Former Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker recently joined Vinyl Writer Music for an interview during which he remembered when frontman Steven Tyler ruined his audition for Aerosmith.
In 1979, Aerosmith began working on their ‘Night In The Ruts’ album. At that time, the drug abuse within the band was quite heavy, and there were tensions between the members. They decided to go on a tour during a break, and at a show on July 28, 1979, where Aerosmith headlined the World Series Of Rock, Joe Perry decided to leave the band after a heated argument.
Shortly after his departure, Joe Perry formed his side project named The Joe Perry Project. Moreover, Aerosmith began looking for a replacement for Perry. Among other guitarists who auditioned for the band, the guitarist Michael Schenker was also there. At that time, he had just left UFO and the Scorpions.
Michael Schenker remembered when he auditioned for Aerosmith in a recent interview with Vinyl Writer Music. Schenker stated that he was in a transition-type state at that time, and he wasn’t sure what to do next. He then said that his manager suggested he do it, and he waited in a hotel room for five days to audition.
Moreover, Schenker revealed that he went into the rehearsal studio after a while, and everybody waited for Steven Tyler. According to the guitarist, Steven Tyler was probably on a substance, and they couldn’t play that day. So, they did not do anything, and Schenker went back to England.
In the interview with Vinyl Writer Music, Michael Schenker recalled his Aerosmith audition as follows:
“Well, it was in ’79, and I was in a transitionary period. I had just left UFO and the Scorpions. I was in a transition-type state and a transition-type frame of mind. It was like a little bit of a limbo. I was not quite sure what I needed to do next, and honestly, all of ’79 is kind of a blur. So, the word got out that Aerosmith needed a guitar player, as Joe Perry had just left.
My management said, ‘Michael, you should do this. Let’s have you go out there and see if it’s a good fit.’ So, I went over there, and I was sitting in a hotel room for five days, and nothing happened. That is a good example of what these big bands do. They sit around for hours and for days, and they don’t do anything and spend money.
Anyway, eventually, there is a knock on my door, ‘They’re ready for you.’ So, I went down and went into the rehearsal studio, and of course, everybody was waiting for Steven Tyler. Well, eventually, Steven Tyler comes in, and he was completely out of it and on something, so there was not really any point in rehearsing or doing anything. And to be honest, I was not really straight myself after waiting for five days in a hotel room, so basically, we all split, and I went back to England.”
Following Joe Perry’s departure, Aerosmith continued recording their ‘Night In The Ruts’ album with Brad Whitford and Richie Supa recording the necessary parts. After Schenker’s failed audition, the band hired Jimmy Crespo as their full-time guitarist until Joe Perry’s return in 1984.
