UFO,Michael Schenker Michael Schenker/CA,USA 1977

The “Lights Out” tour, which began with the release of the new album in May 1977, saw the band perform well in Europe and the UK, showcasing the band’s momentum. However, Michael’s relationship with Phil Mogg and his excessive alcohol intake due to stress led to him becoming unstable, and he disappeared from the band after the London performance on June 12th. He returned to his hometown of Germany (Michael apparently left a note at this time expressing his intention to leave the band). With the US tour looming in July, the band was in a difficult position, and they tried to find a replacement through auditions and asked Gary Moore to join, but neither of these options came to fruition. As a last resort, Phil asked Paul Chapman of Lone Star, who had been Michael’s “second guitarist” for a while in 1974, to return. Despite having just completed his second album with Lone Star, Chapman temporarily returned to UFO as a helper and participated in the US tour. After that, when Michael showed up in August, a discussion was held with Phil, and it was decided that Michael would return to the band. In September, they began another US tour as a support for RUSH. This work contains a precious audience recording of the performance at the “Warner Theater” in Fresno on September 29th during that tour. From the opening song “Lights Out”, this recording is characterized by good visibility and directness, and Phil’s vocals in particular resonate vividly with clear contours. Michael’s guitar is also well focused in the solo, and you can enjoy the sharp playing with plenty of power. The powerful rhythms of Pete Way and Andy Parker and Paul Raymond’s keyboard are also captured with an ideal balance. The audience is very excited at this live performance, but the ease of listening without the noise interfering with the performance is also a nice point (the good balance of realism and performance even gives the impression of an FM source collected by the audience). You can feel the quality of this recording in “Love To Love”, which you want to listen carefully to the performance. Due to time constraints as an opening act for RUSH, the set was shortened to about 50 minutes. However, the set list, which is a further condensed version of the Birmingham performance heard on “Lights Out Birmingham,” features songs that can be said to be the essence of UFO in the 1970s, so the listeners will not get bored. In addition to “Doctor Doctor” that pops out in the middle of the show, the fans will also enjoy the energetic performance of the classic songs of the time, “Out On The Streets” and “This Kids,” and the light-hearted “Shoot Shoot.” The last song is, of course, “Rock Bottom”! The live show will end with a deep sense of satisfaction. From this 1977 work “Lights Out” to the time of “Obsession” the following year, the band’s condition was unstable (mainly due to Michael) despite the fact that they had a lot of albums and live shows. This work, which vividly captures Michael and the band during that turbulent period on the live stage, is extremely valuable as evidence of the times. This work, which features a valuable live performance with a solid recording, is a must-have for UFO fans. We hope you enjoy this album along with “LIGHTS OUT BIRMINGHAM,” which features a passionate performance in the UK! Live at Warner Theatre, Fresno, CA. USA 29th September 1977 TRULY AMAZING SOUND 1. Intro. 2. Lights Out 3. Love To Love 4. On With The Action 5. Doctor Doctor 6. Out On The Streets 7. This Kids 8. Shoot Shoot 9. Rock Bottom Phil Mogg – Vocals Michael Schenker – Guitar Pete Way – Bass Andy Parker – Drums Paul Raymond – Keyboards