#ramases

UFO: UFO 1 (1970)

This blog is dedicated to Pete Way: if you looked up “rocker” in the dictionary, you might find his photo ...

When most fans think of UFO, it’s as one of the ‘70s most exciting hard rock bands, sparked by the singular talents of guitarist Michael Schenker; but years before the mercurial German was even invited to join their ranks, the otherwise U.K.-bred group pursued a less celebrated, albeit necessary initial career trajectory as one of the pioneering space rock groups.

The band even took their name from London’s trendy UFO Club (replacing their original choice, Hocus Pocus), which had been home to Pink Floyd’s earliest sightings behind Syd Barrett and, later, a popular hangout for the rock ‘n’ roll elite.

It was in that same club that singer Phil Mogg, guitarist Mick Bolton, bassist Way and drummer Andy Parker were spotted and signed to independent Beacon Records, before launching both their career and their long-playing debut, UFO 1, 50 years ago this month. 

And I’ll start by pointing out that, rather than the band’s self-penned material, my attention was first drawn to UFO’s savage, feedback-laden cover of Eddie Cochran’s “C’mon Everybody,” which resembles (and was no doubt inspired by) none other than Blue Cheer’s seismic take on Cochran’s other ‘50s rock staple, “Summertime Blues.”

UFO 1 also saw the fledgling band trying their hands at Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love?” (not bad) and the Fred Hellerman/Fran Minkoff anti-war ballad “(Come Away) Melinda” (meh), which was also covered by Uriah Heep that same year.

As for the band’s originals: dreamy, cryptic reveries like “Unidentified Flying Object” and “Treacle People” reflect UFO's space rock style, but they were frequently taken out back and beaten soundly by a gang of heavy rockers like “Boogie,” “Timothy” and “Follow You Home.”

Meaning that anyone visiting this UFO with expectations of meeting a wise and peaceful alien civilization, will likely be shocked by the band’s generally unhinged heavy rock fury, to say nothing of lascivious blues workouts like “Shake it About” and “Evil.”

Not until the following year’s sophomore long-player, Flying, would the band’s spacier songwriting inclinations get well and truly pushed to the fore, establishing UFO’s early career narrative as musical/thematic kinsmen to the Floyd, Hawkwind, and other galactic travelers.

But neither of UFO’s fist two LPs found an audience in the UK. or U.S. (where UFO 1 was issued by Motown subsidiary, Rare Earth) -- only cult followings in Japan and Germany, ultimately leading to Bolton’s departure and a near-three-year hiatus before they re-emerged with 1974's Schenker-enhanced Phenomenon. 

And the rest, as they say, is history ...

p.s. -- Some of these words originate in my Ultimate Classic Rock analysis of UFO 1.