The German rock band Scorpions has long been able to achieve legendary status. However, the group's soloists still do not lose their fighting spirit and the small spark of rage that any performer of this genre must have.

History of success

The Scorpions group appeared back in 1965 and quickly made a name for itself throughout Hannover, the city where the founder of the legendary rock band lived.

Rudolf Schenker was accustomed to a musical environment from childhood. At the age of five, Rudolph was introduced to the acoustic guitar, and a couple of years later he and his brother Michael began taking music lessons from professional teachers.

When Rudolf turned 16, he organized the Scorpions group, but the group received this name a little later. Initially, the team was called “Nameless”.

The reason for changing 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 formation stage begins in the history of the group.

Michael Schenker, in turn, invites Klaus Meine, whom he met while playing in the group Copernicus, to become a member of the group. Klaus agrees and becomes the Scorpions' vocalist. In the future, Klaus, like not many other members of the group, will not betray the group and will go through his entire creative path precisely as part of the Scorpions.

1972 was marked by the release of the album Lonesome Crow. This is the first album that the Scorpions have recorded in the seven years of their existence. After the release of this album, the band began to be recognized, and the doors to the international hard rock scene opened for the musicians.

In 1973, the Scorpions were invited to accompany the London group UFO during their German tour. It was during this period that the still virtually unknown Hannover group began to disintegrate. The brother of the Scorpions founder, Michael, leaves for a team of London musicians, and Rudolf cannot find a replacement for him for a long time.

The remaining members of the group decide to move to the Dawn Road group. The name of this team was already well-known in Germany at that time, but the new lineup 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

Every day the Scorpions' music became more and more popular. The album "Taken by Force" consisted of ballads, which, like classic rock, are characteristic of the Scorpions. This is the first album that Scorpions recorded and presented with a completely new line-up. Surprisingly, the record becomes a very profitable project, and the band goes on their first tour. While touring, the musicians release another album. “Tokyo Tapes” is considered the album that completes the first stage of their career; it is with it that a new stage in the group’s development begins.

“We decided that this album would become the starting point for the group’s new achievements. We were waiting for the final composition of the group to be determined so that we could start working at full capacity. While some members were fooling themselves and others, we decided to record “Tokyo Tapes” so that people would not notice the discord in the group,” says Scorpions founder Rudolf Schenker.

It is worth noting that since 1979, the team has experienced constant stress - members either left the group or returned to it again. It was impossible to work at such a rhythm - the group could simply break up. When the line-up more or less settled down, the musicians decided to begin to reach new heights. The group worked to conquer American rockers. The new group consisted of five musicians. Klaus Meine provided the main vocals, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs continued to play guitar, Ralf Riekermann played bass and James Kottak played drums.

The seventh in the Scorpions career, the album entitled “Animal Magnetism” opens the world to new rock stars. It was this album that became the calling card of the legendary German group. The musicians continue to work hard. 1989 becomes another page of the group's success.

Scorpions begin collaborating with Phonogram Records. The first album that was released under the leadership of this company, “Crazy World,” gained fabulous popularity in record time. The Scorpions' song "Wind Of Change", which the artists dedicated to the period of perestroika in the USSR, instantly soars to the top of the charts.

International recognition came to the musicians when they went on a concert tour in 1992, which included a series of concerts around the world and lasted several years. During the next concert tour, the group released several more albums, and they decided to use the Scorpions song “Under the Same Sun” as the final track of the films “In the Deadly Zone”.

New Age

The group’s motto “do not dwell on the successes that have already been achieved” is still relevant, and Scorpions with renewed vigor are again entering 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 charity 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 over three years. We decided to leave slowly - we did not at all expect that the public would react so violently to our statement. In addition to the fans, one more project is holding us back - we are making a documentary about the history of our success,” comments Scorpions vocalist Klaus Meine on the long tour.

They continue to listen to Scorpions songs to this day; 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 listeners for a long time, and “the party can be considered successful only when a way out of it is found” (K. Meine).

