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.
Tales of Mystery
Michael Schenker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the ocean to the shore
And the tides of time, keep flowing
And telling tales of mystery.
Who could say that I'd love again
River, flow my tears!
Could I still have this broken heart,
After all these years
I'm coming back to your heart
And the tides of time keep flowing
Telling tales of mystery...
Who could say that I'd love again
River, flow my tears!
Could I still have this broken heart,
After all these years
The lyrics of Michael Schenker's song "Tales of Mystery" tell the story of a person who has spent their entire life from the ocean to the shore. Through the metaphor of "the tides of time" they describe the continuous ebb and flow of their existence, full of tales of mystery. They express uncertainty about love and whether or not they will ever find it again. The lyrics express raw emotion, with the figure crying out "River, flow my tears!" as they question whether or not they are still carrying a broken heart after so many years.
On a deeper level, the song speaks to the cyclic nature of human experience. The ocean and the shore, the tides of time, and the river all speak to the idea of the passing of time and the inevitability of change. However, the song also reveals a sense of hope, as the singer expresses a desire to come back to the heart of someone they love, even after all they have been through.
Line by Line Meaning
I have wandered a lifetime
I have traveled throughout my life
From the ocean to the shore
From one end of the world to the other
And the tides of time, keep flowing
Time keeps moving forward
And telling tales of mystery.
And revealing secrets unknown before
Who could say that I'd love again
Who could predict that I'd find love once more
River, flow my tears!
I'm expressing my deep emotions
Could I still have this broken heart,
Is it possible that my heart is still broken
After all these years
Even though so much time has passed
More and more, each day girl
I find myself drawn to you more each day
I'm coming back to your heart
I'm returning to your love
And the tides of time keep flowing
Time keeps moving forward
Telling tales of mystery...
Revealing secrets unknown before
Who could say that I'd love again
Who could predict that I'd find love once more
River, flow my tears!
I'm expressing my deep emotions
Could I still have this broken heart,
Is it possible that my heart is still broken
After all these years
Even though so much time has passed
Contributed by Hudson G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.