Michael Schenker went through dark times while dealing with drug addiction. Despite being an admirable guitarist, substance abuse and a deteriorating mental state ended opportunities for the musician – and almost resulted in a fatal incident, as producer Ric Browde .
Known for his work alongside Ted Nugent and other artists, Browde spoke about his time working with the Michael Schenker Group . “I did an aborted album in 1983, right after the first three albums,” he told Full in Bloom (via Ultimate Guitar) . “And I went to England and Michael was more than screwed, just ridiculous. We did three songs.”
The producer recounts that other band members, such as vocalist Ray Kennedy , also struggled with drug addiction, some even selling their own instruments to finance their substance abuse. Schenker “had a bad cocaine problem” and threatened manager David Krebs when he ran out of supplies. “He called and said, ‘If you don’t get me cocaine tonight’ – he gave a three or four hour deadline – ‘I’m going to burn my house down!’”
At first, Browde thought the guitarist's English wasn't good, but that wasn't the case. "I said, 'Michael, don't you think it would be a better threat if you burned down his house instead of yours?', and he replied, 'No, that would be dishonorable. He wouldn't take me seriously, he wouldn't respect me if I burned down his house'.".
Not believing the threats, the producer returned to the hotel. In the middle of the night, he received a call from the local fire department. “We have Michael Schenker in custody; he set his house on fire with his wife and child inside. They are fine, don’t worry,” the officer informed him. After the incident, Browde abandoned the project.
That year, MSG released the album Built to Destroy , their last studio album before the band's first breakup. The album was produced by the band members themselves along with Louis Austin .
READ ALSO: Klaus Meine considered quitting Scorpions after Michael Schenker's departure
