Robert Cavuoto of Guitar International recently spoke with guitarist MICHAEL SCHENKER (UFO, SCORPIONS) about his new album, Bridge The Gap; an excerpt follows:

How does this Bridge The Gap compare to your previous work?

Michael Schenker: "This is a very special album because it’s the closest I have ever gotten to a true band. We have Doogie White; he’s an excellent vocalist and a great showman. We have Herman Rarebell and Francis Buchholz the original rhythm section of Scorpions. We have Wayne Findley who plays a fantastic 7-string guitar and keyboard. So, it’s all the way up there for me."

The CD title really ties nicely with the vibe of the CD about bridging the gap between the past with Herman and Francis and the present with new players and an updated sound. Tell me about your thinking behind it.

Michael Schenker: "I’ve only done one CD with Herman and Francis, which was Lovedrive in the ‘70s with the Scorpions. For various reasons, we disappeared out of the loop. With Bridge The Gap we are all coming back almost simultaneously and making our second record together. I already knew the album title before I even went in the studio starting to record or before writing. I said to everybody, It’s going to be called Bridge The Gap. When I gave Doogie the material, I said think bridge the gap and think melodic."

Tell me about song writing process, do you work together as a band with the riffs you’ve saved or do you bring completed songs to them?

Michael Schenker: "For this album, I just looked at what I had. We had six months to get it all together. I started writing around the clock to add to my riffs. By the end of the year, I was ready to give it to Doogie. But for the next record, I want to try something that I used to do long, long time ago at the very beginning of UFO. We used to sit together in a rehearsal studio, and somebody starts a riff and then everybody joins in on the spot to play what they feel. So, I already have an idea for how the next album will start off."

To read the interview in its entirety, visit this location.

Access BraveWords scribe Mark Gromen's review of Bridge The Gap by clicking here.