Video clip for the ballad of the Scorpions group “Wind Of Change”

134 chord selections

Biography

Like many teenagers in post-war Germany, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker were influenced by music and other delights modern life, brought to their homeland by American soldiers: Elvis Presley, chewing gum, blue jeans, leather vests and, above all, rock and roll. From an early age, Klaus and Rudolf felt an irresistible desire to pick up a guitar and step into the spotlight. In the early 60s, the Beatles made a beat revolution. And in the mid-60s, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker, blessed with understanding parents, also began performing with their own beat groups.

In 1965, Rudolf Schenker in Hannover (Germany, Lower Saxony) created a group called.

Years of existence: 1968-1972
Composition: Wolfgang Dziony, Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine, Michael Schenker, Lothar Heimberg

Guitarist and songwriter Rudolf Schenker's inspiration was the raw riffs of bands like The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things and Spooky Tooth, who were considered true hard rockers in those days.

Rudolf's younger brother Michael (Michael Schenker) was fascinated by beat music and the emerging rock culture. With the advent of the New Year 1970, the younger Schenker, who despite his youth had already established himself as an outstanding guitarist, left the Hanoverian group Copernicus together with the singer and composer Klaus Meine to join. Klaus and Rudolf teamed up to create the superb creative duo Meine/Schenker, thus laying the foundation for an impressive success story.
Lineup for 1972: Michael Schenker, Joe Wyman, Lothar Heimberg, Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker.

In 1972 they released the wonderful debut album Lonesome Crow, produced by Conny Plank in Hamburg. The vocal and instrumental motifs, which a few years later became the typical, unchanging Scorpov sound, are already recognizable: uncompromising guitar hard rock like what Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin played in the mid-60s.

The unique style was the result of a combination of two electric guitars: with unusually powerful riffs and dazzling ornate solos. Add to this the instantly recognizable voice of singer and frontman Klaus Meine with his expressive, brilliant delivery.

In some ways, they were unique to the German rock scene of that period. From the very beginning, the group aimed to reach the top of the world hard rock business, so Klaus Meine wrote all the lyrics in English. In the creative union of Meine and Schenker, Germany finally found a worthy answer to the famous beat and rock teams from the English-speaking world.

Lonesome Crow's first album set the band on the path to international success. opened for Rory Gallagher, UFO and Uriah Heep.

Throughout the group's history, Rudolf Schenker has been its unshakable driving force. He followed life philosophy his father: “Nothing is impossible, you just have to believe.” From the first days of its creation, Rudolf Schenker said without undue modesty: “One day they will become one of the best rock bands in the world!” The rest of the group were also committed to this idea.

They never stopped there and were constantly looking for something new. They used every opportunity to improve their professional level and get closer to success.

Lineup for 1974: Uli Roth, Francis Buchholz, Klaus Meine, Jurgen Rosenthal, Rudolf Schenker

In 1973, after a joint tour with UFO, Michael Schenker joined this British rock band. In Skorpovsky's place as lead guitarist, he was replaced by Ulrich Roht. He, too, was an exceptional guitarist with an almost mystical talent. With Ulrich we continued to study the hard rock genre.

In the 70s they undertook several tours of Western Europe, playing in numerous venues and conquering country after country. They appeared wherever they could connect their instruments. In 1973 they supported Sweet on their first European tour. At the same time, they continued to work on studio albums, of which the next four were recorded with Ulrich. Fly to the Rainbow (1974) features hard, energetic rock that has never been heard from a German band. The title track of Speedy's Coming embodies the style: ultra-hard rock harmoniously combined with exciting melodies.

