The predominance of live
albums in the 1970’s was a response to
consumer demand for more explorative treatments
of the hits being generated by AOR radio.
Hard rock icons UFO utilized the trend
to great effect with 1979’s “Strangers
In The Night”, a double album of hits
and fan favorites that showcased the impromptu
greatness of Michael Schenker’s rock ensemble.
Recorded over the course of two U.S. concert
dates, the set list finds UFO delving
into a career’s worth of classics, including
the key tracks “Rock Bottom” and “Doctor
Doctor”. While it proved to be Schenker’s
swansong with the band, the album encapsulated
an ambitious worldwide tour and cemented
UFO’s status as one of the era’s most
exciting – and loudest – bands.
“Strangers In The Night” (1978) was the
coronation for UFO. It was the crowning
achievement of a great rock and roll band
that had paid its dues for many years
and finally received the critical and
popular recognition it was due. And it
almost never happened! Consider the improbable
scenario that unfolded early in the formation
of the group.
1973. A hungry young English
club band (whose name was taken from a
legendary London club, not an extraterrestrial
transport) with a marginal following has
a guitarist left behind due to a mix-up
in travel arrangements. Without an axe-man
in a foreign country, they approach a
sixteen-year-old guitarist from a German
band, who has opened up for them at previous
shows. A quick run through some rock classics
and a young Michael Schenker goes on the
stage with them. UFO gets paid for the
shows, fulfilling their contractual obligations.
Shortly after, the band asks the guitar
wunderkind to join their fold, going back
to England with them and leaving his brother
behind in Germany. That brother, Rudolf,
would build the Scorpions into rock legends,
and Michael would unleash some of the
greatest guitar licks ever; in a band
with whom he shared only one language
– rock and roll.
What ensued for UFO was a brilliant run
of guitar-stung songs, headlining gigs,
good fun, spats, several albums, tours,
a lot of beer, a ton of tension, and disagreements
ad infinitum. Unadulterated live readings
rarely eclipse studio versions of classic
songs, but UFO did just that on “Strangers
In The Night”. “Doctor Doctor”, “Rock
Bottom”, “Lights Out”, “Only You Can Rock
Me”, “Too Hot To Handle” and many more.
All get rocket-launched to completely
new heights.
The classic late-‘70s UFO lineup featured
lead vocalist Phil Mogg, Paul Raymond
on guitar and keyboards, Pete Way on bass,
Andy Parker on drums and Schenker on lead
guitar. Mogg, Way, and Parker had been
there from the beginning in 1969, in what
was initially called Hocus Pocus. Re-emerging
as UFO, the band enjoyed a surprising
amount of early success in both Germany
and Japan, with a lineup that predated
the one highlighted on this classic album.
UFO’s assault on the U.S. and UK began
with their Chrysalis signing and the release
of their first album for the label, “Phenomenon”
(1974). “Force It” (1975) and “No Heavy
Petting” (1976) followed closely and helped
to fortify a burgeoning fan base. When
Raymond joined the group in July of 1976,
the scene was set for the classic UFO
lineup to record their most artistic and
commercially successful albums, “Lights
Out” (1977) and “Obsession” (1978). Both
albums are considered seminal releases
in their genre. The subsequent 1978 tour
(in support of Obsession) saw UFO opening
for Blue Oyster Cult in the U.S. It was
a pair of unforgettable dates on this
tour that were immortalized for this live
record.
Phil Mogg said it best when he spoke about
the making of Strangers: “It was easy.
Some bands doctor their live albums to
death. I’m proud to say our live album
was practically perfect. There was no
real need to doctor this record with endless
studio overdubs.” (Michael Schenker insured
that by quitting UFO in November of 1978,
to be replaced later by Paul Chapman.)
This newly re-mastered and modernized
version of “Strangers In The Night” has
been resequenced to remain faithful to
the band’s original set list while placing
previously unreleased versions of “Hot
‘N’ Ready” and “Cherry” in their original
concert positions. Pay attention to the
special humor and spice that were such
a part of the UFO concert experience at
this time. This record is justly considered
one of the most inspiring live albums
of the hard rock era and it captures perfectly
the essence of UFO in its prime.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
