The musical that has already become legendary on the whole planet group Scorpions (Russian Scorpions) was formed in 1965 in the German city of Hanover. They are the most popular rock band in Germany and beyond. Suffice it to say that Scorpions sold over one hundred million copies of albums worldwide. Scorpios perform on stage not only classical rock, but also lyrical guitar ballads.
The founder of the collective is Rudolf Schenker. In 1969 his younger brother Michael joined the group, as well as vocalist Klaus Meine, who can be called the leader and face of the Scorpions.
Klaus was born into a family of working people Hugo and Ernie Meine. In 1964, he graduated with honors from high school, and then was educated as a decorator at the Hanover College of Design in Hanover, receiving the specialty of decorator. He began to work as a driver. He sang Meine since childhood, but it was just a hobby. And he got into the Scorpions thanks to his acquaintance with Rudolf Schenker. He several times invited him as a vocalist to the team until Meine agreed. Klaus is not only the voice of the band, but also the lyricist of most of the songs. The Scorpio vocalist is married to Gaby, who bore him a son, who now lives in Wedemark.
The Scorpions debuted on the international rock scene in 1972 with the Lonesome Crow album. The group invited guitarist Uli Roth, but he decided not to leave his Dawn Road band, in which Achim Kirching (keyboards), Francis Buchholz (bass) and Jurgen Rosenthal (drums) performed. And then Rudolf Schenker decided to join them, and soon Klaus Meine. We can say that at this moment the former "Scorpions" ceased to exist, and the Dawn Road collective simply took a name for itself, which all Germans already knew. The new line-up of the group recorded the disc Fly to the Rainbow in 1974. In the same year, the drummer was replaced in the group. Rosenthal was replaced by Rudy Lenners.
Next Albums Scorpions - In Trance (1975) and Virgin Killer (1976) allowed the band to find their own unique style - super-powerful riffs, vocal melodic lines and flowery guitar solos. Album 1977 Taken by Force has brought powerful Scorpion ballads to the world. Lenners and Roth left the group, and Herman Rarebell and Mathias Yabs joined the group. And in 1979 Michael Schenker finally left the group. The popularity of Scorpios grew rapidly not only in the old world, but also in the East.
In 1980, the famous album Animal Magnetism was released. The beginning of the 80s was overshadowed by serious problems with the voice of Maine, who underwent surgery and began to speak and sing again. But in 1982 the album "Blackout" was recorded, which hit the Top-10 of the Billboard, and 2 years later Love At First Sting with an immortal hit. This is how America was conquered. In 1988, after a 4-year hiatus, the album Savage Amusement was released, which was a huge success.
But the most successful album “ Scorpions"Recorded in 1990‘ - Crazy World with the song Wind Of Change (over 1 million sales), dedicated to the events in the USSR. And a year before that, the group parted ways with producer Dieter Dierks and began to collaborate with Phonogram Records. In 1992 Buchholz left the band, and the Scorpions entered the 3rd successful phase of their career and went on a long tour around the planet. In 1996, the Scorpions recorded the Pure Instinct album.
In the 2000s, the Scorpios continued their work, recording several experimental albums (Unbreakable in 2004, Humanity: Hour I in 2007, etc.), and constantly touring the world. Since 2010, the band toured with a farewell tour called Get Your Sting And Blackout. It lasted until 2013
- The touring schedule forced the musicians from Hanover to return to their homeland. In 1987, the Scorpions, with the support of their producer Dieter Dirks, began work on a new album. This disc was the last for the creative union of Scorpions and Dieter Dirks.
- The album was originally intended to be titled Don't Stop At the Top, but settled on the title Savage Amusement to cast a shadow over the album's content.
- Most of the lyrics and music for the album were written by Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine.
- The album sounded very fresh for the late 80s. The band experimented with sound, but all the material was kept in a strict style. The sound of the disc is still the standard of hard rock. If we talk about the topic, then we need to mention songs like Media Overkill, which narrate the influence of the media on society. Passion Rules the Game talks about gambling. We Let It Rock… You Let It Roll is the rock'n'roll anthem of a band that goes ahead. The theme of love dominates on the album - the songs Rhythm of Love, Walking On the Edge, Every Minute Every Day, Love On the Run and Believe In Love tell about wonderful feelings.
- In the summer of 1988, Savage Amusement went platinum in the United States. Sales have reached the millionth milestone.
- In April 1988, the Scorpions began touring in support of their CD. The first stop for German musicians was the city of Leningrad. The group released a special video called To Russia with Love and Other Savage Amusements, where the musicians talked about their adventures in the Northern capital.
