Group

McAuley–Schenker Group

From
Los Angeles
Active
1986–1993
Rating
★ 5 (1 votes)
Releases
7
  • hard rock
  • rock

About

McAuley Schenker Group (commonly abbreviated to as MSG) was a multi-national rock band based in Los Angeles featuring core members Robin McAuley (vocals) and Michael Schenker (guitar), a successor (and eventual predecessor) to Schenker's earlier band Michael Schenker Group. McAuley was initially contacted to replace singer Gary Barden in MSG. However, the strong partnership immediately formed between McAuley and Schenker led to the change of the name from Michael Schenker Group to McAuley Schenker Group, retaining the same initials of the previous band MSG.

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The band consisted of German, Irish, American, and British members. It could be considered a supergroup, as all members had solid musical careers; for example, guitarist Steve Mann had performed on albums by Tytan, Sweet, Saxon and alongside bassist Rocky Newton in Lionheart. Newton had previously fronted the short-lived late-1970s group The Next Band, which also featured one-time Def Leppard drummer Frank Noon. Guitarist Mitch Perry had replaced Yngwie Malmsteen in Steeler, played with Billy Sheehan in Talas and recorded an album with Australian hard rockers Heaven. Drummer Bodo Schopf had credits with Eloy, among others, and later joined Steve Mann in Sweet. They relocated to Los Angeles, trying to exploit the increasing popularity of hard rock and glam metal in the US. They released three studio albums, one EP and an acoustic live album before disbanding.
Their first album Perfect Timing was released in 1987, and included their first hit "Gimme Your Love". Two years later, Save Yourself was released, giving this incarnation of MSG its biggest hit with the power ballad "Anytime". M.S.G. followed in 1992 and "Unplugged" Live came out in 1993.
After the 1992 tour with a strictly acoustic set and the release of the unplugged live, in 1993 McAuley and Schenker went their separate ways, the first getting married and retiring from the music scene for a few years, the latter working on his first solo album and eventually reforming the Michael Schenker Group in 1996.
After a stint fronting Survivor, McAuley started cooperating with Schenker again, playing 26 shows across the US in February and March 2012.

From McAuley Schenker Group on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Members

  • Steve Mann 1986–1990 · original member · former guitar, keyboard
  • Rocky Newton 1986–1990 · original member · former bass guitar
  • Bodo Schopf 1986–1990 · original member · former drums (drum set)
  • Robin McAuley 1986–1993 · original member · former eponymous, lead vocals
  • Michael Schenker 1986–1993 · original member · former eponymous, guitar
  • James Kottak 1990–1993 · former drums (drum set)
  • Jeff Pilsen 1990–1993 · former bass guitar

Discography

Albums 3
Singles 2
Live 1
Compilations 1

Links

Also known as

M.S.G McAuley Schenker Group · MSG · McAuley Schenker Group

Identifiers

ISNI
0000000106562280

Data from MusicBrainz, saved 9 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.