- Assault Attack
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Assault Attack Studio album by The Michael Schenker Group Released October 1982 Recorded Le Château, Hérouville, France Genre Hard rock, heavy metal Length 39:52 Label Chrysalis Producer Martin Birch The Michael Schenker Group chronology One Night at Budokan
(1981)Assault Attack
(1982)Built to Destroy
(1983)Singles from Assault Attack - "Dancer / Girl from Uptown"
Released: 27 August 1982
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1]
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Assault Attack is the third studio album from The Michael Schenker Group, and the only album to feature former Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet. The album was recorded in France at the Château d'Hérouville and was produced by Martin Birch.
Contents
Overview
After returning to the UK from Japan in August 1981, having recorded the live album One Night at Budokan, Schenker and his band played a short tour of the UK. After the tour Cozy Powell and Peter Mensch (MSG's manager) wanted a better singer for the band and suggested David Coverdale, but Schenker himself wanted Graham Bonnet. After some disagreements, which ultimately led to the termination of the cooperation between Mensch and MSG, Bonnet joined the MSG in February 1982. Meanwhile, Cozy Powell and Paul Raymond left the band for their own reasons and were replaced by ex-Sensational Alex Harvey Band and Rory Gallagher drummer Ted McKenna and session keyboardist Tommy Eyre (Joe Cocker, John Martyn, Alex Harvey, Greg Lake, Gary Moore, B.B. King, etc.). After four months the band went to France to commence the album that would became Assaul Attack. As a producer they choose Martin (The Ninja) Birch who arrived fresh from Iron Maiden's album The Number of the Beast. The sessions took part at a French castle, called Château d'Hérouville. Nevertheless, the MSG-Bonnet cooperation would be short-lived, due to a serious incident caused by a drunk Bonnet who insulted Schenker especially and the rest of the band, in front of the audience in a warm up gig at the Sheffield Polytechnic, just before the appearance at the Reading Festival. That was the last time until the Tales of Rock'n'Roll album that Schenker and Bonnet cooperated. The BBC broadcast of the Reading Festival concert was released in 1993 as BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert.
Attracting mixed reviews on release, it is now looked on more favourably, and Schenker himself is considered by many to be in top form. More recent CD reissues contains the bonus track "Girl from Uptown," the b-side of "Dancer," the album's sole single.
Track listing
Side one
- "Assault Attack" (Michael Schenker, Graham Bonnet, Chris Glen, Ted McKenna) - 4:16
- "Rock You to the Ground" (Schenker, Bonnet) - 5:48
- "Dancer" (Schenker, Bonnet) - 4:41
- "Samurai" (Schenker, Bonnet, Glen) - 5:16
Side two
- "Desert Song" (Schenker, Bonnet) - 5:51
- "Broken Promises" (Schenker, Bonnet, Glen) - 6:21
- "Searching for a Reason" (Schenker, Bonnet) - 3:46
- "Ulcer" (Schenker) - 3:53
Bonus track on the 2009 CD reissue
- "Girl from Uptown" (Schenker, Bonnet) - 5:21
Personnel
Band members
- Michael Schenker - guitars
- Graham Bonnet - lead & backing vocals
- Chris Glen - bass
- Ted McKenna - drums, percussion
Additional musicians
Production
- Martin Birch - producer, engineer
- Benedict Tobias Fenner, Patrick Drouget - engineers
Charts
Year Chart Peak position Sales Weeks on Chart 1982 UK 19[2] - 5 1982 Japan 9 44,000 8 1982 US 151[3] - - 1982 Sweden 34[4] - 1 References
- ^ Hinds, Andy. "Michael Schenker Assault Attack review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/assault-attack-r17483/review. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
- ^ "Assault Attack Chart Stats". Chart Stats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=41199. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
- ^ "Assault Attack Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/assault-attack-r17483/charts-awards. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
- ^ "Michael Schenker Group - Assault Attack (Album)". Swedishcharts.com. Media Control Charts. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Michael+Schenker+Group&titel=Assault+Attack&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
Michael Schenker Group members Gary Barden • Paul Raymond • Chris Glen • Cozy Powell • Graham Bonnett • Ted McKenna • Andy Nye • Derek St. Holmes • Leif Sundin • Barry Sparks • Shane Gaalaas • Seth Bernstein • Kelly Keeling • John Onder • Keith Slack • Wayne Findlay • Chris Logan • Revenard Jones • Jeff Martin • Stuart Hamm • Jeremy Colson • Jari Tiura • Pete Way • Don Airey • Neil Murray • Simon Phillips • Pete HolmesMcAuley Schenker Group members Robin McAuley • Mitch Perry • Rocky Newton • Bodo Schopf • Steve Mann • Jesse Harms • Jeff Pilson • James Kottak • Spencer SercombeAlbums with Scorpions Albums with UFO Phenomenon • Force It • No Heavy Petting • Lights Out • Obsession • Strangers in the Night • Walk on Water • Covenant • SharksAlbums with the Michael Schenker Group The Michael Schenker Group • MSG • One Night at Budokan • Assault Attack • Built to Destroy • Rock Will Never Die • Written in the Sand • The Michael Schenker Story Live • The Unforgiven • The Unforgiven World Tour • Be Aware of Scorpions • Arachnophobiac • Heavy Hitters • Tales of Rock'n'Roll • The Mad Axeman Live • In the Midst of Beauty • The 30th Anniversary Concert – Live in Tokyo • By Invitation Only • Temple of RockAlbums with the McAuley Schenker Group Solo albums Thank You • Thank You 2 • Thank You with Orchestra • Adventures of the Imagination • The Odd Trio • Dreams and Expressions • Thank You 3 • Thank You 4 • Doctor Doctor: The Kulick SessionsRelated articles Categories:- 1982 albums
- Michael Schenker Group albums
- Albums produced by Martin Birch
- Chrysalis Records albums
- "Dancer / Girl from Uptown"
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