Voss: I flew to Hawaii and recorded his guest article. It was all very straightforward.
eclipsed: How complicated was it to get the four lead singers under one hat?
Schenker: As I had planned everything well with Michael Voss before, it was very labour-intensive, but not stressful.
eclipsed: The singers then left their egos at the cloakroom?
Voss: Michael and I sent our demo recordings to the singers so that they could pick out songs that they felt were particularly suitable for their voice.
Schenker: Doogie immediately contacted us with a request to take over the lead vocals for five songs.
