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Sunday Old School: UFO

Some bands at the beginning of metal have gone on to become icons which in the eyes of fans can do no wrong, regardless of what they release. Others also contributed heavily to the development of metal, but despite being rightly regarded as legends, sometimes escape the attention of many fans. If ever there was a group that deserved more recognition, it would British hard rockers, UFO. UFO was formed in London in 1969 by vocalist Phil Mogg, bassist Pete Way, guitar player Mick Bolton and drummer Andy Parker, initially under the moniker, Hocus Pocus, though they soon changed their name to UFO in honour of a local club where they were discovered by Beacon Records. Their first album, "UFO1," was released one year after they changed their name, in October 1970 and met with varying success, garnering mixed reviews but spawned some hits overseas, most notably the song, "Boogie" (also known as "Boogie for George," which became a hit in Germany, and their cover of the Eddie Cochran classic, "C’mon Everybody," which became a massive success in Japan, where the album was also well received commercially, as was their second release, "UFO2: Flying," which received more positive reviews and featured the near twenty minute epic, "Star Storm."

After the (initially Japan only) release of their first live album, "Live," (later re-titled, "UFO Lands In Tokyo,") the band parted company with Mick Bolton and searched for a more traditional rock guitarist to replace him. They initially hired Larry Wallis, who lasted one European tour before leaving and eventually becoming the first guitarist for Motorhead, before embarking on another tour with Bernie Marsden, who would also leave soon afterwards and go on to become a founding member of Whitesnake. Their search came to an end in the summer of 1973 when they recruited 18 year old German guitarist, Michael Schenker, who was then still a member of the Scorpions. With their new guitarist in tow, the band recorded their third studio album, "Phenomenon," which showcased their harder sound and remains one of their most beloved albums amongst fans today. It featured some of their best known work, such as "Rock Bottom" and the hard rock classic, "Doctor Doctor." The record attracted many new fans in the United States and their native, Britain, both of which were expanded upon after the release of their next album, "Force It" in 1975 and the 1976 record, "No Heavy Petting," which marked their first release as a five piece, following the addition of keyboardist, Danny Peyronel, who was soon replaced by Paul Raymond. More...

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