Since the third album, In Trance has been working with the famous international producer Dieter Dierks. They decided to make a career in hard rock. In Trance became a bestseller in Japan, where Scorpio mania had exploded.
Group line-up in 1975: Francis Buchholz, Klaus Meine, Rudy Lenners, Uli Roth, Rudolf Schenker

In 1975, they toured Europe, where they were the highlight of the program along with KISS. That same year they were voted the best live band in Germany. Touring the UK, they found themselves in the very “lion’s den”: they had the honor of performing at the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool. In this cradle of hard rock they managed to gain recognition from even the most die-hard British fans. The Scorps' further successes in the mid-70s were concerts at the famous London club The Marquee.

The dream of becoming the best German rock band came true when their fourth album, Virgin Killer, won the Album of the Year award in Germany. In Japan, Virgin Killer was certified gold for the first time in the group's history.

The next album, Taken by Force, also went gold in Japan.
1978 lineup: Herman Rarebell, Uli Roth, Francis Buchholz, Rudolf
Schenker, Klaus Meine

In 1978, they toured Japan, the second largest music market in the world, where they got their first taste of what it was like to be superstars. Upon arrival at Tokyo airport, our five rockers were surrounded by a crowd of enthusiastic fans.

After the Japanese tour, Ulrich Roth left the group. The double album Tokyo Tapes seemed to sum up the period of collaboration and Ulrich. This recording is even now highly prized by collectors around the world.

“Prodigal Son” Michael Schenker returned to the group for a short time (he recorded parts in some songs from Lovedrive), and then Matthias Jabs finally took the vacant position of guitarist. This was preceded by a huge amount of work. In 1978, an advertisement appeared in Melody Maker magazine: they were looking for a new lead guitarist. In London, they had to audition more than 140 applicants until they chose fellow Hanoverian Matthias Jabs. Having joined the work at the very end, Matthias nevertheless immediately joined the recording of Lovedrive. The album became a huge triumph for the group and still remains one of the best albums. The cover won the award of the year for best art direction.

As already mentioned, Michael Schenker briefly joined the group in 1978, but left again mid-tour. In 1980, he created his own group MSG (The Michael Schenker Group).

Matthias Jabs, one might say, jumped on the bandwagon of the departing train, having accomplished a real feat: just the night before, he learned the entire program of the upcoming tour. His baptism of fire came when he played in front of a crowd of 55,000 as the opening act for Genesis. In Matthias they have finally found a lead guitarist whose enthusiasm, virtuosity and creative potential made a decisive contribution to the success of the group. Thanks to him, Scorpov's sound became even richer and more expressive. Like the missing piece of a puzzle, his guitar perfectly complemented the band's dynamics, creating what we call a unique sound.

Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs still form the core of the group.

With bassist Francis Buhholz (he joined the band in 1973 at the same time as Ulrich Roth) and drummer Herman Rarebell (who made his debut during the recording of the Taken by Force album), they finally established a "star-studded line-up" which was destined to continue its victorious march until Wind of Change.
Group in 1979: Francis Buchholz, Herman Rarebell, Klaus Meine, Matthias Jabs, Rudolf Schenker.

Already hailed as a supergroup in Japan in 1978, in 1979 they decided to conquer the huge US market. Their weapons: a professional attitude to work, an unbending will to win and a friendly atmosphere both within the group and towards the fans. And, of course, amazing musicianship. they had to go a very long way before their own unique musical image was formed on the world rock scene.

In the 80s The US had the largest music market in the world. And already since 1974, many followers have appeared in the States. Van Halen promoted their career in music by making cover versions of Scorpov's hits Speedy's Coming (with Fly to the Rainbow) and Catch Your Train (with Virgin Killer).

In 1979, now professionally produced and fueled by the success of Lovedrive, their original line-up of Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs began their first major American tour, playing outdoor shows with Aerosmith, Ted Nugent and AC/DC. In Chicago they became the "star of the show" instead of Ted Nugent, and since then the Scorps have more fans in this city. These tours became a good lesson in how to play in the rock business.

Their seventh album, Lovedrive, was released in the United States in 1979 and became the first thing to receive gold disc status there. Animal Magnetism (1980) was next.

With these two albums, Lovedrive and Animal Magnetism, the band finally made their breakthrough in North America. The second US tour was a triumph. The era of grand tours had begun.

