In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Michael Schenker discussed his collaboration with Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose and Slash.
He mentioned that Slash and Axl have been ‘hardcore fans’ of his music for years, and Slash even guested on Schenker’s projects before Guns N’ Roses got big.
“In the ’80s I did a video, ‘Rock Will Never Die,’ with Michael Schenker Group,” Schenker explained. “And in the background, there were a bunch of celebrities, but they were doubles, like a Michael Jackson double. But there was one, Slash, that was the real one. He is a real fan, and he heard about this, and he came … and you can see him rocking there.”
“Slash has always expressed his love — Axl and Slash and Guns N’ Roses,” he continued. “They really loved the UFO productions, in the studio and the live recordings. And Ron Nevison [UFO producer] had a tape op called Mike Clink, and so he actually ended up producing Guns N’ Roses. And because Mike Clink had all the information on how Ron Nevison did it, Guns N’ Roses were basically kind of trying to stick as close as possible to UFO’s sound, and, of course, added their own individual ideas to it. But basically, they are really, really hardcore fans.”
Both Axl Rose and Slash took place in the rocker’s new album, ‘My Years With UFO.’ The album celebrates the 50th anniversary of Schenker’s time with UFO.
“Axl is a perfectionist,” Schenker said in an issue of Classic Rock. “He puts everything under the microscope. He was not happy with his performance on ‘Too Hot To Handle’ and ‘Only You Can Rock Me,’ but he did such a great version of ‘Love To Love.’”
“He would go back into the studio and do something else: ‘It’s not right yet, it’s not right yet!’ We waited and waited, and eventually, he got it. It’s a really good song for Axl to sing,” Schenker added.
According to the Facebook page Slash Addict, Axl Rose recorded his part in June last year in London while Guns N’ Roses were on their European tour. Slash’s guitar parts were added in Düsseldorf that same month.
Other guest vocalists in the album include Joe Lynn Turner, Dee Snider, and Biff Byford.