UFO and MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP keyboardist / guitarist Paul Raymond split from the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP in 1983. He briefly teamed up with vocalist / guitarist Terry Reid (JIMMY PAGE's first choice for singer with LED ZEPPELIN and the man who turned down an offer to join DEEP PURPLE) and former RUFFIANS drummer Paul Varley to form the Los Angeles based CLOSE QUARTER. However, this project was short lived and before long Raymond had rejoined the renewed 1984 UFO line-up.

Relocating from Los Angeles to Tokyo, Japan after his ignominious mid tour split from the 'Misdemeanour' era UFO, Raymond soon linked up again with ex-ANGEL vocalist Frank Dimino with whom he had worked with previously in RUFFIANS, another post MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP outfit.

The PAUL RAYMOND PROJECT album features Dimino, MARINO guitarist Reibun Ohtani, HURRY SCUARY guitarist Hideaki Nakama and LOUDNESS bassist Masayoshi Yamashita. Raymond rejoined UFO in 1994.

Raymond somewhat surprisingly resurrected the PAUL RAYMOND PROJECT in 1997, releasing a brand new album, 'Raw Material' on his own label.

Teaming up once more with guitarist Reibun Ohtani, the revised line-up of the band featured an all Japanese cast this time around, the new group comprising vocalist Aki Fukasawa and guitarist Hideaki Nakama.

By the end of the year Raymond was once more ensconced in the ranks of UFO. Once UFO had finished their latest world tour Raymond soon set to work again on a further solo album.

Bizarrely the guitarist involved, Andy Simmons previously with SNOWBLIND, was spoken about in terms of replacing Michael Schenker in UFO. However, the fact that he played a flying V, had blonde hair and stylistically was too similar to the teutonic one put a stop to this but did not prevent Raymond using the man for his 'Man On A Mission' album. UFO vocalist PHIL MOGG guests on two cuts 'She's On A Roll' and an 'updated' version of 'Lights Out'. The album also includes 'Shining Star', a song co-written with ANGEL men Frank Dimino and Punky Meadows.