After even more successful touring in 1981, during the recording of Blackout, Klaus Meine suddenly lost his voice. Not wanting to hinder the band's success, Klaus decided to leave. But the strong friendship between Klaus and Rudolf, along with the support from all members of the group, allowed the almost impossible to happen. After long training and two operations on the ligaments, Klaus managed to recover from the injury. Moreover, in 1982 he returned with significantly improved vocal abilities. One critic wrote: "They gave Klaus Meine a bundle of iron!" The group's decision not to part with its constant vocalist subsequently fully justified itself. It became the most fateful in the history of Scorps, because it was Klaus Meine who wrote the super hit Wind of Change in 1989.

In 1982, they embarked on a tour of the United States (with Iron Maiden as their opening act) in support of their stunning new album, Blackout. The stunning cover design for this album was done by Helnwein. The album and single No One Like You entered the American Top Ten, and the album went platinum and won the Best Hard Rock Album of the Year award.

One hit followed another - and in the 80s they won the hearts of rock lovers from all over the world. In 1984, the SCORPIONS became the first German band to perform three successful concerts for 60,000 fans at New York's Madison Square Garden.

We climbed to the very top of the musical Olympus. Three of their albums entered the American charts at once: Animal Magnetism (1980), Blackout (1982) and Love At First Sting (1984). The latest album is considered the most popular and beloved in Russia. spent 2 years "on wheels", participating in all the major rock festivals that appeared after Woodstock. They toured around the world with entire squadrons of trucks, buses, helicopters, their own airplanes and traditional limousines. The Hanoverian heavy metal band now gave grandiose concerts in North, South, Central America, Europe, as well as in Asia - in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Japan. This was the golden age of hard rock. Giant stages, lighting and pyrotechnic effects unleashed a storm of light and sound on the audience.

Their endless energy drove fans crazy. For American audiences, their brilliant, polished "melodic rock" and Klaus Meine's powerful, dramatic vocals epitomized the best of hard rock. Bon Jovi, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Europe, who later became supergroups, opened for the band, gaining invaluable experience performing in front of crowds of millions.

Love At First Sting became one of the most successful albums in rock history. It includes the most bone-chilling Scorpov songs like Rock You Like a Hurricane, Bad Boys Running Wild, As Soon As the Good Times Roll and the imperishable masterpiece Still Loving You.

Critics competed with rave reviews. Called "heavy metal heroes" by Rolling Stone magazine. were accepted into the exclusive club of the 30 greatest rock bands of all time. The ballad Still Loving You has become an international rock anthem. In France alone, this single sold 1,700,000 copies. The song caused a wave of hysteria among French fans not seen since the Beatles, and became a hallmark.

Their most memorable public appearances were in California in front of an audience of 325,000 and in Rio de Janeiro where they were greeted by 350,000 enthusiastic South American fans. The 1985 double album World Wide Live, the twin album of Tokyo Tapes, chronicled the band's recent international triumph.

In 1986 they were the highlight of the program at the famous Monsters of Rock festival. And in the same year they played in the capital of Hungary, Budapest. This was their first appearance in an Eastern Bloc country.

Constantly featured on the charts with hits such as Rock You Like a Hurricane, Blackout, Big City Nights, The Zoo, No One Like You, Dynamite, Bad Boys Running Wild, Coast to Coast. In the 1980s, Scorps created a new brand of hard rock that has not lost popularity to this day. And their powerful rock ballads, such as Still Loving You, Holiday, Wind of Change, Send Me an Angel, When You Came Into My Life, You & I, along with wonderful acoustic songs Always Somewhere and When the Smoke Is Going Down, were able to to win over even the most hardened hard rock haters.

Savage Amusement, the last album produced by Dieter Dierks, was released in 1988. It reached number 3 on the American charts and number 1 on the European charts.

