UFO Singer Says PAUL RAYMOND Is 'Banned' From Japan For Three Years

In an interview with Rockdetector.com's Garry Sharpe-Young, UFO singer Phil Mogg revealed that the band, despite having a number of hit albums and songs, only paid back monies owed to Chrysalis Records in 2002. The last UFO product released by Chrysalis was 1985's "Misdemeanour". UFO are currently promoting the double live album and DVD "Showtime". An excerpt from the chat follows:

Rockdetector.com: Was there a point in your career when you realised that UFO was your life?

Phil Mogg: "I think it's a very lucky man that can have a success with one thing and be able to do something else too. The back catalogue really ties you down, because everybody knows you for that. It's a blessing and a curse. It's far easier of course if you had huge hits in the past. I did the $IGN OF 4 with Jeff Kollman and I hit this problem. We went out and played all the new material but everyone came to hear me sing UFO songs. I said to them, hang on, I'm doing this right now. All I heard was 'Lights Out' or 'Too Hot To Handle', though. Eventually I just thought I may as well go back to doing the UFO thing."

Rockdetector.com: Did that bother you?

Phil Mogg: "No. It's not a bad thing. I know some musicians really struggle with it but it's a fine line that I'm quite comfortable with actually."

Rockdetector.com: You mentioned "huge hits" there. I wonder if you're not that bit aggrieved that virtually every Rock fan on the planet would know songs like "Lights Out", "Doctor Doctor", "Rock Bottom", "Shoot Shoot", "Only You Can Rock Me" and "Too Hot To Handle" yet you don't appear to have got your just rewards, by way of status, for that? I remember speaking to Pete Way and he very much blamed Chrysalis for that.

Phil Mogg: "I don't think I would agree with Pete on that. I'm certainly not resentful because, at the time, we were actually very fortunate to get the Chrysalis deal. What you learn, and this is something every musician learns at some point, is that record companies work in one way only and you take it or leave it."

Rockdetector.com: It still must be satisfying for you to be earning money from songs you wrote three decades ago?

Phil Mogg: "Well, we only got some of that until quite recently. We only paid off the Chrysalis debt three years ago."

Rockdetector.com: That's frightening.

Phil Mogg: "But at least it's paid, because we're working, because people still want to buy UFO records. There is a big percentage of bands that can never pay off their debt."

Rockdetector.com: Has the situation with Pete's U.S. visa been settled now?

Phil Mogg: "No it hasn't. He's got another new lawyer on it now so were hoping that it will all be resolved shortly. Unfortunately Peter was a naughty boy and these days the American government has no tolerance at all after 9/11. Basically Pete overstayed his welcome and it looks like he might just have to wait it out until his ban ends. Pete assures us it will be sorted out eventually."

Rockdetector.com: So you think UFO will be operating in the future with two bass players to cover Europe and the U.S.?

Phil Mogg: "I think so. It worked out fine so far, because we used Barry Sparks for the first leg and then for the second set of shows I phoned Jeff Kollman asking if he knew a good bassist and he said 'I'll do it!' So that was that sorted. That was the shows we did with THE LIZARDS. We've got another problem too because Paul Raymond is banned from Japan."

Rockdetector.com: Really?

Phil Mogg: "Yes. He's not allowed into Japan for three years."

Read the entire interview at Rockdetector.com.