- It was said that M.S. Gorbachev personally banned the group from performing in Moscow. It was planned to hold 5 concerts in Moscow and 5 concerts in Leningrad, but in the end it was decided to play 10 concerts in Leningrad at the SKK im. Lenin. The concert performances of the legends were opened by the Moscow group Gorky Park.
- Klaus Meine on the events of those days: “As an artist and musician, I was lucky, I was at the center of these historical events in 1988-89 - the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall. Our group and me personally, as immigrants from Germany, all this could not but worry. Speaking in Leningrad, we said: "Our parents came to you with tanks, we came with guitars."
- While exploring the city, the Scorpions visited the Leningrad Rock Club. The band played several songs on the legendary stage.
- Vladimir Rekshan (musician): “The appearance of the Scorpions was very funny: everything was kept in the strictest confidence, but the people were still packed. The stadium group played in the five square meters of the red corner, and the crowd of metalheads reached out to them. Their guards didn't know what to do. One tearfully asked me to help, assuming that I, due to my tall stature, was a local guard. "
- The concert tour in support of Savage Amusement ended with two concerts at the Luzhniki BSA on August 12-13, 1989 as part of the Moscow Peace Festival. Klaus Meine put it this way: “For us, it was the biggest festival we had to play at. And if you look at it after so many years, it was truly a legendary festival. As for the role of the Scorpions, after playing ten concerts in Leningrad in 1988, we then opened the doors to the Soviet Union. And a year later, after Doc McGee became our manager, we returned - this time to Moscow. Doc was behind the organization of this festival, dubbed the Moscow Peace Festival. And for us personally, it also became a chance to perform in Moscow for the first time - after all, in 1988 our concerts were canceled here, which made us very upset. And now, a year later, we still managed to do it, so from our position it looked like this: “Yes! Finally we got to Moscow! " No matter what kind of aegis the festival was held under, we just wanted to play for our Moscow fans. Well, if the festival eventually became the "Festival of Peace", then it is generally wonderful. And all these gossip and stories that began to surface later were not known to anyone yet. It was a large-scale action, no one had done anything like this before, and, apparently, only an American who was well versed in such matters could cope with such a task at that time. "
- Rudolf Schenker about the festival in Moscow: “As far as I remember, he arranged everything together with Stas Namin, who had weight here in Russia. Personally, I was very bribed that in a difficult time for himself, Doc McGee was able to find a way out and even benefit. Namely, he got rid of the troubles, opened up new opportunities for everyone and came out of all this in a very favorable light. Which was very clever. As for us, he also used us in some way - after all, the Scorpions were already very well known in the USSR. And we were the ones who were supposed to be the headliners, but because of the American MTV who wanted to present everything as "Bon Jovi conquer Russia", he put Bon Jovi after us. And only in this moment he got a good piercing: as Bon Jovi ended up having a very pale appearance. After us, about half of the people simply left, and John Bon Jovi himself remained extremely upset. He even said, "I'll never play after the Scorpions again!" The mistake was that, speaking in front of us, Bon Jovi would appear in an excellent perspective - they would be shown triumphantly on MTV, and everything would be great ... "
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Like many 60s teenagers, inspired Elvis Presley, chewing gum, blue jeans, leather jackets and most importantly rock and roll, in 1965 Rudolf Schenker laid the foundation for the most successful German hard rock band of all time - SCORPIONS... Since their 1972 debut album "Lonesome Crow", "Scorpions" have come an incredible path in their careers, giving us with their creativity some of the brightest and most unforgettable moments in the history of world rock music.
In Japan, the 1975 album "In Trance" becomes the best-selling RCA album of the year.
In the mid-70s, the newly formed Van Halen began to gain popularity through covers Scorpions - "Speedy" s Coming ("Fly To The Rainbow" album) and "Catch Your Train" ("Virgin Killer" album).
In 1979, the album " Lovedrive"reaches gold status in the US.
In 1982, the album "Blackout" entered the American TOP 10, reached platinum status and was recognized as the best hard rock album of the year.
1983 at the San Bemadino Valley California Festival Scorpions perform in front of 325 thousand fans.
In 1984, the album "Love At First Sting" with the famous ballad " Still Loving You "... Scorpionomania begins on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 1985, at the famous Rock In Rio festival in Brazil, the group gathered 350 thousand people.