Even after many years of touring the US and the rest of the world, they did not rest on their laurels, but continued to look for something new. In anticipation of the Savage Amusement world tour in 1988, they broke through the Iron Curtain and performed 10 sold-out concerts in Leningrad for 350,000 Soviet fans. They became the first foreign rock band to play in the USSR, a stronghold of communism. Hard rock, heavy metal and, in particular, Scorpio's ballad Still Loving You had already penetrated behind the Iron Curtain. still receive an enthusiastic reception in Russia.

And a year later, in August 1989, 20 years after Woodstock, the Soviet authorities, inspired by the success of Scorpov's concerts in Leningrad, gave the go-ahead for the legendary Moscow Music Peace Festival. They performed here with other hard rock monsters such as Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe and the Russian group Gorky Park - in front of 260,000 Soviet rock fans at the Moscow Stadium. Lenin.

In September 1989, Klaus Meine, inspired by the Moscow Peace Festival, created the hit Wind of Change.

Then, in November 1989, a completely unexpected event occurred. The Berlin Wall was destroyed. Wind of Change became a worldwide anthem of glasnost and perestroika, a kind of soundtrack to the fall of the Iron Curtain, communism and the end Cold War. A year later, in 1990, they performed in spectacular show Roger Waters' "The Wall" on Potsdamer Platz, where a fragment of the Berlin Wall once stood.

Wind of Change was such a success in Russia that the Scorps soon recorded a Russian version of the hit. Thanks to this wise decision, they gained a high-ranking admirer: in 1991, the German group was invited to the Kremlin to meet with Mikhail Gorbachev, the last President of the USSR and party leader. This was a unique event in the history of the Soviet Union and rock music.

They themselves were also affected by the “wind of change.” Before the recording and release of the new album Crazy World (1990), their long collaboration with Dieter Dierks, who produced so many successful albums, came to an end. Crazy World, the first self-produced album (with the help of Keith Olsen), which included Wind of Change, immediately became the most successful disc of the year. Crazy World was not alone in this honor: the single Wind of Change became a No. 1 hit in the world, taking first position in the charts of 11 countries.

Band members in 1993: Herman Rarebell, Ralph Rieckermann, Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs

In 1992 they received the Music Peace Prize as the most successful German rock band. Crazy World is a clear testament to the songwriting talents of Scorpio's masterminds: Matthias Jabs contributed the dynamic title track Tease Me Please Me, while Rudolf Schenker once again proved his ability to hit the nail on the head with the classic Scorpio ballad Send Me an Angel, and Klaus Meine demonstrated brilliant performance in Wind of Change.

After the worldwide tour, "Crazy World" parted ways with their bassist Francis Buchholz. The recording of Face the Heat (1993) (co-produced by Bruce Fairbairn) featured a new bass player, Ralph Rieckermann, with a conservatory education!

In 1994 they again received the Music Peace Prize.

Another significant moment in their career came when, at the invitation of the family of the “King of Rock and Roll,” Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley, and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, they performed a cover version of His Latest Time at the Elvis Presley Memorial Concert in Memphis.

In the same year, together with the UN, they provided assistance to refugees from warring Rwanda. In just one week, the group recorded and released the charity single White Dove.

In late 1995, as Pure Instinct (co-produced by Keith Olsen and Erwin Musper) was wrapping up recording, veteran drummer Herman Rabell left the band.

In 1988, during the Savage Amusement tour, the American band Kingdom Come, produced by Keith Olsen, performed as an opening act. Even then, Scorpov was impressed by the playing style of the band's drummer, Californian James Kottak. In 1995, the Scorps asked former AC/DC manager Stuart Young to call James and hire him as drummer for the upcoming Pure Instinct world tour. Kottak became the first American to play in a German rock band. In the person of 2 new members, bassist Ralf Rieckermann and drummer James Kottak, a new generation of musicians appeared in the group.

The "Pure Instinct" world tour proved that they were still one of the most important musicians in rock. Not only in Europe and America. In countries like Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, their album sales reached well above average levels, and their discs continued to receive gold and platinum status. In November 1996, they became the first rock band to give concerts in Beirut after the end of the Lebanese civil war.

