Phenomenon (UFO album)

Phenomenon
Studio album by UFO
Released	May 1974
Recorded	1973–1974
Studio	Morgan (London)
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length	39:28
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Leo Lyons
UFO chronology
Live (1971) Phenomenon (1974) Force It (1975)
Singles from Phenomenon
"Give Her the Gun" Released: 1973 (Ger.) [1] "Doctor Doctor" Released: 22 March 1974 [2]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	7/10 [4]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[5]
Tom Hull	B [6]

Phenomenon is the third studio album by English rock band UFO, released in May 1974. ^[7] It was the band's first album after German guitarist Michael Schenker joined them, replacing Mick Bolton.

Production

Their third studio album, Phenomenon was UFO's debut with major label Chrysalis Records and their first to be released in the United States. With the arrival of former Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker, Phenomenon saw UFO leave their blues-based space rock sound behind and transition to a more straightforward hard rock sound. ^[3]

"With the Scorpions, I had recorded [the title track of] Lonesome Crow , but 'Rock Bottom' was the continuation of that. I needed to have a song in which I could improvise and go on an adventure. The version that we recorded for Phenomenon had begun in rehearsals as a riff, and we kept adding more riffs to it. And then Phil [Mogg, singer] leapt up and said, 'This is how we'll make it into a song'… I still think of 'Rock Bottom' as a work in progress. When I play it live now, I use the most memorable parts of the solo, and keep a space to represent my latest frame of mind." – Michael Schenker ^[8]

The album was produced by Leo Lyons, bassist of English rock group Ten Years After. All tracks were recorded at Morgan Studios in London. The original cover design and photos were by Hipgnosis.

Influence

British heavy metal band Iron Maiden released a cover version of "Doctor Doctor" as the b-side of the "Lord of the Flies" single in 1995. ^[9] They also included it in their Eddie's Archive boxed set collection of 2002. ^[10]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Michael Schenker and Phil Mogg, except where noted.

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Too Young to Know"	Pete Way, Mogg	3:10
2.	"Crystal Light"		3:47
3.	"Doctor Doctor"		4:10
4.	"Space Child"		4:01
5.	"Rock Bottom"		6:32

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Oh My"	Schenker, Mogg, Way, Andy Parker	2:28
7.	"Time on My Hands"		4:10
8.	"Built for Comfort"	Willie Dixon	3:01
9.	"Lipstick Traces" (instrumental)	Schenker	2:20
10.	"Queen of the Deep"		5:49

2007 CD reissue bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Sixteen" (demo)	Schenker, Mogg, Way, Parker	3:48
12.	"Oh My" (demo)	Schenker, Mogg, Way, Parker	4:12
13.	"Give Her the Gun" (single A-side)		3:58
14.	"Sweet Little Thing" (B-side "Give Her the Gun")	Mogg, Way	3:51
15.	"Sixteen" (previously unreleased)	Schenker, Mogg, Way, Parker	3:55
16.	"Doctor Doctor" (live 6 June 1974)		4:24

2019 3-CD deluxe reissue bonus disc Disc 2

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Sixteen" (demo)	Schenker, Mogg, Way, Parker	3:48
2.	"Oh My" (demo)	Schenker, Mogg, Way, Parker	4:12
3.	"Give Her the Gun" (single A-side)		3:58
4.	"Sweet Little Thing" (B-side "Give Her the Gun")	Mogg, Way	3:51
5.	"Sixteen"	Schenker, Mogg, Way, Parker	3:55
6.	"Doctor Doctor" (single edit)		2:48
7.	"Rock Bottom" (single edit)		3:38
8.	"Doctor Doctor" (Mono single edit)		2:48
9.	"Oh My" (instrumental run-through)		2:38
10.	"Sixteen" (Instrumental)		4:00
11.	"Doctor Doctor" (Take 2 Instrumental)		4:27
12.	"Rock Bottom" (Double-Tracked Vocal Take)		6:42
13.	"Time On My Hands" (work in progress version; alternate lyrics, no guitar solo)		4:20
14.	"Built For Comfort" (Master W / Full Vocal)		3:12
15.	"Lipstick Application" (Lipstick Traces Backing Track)		2:19
16.	"D Minor G Minor" (Queen of the Deep master w/ full vocal & full ending)		6:11

2019 3-CD deluxe reissue Phenomenon Live, recorded live at The Electric Ballroom, Atlanta, GA, USA, 5 November 1974 - Disc 3

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Oh My"	3:39
2.	"Doctor Doctor"	4:18
3.	"Built for Comfort"	4:17
4.	"Give Her the Gun"	5:19
5.	"Cold Turkey"	8:33
6.	"Space Child"	4:36
7.	"Rock Bottom"	8:00
8.	"Prince Kajuku"	7:08

Personnel

UFO

• Phil Mogg – vocals
• Andy Parker – drums
• Pete Way – bass
• Michael Schenker – guitar

Additional personnel

• Bernie Marsden – guitar on tracks 11 and 12

Production

• Leo Lyons – producer
• Mike Bobak – engineer
• Hipgnosis – cover art

Charts

Chart (1974)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [11]	76
US Bubbling Under the Top LP's ( Billboard ) [12]	202

Chart (2019)	Peak position
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [13]	36

References

1. Hung, Steffen (1973). "UFO – Give Her The Gun". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
2. Hung, Steffen. "UFO - Doctor Doctor". Hitparade.ch.
3. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "UFO Phenomenon review". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 July 2011.
4. Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 298. ISBN   978-1894959025.
5. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 4923. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
6. Hull, Tom (April 1975). "The Rekord Report: Second Card". Overdose. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
7. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 853. ISBN   9780862415419.
8. Ling, Dave (November 2016). "100 Greatest Guitar Solos". Classic Rock . No. 229. p. 39.
9. Iron Maiden (1996). Lord of the Flies (CD Sleeve). London, UK: EMI Records. 7243 8 82660 2 4.
10. Iron Maiden (2002). Eddie's Archive (CD Sleeve). London, UK: EMI Records. 7243 5 41277 2 4.
11. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 316. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
12. "Bubbling Under the Top LP's" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 86, no. 35. 31 August 1974. p. 38. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
13. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2023.