Michael was born in Sarstedt, Germany. He started playing in his early teens when his brother Rudolph brought home a Flying V guitar, which captured Michael's imagination. His playing style is unusual in that he seems not to use conventionally practiced guitar scales but seems instead to improvise.
Schenker joined UFO under unusual circumstances. The band left the UK to play some dates in Germany. Their guitarist at the time; Bernie Marsden, forgot his passport and was unable to make the first gig. At the venue UFO spotted Michael playing a soundcheck with the Scorpions and managed to persuade him into playing that evening's show. Despite the language barrier; he spoke no English and they spoke no German, something clearly "clicked" and Schenker brought the ellusive X factor to the band and took them to another level musically.
Schenker has had a turbulent career with UFO, often walking out mid song and causing shows to be cancelled. He is evidently as temperamental as he is gifted. Schenker says his playing with UFO is like chocolate: fantastic for a while but once you've had enough....
Clearly a musical prodigy, Schenker was one of the 1970's most inspirational guitarists, influencing later musicians such as Kirk Hammett from the band Metallica.
Michael was offered gigs with Aerosmith and Ozzy Osbourne but decided he wanted to play his own music and not be a hired hand in another group. In 1979, he founded the Michael Schenker Group (M.S.G). The history of the Michael Schenker Group has been strewn with personality conflicts and "incidents" between band members. In 1982, original vocalist Gary Barden was sacked in favor of Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, Alcatrazz) who lasted one album (Assault Attack) and was fired from the band after dropping his pants in a warm-up gig before the Reading festival. Gary Barden was enticed back to the band for Reading and stayed with M.S.G. for the recording of a new studio album (Built to Destroy) and a live album (Rock Will Never Die). After the second departure of vocalist Gary Barden after the Built to Destroy album, Michael reorganized the band around himself and vocalist Robin McAuley as the McAuley Schenker Group. After three albums in that configuration, Michael and Robin parted company.
Michael next rejoined UFO for the album Walk on Water. A short tour punctuated by a fight between Michael and vocalist Phil Mogg ended the reunion.
Michael resurrected the Michael Schenker Group with all new players and recorded three decent albums and toured yearly to appreciative Schenker-heads around the United States and Europe.
Michael fell on hard times in the early 2000's after his divorce in which he lost rights to his own music, his Mercedes and his prized Flying V guitars.
Michael picked himself up and got back to the business of making and performing music. The recording of the album Arachnophobiac and the resulting two years of touring got Michael back in rocking form.
2005 brings the 25th anniversary of the Michael Schenker Group. Michael is putting together a new album of songs called Tales of Rock and Roll honoring that anniversary. Singers from each iteration of the group have been enlisted to sing on a track or two.
A new Michael Schenker Group album is as much about finding out who is left in the band as it is about the music. Devoted fans love him regardless of his personal and personnel problems.
Natural Thing
Michael Schenker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can look but please don't touch
Didn't like rock and rollers
Seemed a bit much too much
* Cause it's the natural thing you feel at the start
Natural blood starts to flow
Yeah, the natural thing, you get at the start
Then she'll never let you go
Don't you think the band's real tight Wait til we start to move
** May sound funny but you gave it to me
I didn't even like it
May sound funny but you gave it to me
And now I got to live without it
I been down to Atlanta
Got to move my feet
Gettin' down for the last encore
With every star she meets
[* Repeat]
[** Repeat]
[** Repeat]
Why'd you do it, why'd you do it
The lyrics to Michael Schenker’s song Natural Thing are about a girl that the singer met, who he says hails from Memphis. The chorus, “cause it's the natural thing you feel at the start, natural blood starts to flow,” suggests that he is talking about the natural attraction and chemistry that two people sometimes have when they first meet. This girl, however, didn’t like rock and rollers, which initially made the singer feel that she was too much for him. Despite this, he tries to win her over, telling her that the band is “real tight” and that they will impress her once they start to play.
The second verse describes the singer moving to Atlanta and going to many shows where he dances with various women. The song ends with the repeated question “why did you do it?” which has been interpreted as the singer asking the girl who he couldn’t have why she gave him that natural feeling if she was never going to let him go. The lyrics offer insight into the attraction and connection that two people can share when they first meet, but also the disappointment and heartache when those two people cannot be together.
Line by Line Meaning
Said she came from Memphis
She claimed to be from Memphis
You can look but please don't touch
You can admire her, but do not make an advance
Didn't like rock and rollers
She was not a fan of rock and roll musicians
Seemed a bit much too much
She thought the rock and roll world was overwhelming
Cause it's the natural thing you feel at the start
It is a natural feeling at the beginning of a relationship
Natural blood starts to flow
The excitement of a new relationship increases
Yeah, the natural thing, you get at the start
The initial feelings are typical
Then she'll never let you go
She will never want to leave
Hey girl, now does it feel alright Think I'm gettin' through
Are you enjoying yourself? Do you understand what I am saying?
Don't you think the band's real tight Wait til we start to move
Don't you think the band is fantastic? Wait until they begin to play more lively music.
May sound funny but you gave it to me
It might sound peculiar, but you provided it to me
I didn't even like it
Initially, I was not fond of it
And now I got to live without it
But now, I have to move on without it
I been down to Atlanta
I have visited Atlanta
Got to move my feet
I have to dance
Gettin' down for the last encore
Dancing alongside her, for the final musical number
With every star she meets
She is friendly with all of the musicians
[* Repeat]
Repeating the chorus
[** Repeat]
Repeating the chorus
[** Repeat]
Repeating the chorus
Why'd you do it, why'd you do it
Why did she do it?
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, DELLA BLUE MUSIC LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL SCHENKER, PETER FREDERICK WAY, PHILLIP JOHN MOGG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jim Pickett
This vocalist is left wanting....😂😂😂
Ernslinger
Wanting what??
Stig Stench
Paul Raymond R.I.P 🎹🎸🎼🇬🇧🕊💔
TealScarab
Schenker is fine, but this vocalist is no phill mogg