McAuley Schenker Group
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, live albums, extended plays |
McAuley Schenker Group (abbreviated as MSG) was an international rock ensemble headquartered in Los Angeles, primarily composed of Robin McAuley on vocals and Michael Schenker on guitar. This formation followed and later preceded the earlier incarnation known as the Michael Schenker Group. Originally, McAuley joined to succeed vocalist Gary Barden within MSG, but the productive collaboration with Schenker prompted the group’s rebranding to McAuley Schenker Group, while maintaining the MSG acronym.
The band's roster consisted of musicians from Germany, Ireland, the United States, and the United Kingdom, effectively creating a supergroup with members who had distinguished musical histories: guitarist Steve Mann had associations with Tytan, Sweet, and Saxon; bassist Rocky Newton had led the late 1970s ensemble The Next Band; guitarist Mitch Perry previously replaced Yngwie Malmsteen in Steeler and collaborated with Billy Sheehan in Talas; drummer Bodo Schopf brought experience from his work with Eloy. The group moved their base to Los Angeles to take advantage of the burgeoning hard rock and glam metal scenes in America. Over their career, they produced three studio albums, an EP, and a live acoustic album before disbanding.
Their initial release, Perfect Timing (1987), featured the successful track "Gimme Your Love." The 1989 follow-up Save Yourself included their most notable hit, the power ballad "Anytime." This was succeeded by M.S.G. in 1992 and an acoustic live recording titled "Unplugged" Live in 1993.
Following their acoustic tour and live album release in 1992, McAuley and Schenker ended their partnership in 1993. McAuley briefly retired after getting married, whereas Schenker pursued solo projects and revived Michael Schenker Group in 1996. Subsequently, McAuley served as lead vocalist for Survivor before reuniting with Schenker for a 26-date US tour during early 2012.
Studio albums
- Perfect Timing (1987)
- Save Yourself (1989)
- M.S.G. (1991)
Live albums
- "Unplugged" Live (1992)