hair story
The McAuley Schenker Group, often abbreviated as MSG, were a melodic hard rock and glam metal band formed in 1986 by legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker and Irish vocalist Robin McAuley. The group grew out of Schenker’s earlier band, the Michael Schenker Group, after Schenker recruited McAuley to replace vocalist Gary Barden. The chemistry between the two musicians led to a new musical direction, blending Schenker’s powerful, technically accomplished guitar playing with McAuley’s soaring vocals and the polished hooks popular in the late-’80s hard rock scene. Based in Los Angeles, California, the band featured several talented musicians over its career, including guitarist and keyboardist Steve Mann, guitarist Mitch Perry, bassist Rocky Newton, and drummer Bodo Schopf. Their debut album, Perfect Timing, arrived in 1987 and featured the single “Gimme Your Love,” which helped introduce the revamped MSG sound to American audiences. The band reached its commercial peak with Save Yourself in 1989, an album featuring the popular title track and the power ballad “Anytime,” which became one of their best-known songs and reached the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Their third studio album, M.S.G., followed in 1991, continuing their blend of melodic hard rock, impressive guitar solos, and arena-ready choruses.
The McAuley Schenker Group released three studio albums before Michael Schenker and Robin McAuley went their separate ways in 1993, as changing musical trends and shifting record-label priorities made it increasingly difficult for melodic hard rock bands to maintain their commercial momentum. Although the original partnership ended, both musicians continued successful careers. Schenker returned to performing under the Michael Schenker Group name and remains active as a guitarist, while McAuley went on to front Survivor from 2006 to 2011 and later became part of the melodic hard rock supergroup Black Swan. The pair reunited for selected performances in 2012, but the McAuley Schenker Group has not returned as a full-time band. In more recent years, Schenker has continued touring and recording with the Michael Schenker Group, with vocalist Erik Grönwall joining that lineup in 2025. McAuley has also continued releasing solo music. Although the McAuley Schenker Group are no longer an active recording and touring unit, albums such as Perfect Timing and Save Yourself remain favorites among hair metal fans. Their combination of Schenker’s unmistakable guitar work and McAuley’s powerful vocals helped create some of the most memorable melodic hard rock of the late 1980s.
McAuley Schenker Group on Wikipedia >
hair photos
hair band members
Robin McAuley, lead vocals
Michael Schenker, lead guitar
Mitch Perry, rhythm guitar
Rocky Newton, bass
Bodo Schopf, drums
hair albums
Perfect Timing (1987)
Save Yourself (1989)
M.S.G. (1991)
Nightmare: The Acoustic M.S.G. (1992)
“Unplugged” Live (1992)
live shows
M.S.G Unplugged 1992