In 1988, having visited the USSR for the first time, Scorpions collect sold out for their concerts. So, in Leningrad "scorpions" completely sold out 10 concerts, which were attended by more than 300 thousand fans.
In 1990 "scorpions" take part in a grandiose theatrical performance Roger Waters "The wall"at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin.
In 1991 Scorpions were invited to the Kremlin for an honorary meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev. This meeting is still considered a unique event both in the history of rock music and in the history of the USSR. In the same year, the single " Wind of change"took first places in the charts of 11 countries.
In 1992 Scorpions received the World Music Award and was voted the best German band.
In 1994, they again receive the World Music Award and receive an invitation from their daughter. Elvis Presley play at the prestigious Elvis Presley Memorial Concert in Memphis.
In 1996, as a sign of the end of the war in Libya Scorpions played a gig in Beirut, thus becoming the first western hard rock band to perform there.
11 November 1999, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the unification of Germany, at the invitation of the German government, Scorpions perform in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
In 2000 at a rock festival in Poland Scorpions collect the largest audience - 750 thousand people.
In 2003 Scorpions perform in Moscow on Red Square on the City Day celebration.
The Scorpions were one of the first Western groups to speak about the USSR. Does Russia now occupy a special place in your hearts?
Interview with musicians "SCORPIONS"
Claus: Russia has always held a special place in my heart, primarily because we had many interesting and impressive moments there related to our work and music. They simply cannot be forgotten. I have a lot of memories associated with concerts, meetings in Moscow and other cities. Even on the example of our last big tour in 2002, when we were asked if it would be interesting for us to go with concerts in more than ten cities, including Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Vladivostok, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, etc. We had no doubts, and these six weeks of tour became the most unforgettable adventure for us, which is simply impossible to forget. Every time I remember and share my impressions of Russia with my friends, I do not hide the fact that Russia will always remain a special place for Scorpions, whether it was our very first concert in Leningrad, the Moscow Music Peace Festival or the last September performance at Krasnaya Ploshchal at the bottom of the city, when I, standing with my eyes closed in front of tens of thousands, thought: this is the most beautiful dream that can only be any musician. I even wrote a ballad called "Siberia", but time will tell whether it will see the light of day. Maybe we'll include it in some of our albums as a bonus track.
Matthias: Yes, of course, at one time it was quite a bold, even a little historical act, when we first came to the USSR with a concert. I remember that it was virtually impossible to perform in the former Eastern European bloc. In the year 1985-86, when one promoter organized the first concert for us in Hungary, he was the only person who then tried to find a contact for us to come to the USSR. East Germans then could freely come to our concert in Hungary, but the Russians could not afford that. Then in Budapest about 45 thousand people gathered, of which ten thousand came from eastern Germany. In the spring of 1988, when we did manage to come to Leningrad, it was an inexplicable feeling, we did something impossible, and it will stay with us for life.
Rudolf: We didn’t know anything about Russia before. Only from someone else's stories, or thanks to TV. It was a natural desire to come to this country and see everything with my own eyes. Since then, we have been frequent guests, and, of course, Russia has taken a special place in my heart. Moreover, during our last Russian tour, I met Tatiana, with whom we have been together for over a year. Having traveled around the country, having talked with ordinary people, it seemed to me that the Russian soul is in many ways very similar to the German one. Oh my God, I remember, we arrived in Volgograd, and we were greeted with songs by the folk women's choir, the grandmothers were treated to vodka. It's unforgettable.
In 1989 Scorpions released a 25-minute video from the 1988 concert in Leningrad "From Russia With Love". Are you planning to release any new video material from your trips and concerts in Russia in the near future?
Claus: Yes, we are now working on a new DVD, which will include material from our September Moscow performance, fragments from German TV, we will also definitely include documentary photographs and episodes about our journey across Russia by train through the Ural Mountains, we will highlight our arrival in Volgograd etc. I think the new video should be out before the end of 2004.
Matthias: Apart from the video, we have recorded quite a lot of concert material from performances in Moscow and Siberia. This material is quite enough for a live album. Time will tell, maybe something special will happen, some interesting event that will push us to release a live album from Russian shows.
When you perform simply as a rock band, everything is clear and understandable, but when you are on stage with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra or the Russian Presidential Orchestra, then, probably, everything turns out differently. Even the audience can be different. Do you have any comments on this kind of performance?
