UFO – An Interview With Drummer Andy Parker

UFO
Interview with drummer Andy Parker
By Kelley Simms
Photos by Bernard Hulet
Website: www.ufo-music.info

In 1969, three friends got together in London, England to create a unique mix of rock and blues. Phil Mogg (vocals), Andy Parker (drums) and Pete Way (bass) would be the foundation that propelled UFO’s solid sound and style. Taking their name from the famed London night club, the band has been a staple of the classic British hard rock/blues sound for over 40 years.

The reason for UFO’s longevity? The fans — and the band’s own integrity — according to the cordial drummer.

“Our fans are so loyal. Some go back right to the beginning for us. The one thing I love about this band is we’ve never been trend followers. It’s never been about what’s hip right now. UFO has always been about what comes from the heart. We just play what comes from within. That’s always been kind of our M.O., and I don’t think I could do it any other way. Every time we come out with an album it’s something we really believe in and I think the fans really dig that in a way. It’s genuine.”

Throughout the band’s existence, various members have come and gone — and some have come back again — more than once. Guitar wizard Michael Schenker has rejoined twice, and Parker is in his third stint with the band. He explains the unmitigated circumstances as to his rotating status within the band.

“The first time in ’83, the band was just coming to self-destruct. There was a lot of substance abuse going on in there and I think the record company dropped the ball with us. I  wasn’t real happy. I had a lot of personal problems. We worked ourselves to death. We spent so much time on the road. For ten years, virtually, we never had a break. We’d do tour, studio, rehearse, studio, tour … and we never had any time. I was going through a divorce and was trying to get custody of my kid. She was born in 1980, so she was three then. I left for a lot of reasons, but mainly they were personal reasons. So, I left then and I got completely out of the business, raised my kid, which was great. Then around ’94, I finally heard from the guys and they said this Japanese record company was going to put up the money to make an album and asked if I was interested in getting the old lineup back together. Which was Michael, Phil, Pete, Paul and myself. It was the Walk On Water album. It was a great album. From my point of view, I’d done so much different stuff in those 10 or 11 years I was out of the band. So when I went back, it was weird. It was almost like walking back in a time warp. There was still a lot of tension in the band between Michael and Phil, mainly. Things hadn’t really progressed much within the band. So I did the album and I really enjoyed the experience and they were going to take it on the road and I thought about it but said no. I had other things going on. And in hind site I think I made the right decision, they had a lot of problems on that tour. I went back to England and went to work with my family in a completely different situation. I did that from ’94 to 2005 when I had enough of that. You know, family is great, but working with them is kind of difficult sometimes. So I decided to come back to North America, then out of the blue I got a call from Paul Raymond and asked if I was interested in joining the band. So, I did, and it was so much fun. It was different, Vinnie was in the band then. I was really glad I did. It’s worked out really well.

UFO’s rhythm section — Way and Parker — have been the backbone of the band’s foundation since the beginning. Parker is a straight ahead drummer, although not too flashy, but solid and unique none the less. The little subtleties in his playing — his hi-hat/ride cymbal technique and his quick snare fills — gives him a certain flair.

“When I first started playing, I was listening to all the British stuff: Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell, the Holly’s and the Kinks. That was the kind of stuff I was listening to. Over the years I had a lot of influences. Then came Black Sabbath and then Led Zeppelin, and I think once I heard to John Bonham, it was like a door opened for me. It was something I was looking for. He opened up a whole new approach for me. I just worshipped that guy, and I still do. I don’t think anyone’s ever come close to him. He’s still my all time hero. Cozy Powell I loved, but John Bonham is still my guru and I don’t think anyone’s come close.”

In 1974, the Michael Schenker era really propelled UFO’s popularity by churning out influential opuses such as Phenomenon, Force It, Lights Out and the incredible live album Strangers in the Night.

“When Michael joined in ’73 or ’74, that’s when we really came up with our definitive sound, the harder edge. I don’t like to say heavy metal, I’ve never thought of us as heavy metal band, I thought of us as melodious rock. We had melody and had lyrics that made since, kind of like Led Zeppelin, they were heavy but they had melody.”

“He wasn’t so established when we grabbed him. He was playing with the Scorpions with his brother. So, we negotiated to steal him from the Scorpions. Then he came to England, and once he was in the lineup people knew that this was going to be something special. He was just phenomenal, even back then. He was in his late teens, I think. It’s just a shame that he has so many issues with touring. He’s a great musician and a great guy, but from my point of view, the instability factor was something that I wasn’t wanting to deal with at this point in my career.”

Paul Chapman, Schenker’s replacement in 1980, stepped in and did an admirable job on albums No Place to Run, The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent and Mechanix, but UFO didn’t seem to have that cohesive spark that they had in the previous years.

“I totally agree with you. I think the time Michael left after Obsession … it already started before Obsession. There’s a track on Obsession called “Ain’t No Baby,” that track was written by Phil in disgust. Starting right then when Michael left, and I think it just continued with those years. You’re right, there were some really good stuff there. The No Place To Run album had some great stuff on it. The Wild and Willing…, we had to fire our producer early on in the album, and we basically had to produce it ourselves. And then Mechanix, we’d always used Hypnosis for our covers, but by then (management) didn’t want to pay Hypnosis. So, we had in-house people do the cover and a lot of people complained because it was really kind of cheesy. So, you’re already noticing from the late seventies, we weren’t really getting support. And I think that really added to the frustration, we were out there not getting the support we deserved and the management was really messed up at the time. So that stuff didn’t get the recognition it deserved.”

Current UFO guitarist Vinnie Moore has been in the lineup for six years now and seems to be a permanent member. With the addition of Vinnie, UFO’s music has celebrated their deep blues roots and brought it to the forefront even more on 2004’s You Are Here and 2006’s Monkey Puzzle.

“When I came back, they’ve already made Monkey Puzzle and I started to realize that it was really bluesy. And it was very comfortable to me because when we started the band, that’s where we came from in the late ’60s. So, it was kind of interesting when I listened to a few of Vinnie’s solo albums. He’s an amazing guitar player with incredible technique, like a shred-head guy, but not particularly bluesy. I thought it was kind of interesting how he was so different with the band — how much bluesier this band has become. I think it really works for the band and I think this guy is making us better than ever and I’m really happy with the direction the band is going. I know there are quite a few people out there, the die-hard ’70s Schenker fans, that think maybe we’re not going as we should be. But my way of thinking is you can’t sit still. As I said earlier, UFO has always played from the heart. We don’t think about what’s hip or what people are listening to, we just play what we feel and hope that people like it. And I think that’s the one thing you can say about this band.”