Claus: Oh sure. When we play a rock show as a band, everything comes naturally to us. This is what we have always done and continue to do to this day. When we play with an orchestra, of course, everything develops somewhat differently. First of all, there are many technical and organizational issues. Standing on the stage, in addition to your monitors, you should hear eighty more people with violins, trumpets, etc. You have to be very sensitive and catch a certain balance between the band and the orchestra. Remember that on the stage not only us, not five people, but all eighty-five. Everyone should be extremely concentrated. The second point is, of course, the arrangement and construction, the structure of the songs. Playing with orchestras is not as easy as it sounds.
In which told about the visit of the group "Scorpions" in Leningrad and a concert they gave at the Rock Club.
And recently I unearthed a more detailed plot on Youtube... Also, there were memories of one of the spectators of that concert.
“I have long wanted to write about this wonderful event, which I witnessed myself. Indeed, in fact, the Scorpions were the first who managed to break through the“ iron curtain ”and perform in the USSR (except for the incomprehensible allowed concert of Elton John in Leningrad in 1979) ...
My then friends - the Mitra group (there is practically no information about which on the Internet, although some famous personalities came out from there) tried to join the Leningrad rock club, but were overturned by the commission with the wording "We do not need a second Aquarium" (I must say, quite fair, since the group had many songs reminiscent of the work of Aquarium). Simultaneously with them, the NEP group was auditioning, which was more fortunate - they managed to get into the next round. The group really liked me and my classmate friend, and we decided to go see it in the second round.
Taking my older brother (also a great music lover) with us, we came to the next weekend at 13 Rubinshteina Street. An unusually large number of party-goers in the yard of the rock club immediately caught my eye, mostly hairy metalheads in riveted leather jackets. The NEP was auditioned in a small hall, but we were not allowed there (it turns out that the second round was held behind closed doors). We had already decided to go home, when suddenly a whisper rolled through the party: "Now the Scorpions will come!" We ask individuals - they say: "Yes, there was such a rumor." We remain to wait.
Suddenly, indeed, a limousine drives into the courtyard (or maybe just some foreign car, we didn’t see them in large quantities at that time) and the Scorpions come out, accompanied by two huge guards who help them squeeze through the crowd of fans into the building of the rock club. Another rumor spreads through the crowd: "there will be a session." We remain waiting again.
After some time, everyone is sent to the small hall, there is simply nowhere for an apple to fall. Among the audience are many eminent musicians of the rock club. First, the Pig performs, sings its simple songs, something like "I hate all the bourgeoisie." Himself, as usual, in a tattered raincoat, waving a half-empty bottle of beer, periodically watering the first rows. Then the girl punk group "Situatsiya", probably no one remembers it anymore (at least I never saw or heard anything about them). The sound of the equipment is disgusting, everything wheezes, whistles, words cannot be made out, instruments too.
Then a short break, and here's the moment of truth: the Scorpions are on the scene! They pick up the instruments that our punks have just played, spend about five minutes tuning up and start playing. To say that it was a shock is to say nothing! On the same equipment, the Germans produce a sound comparable to their sound on a disc. We performed Blackout and some other hit song (I can't remember now). The audience is even slightly dumbfounded, but it starts from the first chords. The guards push especially zealous fans away from the stage, but one of them is allowed to exchange jackets with Rudolf Schenker. Schenker becomes the proud owner of a leather jacket with a handicraft riveted inscription, and the St. Petersburg metalworker - an elegant cowboy brown leather jacket.
Well, that's all. The scorpions went after that, apparently, to drink with the administration of the club, and the dumbfounded audience - to go home. And the St. Petersburg musicians got a good lesson in professionalism and the right attitude to sound. "
You can start watching the video immediately from the 4th minute when Scorpions start. Against their background, all of our "AU", "Situations" and the rest, who took part then, seems, of course, just an anti-musical breed. And this despite the fact that I do not love Scorpions.
By the way, the so-called Rock Club Red Corner - this is the room in which in the 90s Panker and Pinochet organized a rock store. There was also a bar, and on that very stage some concerts were periodically held. I then worked in the Rybinsk (ex- "Kino") newspaper "Nowhere" and wrote reports about these concerts. Somewhere in 97-98.
Then the Rock Club finally died.
After watching this video, for some reason it began to seem to me that the visit of the German group was the main event of the entire life of the Leningrad Rock Club.
The German rock band Scorpions have long been able to win their legendary status. However, the soloists of the group still do not lose their fighting spirit and a small spark of rage, which any performer of this genre must have.
History of success
The Scorpions group appeared in the distant 1965 and quickly established itself throughout Hanover - the city in which the founder of the legendary rock band lived.
Rudolf Schenker was accustomed to the musical environment since childhood. At the age of five, Rudolph got acquainted with the acoustic guitar, and a couple of years later, together with his brother Michael, he began to take music lessons from professional teachers.
When Rudolph was 16 years old, he organized the Scorpions, but the group received this name a little later. Initially the team was called "Nameless".
The reason to change the name of the group was the popular film "Attack of the Scorpions" in those years. Impressed by the picture, Rudolf Schenker changes the name of the group, invites his younger brother and the stage of formation begins in the history of the group.
Michael Schenker, in turn, invites Klaus Meine, whom he met while playing in the Copernicus group, to become a member of the group. Klaus agrees and becomes the vocalist of the Scorpions. In the future, Klaus, like not many other members of the band, will not betray the group and will go through his entire career with the Scorpions.
Rock - Scorpions group photo # 2 1972 saw the release of the Lonesome Crow album. This is the first album that the Scorpions have recorded in seven years of their existence. After the release of this album, the band begins to recognize, the doors to the international hard rock scene open before the musicians.
In 1973, the Scorpions were invited to accompany the London band UFO on their German tour. It was during this period that the still practically unknown Hanover group began to disintegrate. The brother of the founder of the Scorpions, Michael, leaves for the team of London musicians, and Rudolph cannot find a replacement for a long time.
The remaining members of the group decide to move to the Dawn Road group. The name of this collective at that time was already heard in Germany, but the new line-up unanimously decided to change the name to Scorpions.
So, nothing remained of the original Scorpions except the first and only album.
Heading to the American market
Scorpions' music became more and more popular every day. The album "Taken by Force" consisted of ballads, which, like classic rock, are characteristic of the Scorpions. This is the first album that the Scorpions recorded and presented with a completely new lineup. Surprisingly, the record becomes a very profitable project and the band embarks on their first tour. While touring, the musicians release another album. Tokyo Tapes is considered to be the final stage of their career, and it is from this album that a new stage in the group's development begins.
“We decided that this album would be the starting point for the band's new achievements. We were waiting for the final line-up to be finally determined in the group to start working at full capacity. While some of the members were fooling themselves and others, we decided to record 'Tokyo Tapes' so that people would not notice the discord in the band, ”says Scorpions founder Rudolf Schenker.
Rock - Scorpions group photo # 3 It is worth noting that since 1979, the team has been experiencing constant stress - the participants either left the group, then returned to it again. It was impossible to work in such a rhythm - the group could have simply broken up. When the line-up more or less settled down, the musicians decided to start taking new heights. The group worked to conquer American rockers. The new line-up of the group consisted of five musicians. Klaus Meine provided the lead vocals, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs continued to play the guitars, the bass was played by Ralph Rieckermann and the drums by James Kottak.
The seventh in the Scorpions' career, the album "Animal Magnetism" opens the world to new rock stars. It was this album that became the hallmark of the legendary German band. The musicians continue to work hard. 1989 becomes another page of the group's success.
The Scorpions begin partnering with Phonogram Records. The first album, which was released under the leadership of this company, "Crazy World" is gaining fabulous popularity in record time. Scorpions' song "Wind Of Change", which the artists dedicated to the period of perestroika in the USSR, instantly takes off to the top of the charts.
International recognition came to the musicians when in 1992 they embarked on a concert tour, which included a series of concerts around the world and lasted for several years. During their next concert tour, the band released several more albums, and the Scorpions' song "Under the Same Sun" was decided to be used as the final track of the films "In the Deadly Zone".
Rock - Scorpions group photo # 4 New century
The group's motto “do not stop at the successes that have already been achieved” is still relevant, and Scorpions with renewed vigor again enter the world arena, now of new rock music. The group begins to experiment with something new, the artists accept Michael Jackson's invitation and perform at his benefit concert. No less interesting and spectacular was the Scorpions concert, at which they performed together with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2010, the Scorpions announced that they were embarking on their final world tour with a series of farewell concerts.
“We decided to extend our series of concerts for three years. We decided to leave slowly - we did not expect that the public would react so violently to our statement. In addition to the fans, we are being held back by another project - we are filming a documentary about the story of our success, ”comments the Scorpions vocalist Klaus Meine on the long tour.
They continue to listen to the Scorpions songs even today, the musicians even claim that new fans, rockers of the new century, so to speak, are constantly joining their "party". The legendary group will remain in the hearts of the audience for a long time, and “the party can be considered successful only when a way out of it is found” (K. Maine).
Video clip for the Scorpions' ballad "Wind Of Change"