1999 lineup: Rudolf Schenker, Ralph Rieckermann, Klaus Meine, James Kottak, Matthias Jabs

In 1999, on the recording of Eye II Eye (produced by Peter Wolf), James Kottak took part in the Scorpions' work in the studio for the first time. The album cover marks some changes in the group's style. The cover shows only the founders: Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine and Matthias Jabs And the album itself is another confirmation of the impressive talents of all members Socrpions as composers and instrumentalists. Songs like Mysterious, Yellow Butterfly, A Moment in a Million Year, Mind Like a Tree and Eye II Eye show the band at their creative peak. In Du bist so schmutzig (You Are So Dirty) we hear German lyrics from the Scorps for the first time. As part of the world tour, "Eye II Eye" played at the invitation of Michael Jackson at the "Michael Jackson and Friends" charity concert in Munich.

Following their motto “Don”t Stop at the Top!”, they greeted the new millennium with a new endeavor: a joint project with the world famous Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, which was previously led by the legendary Herbert von Karajan. In 1995, the orchestra considered the possibility of a joint project and was looking for a suitable group. Years later, even this classical orchestra recognized its success and international reputation. Two Mercedes German music agreed to a joint bold venture under the leadership of the famous producer, composer, conductor and arranger, Austrian Christian Kolonovits. Preparations began already in 1995. From that time on, both groups, so to speak, continued to work on the project. After the release of Eye II Eye (1999) and the subsequent world tour, they thoroughly got into serious business. A harbinger of things to come was the Scorps' performance at the invitation of the German government at a concert held in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on November 11, 1999, on the 10th anniversary of the unification of Germany. Wind of Change was performed by 166 cellists, with the outstanding virtuoso cellist Mstislav Rostropovich performing as a soloist.

In January 2000, together with Christian Kolonowitz, they began studio recording in Vienna. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra recorded its parts in April. The album was finally mixed in April-May 2000 at Galaxy Studios in Belgium. A joint album with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Moment of Glory, was released on June 19, 2000.

The first concert took place on June 22, 2000 at the EXPO 2000 exhibition in Hannover. The album also includes the exhibition's official anthem, Moment of Glory.

In February 2001 they gave several acoustic concerts in Lisbon. Based on their results, the live album Acoustica was recorded, which includes acoustic versions of old Scorpov hits, as well as 3 new songs. Christian Kolonowitz again took part in the recording of the project. He worked on the arrangements and also recorded keyboard parts for the album. Without stopping studio work, in the spring of the same year they gave concerts in Russia and the CIS countries as part of the "Moment of Glory" tour. In June, Scorps continued to “develop” the countries of Eastern Europe, performing for the first time in the capital of Albania, Tirana. And immediately after the release of the Acoustica album, the group went on a world tour in support of the album.

The year 2002 was not marked by studio projects, but was extremely rich in live performances. This spring they closed the "Acoustica Tour" with three concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In the summer we undertook a giant tour of the United States, and in the fall we visited a total of 21 cities in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania.

2004 is the year of the Scorpions' return to hard"n"heavy. After the album Eye II Eye and experiments with symphonic/acoustic concerts, the musicians decided to shake... with youth :) well, yes, with old times. The album Unbreakable was a “long-awaited bite” from a poisonous creature, and, according to the group, symbolizes their former loyalty to rock music. According to Mr. Rudi Schenker, "Unbreakable" should unite old and new generations of fans. And you believe him :)

The next album Humanity - Hour 1 received enthusiastic responses from everyone: from listeners and critics. This is not even an album, but a collection of hits - and not potential, but already real. The super thing Humanity has become one of the best songs of the Scorpions and has already entered their “golden fund”. Many songs from the album are played on the radio. Clips are shown on TV. When the “scorpions” made a new album, their goal, as they themselves say, was precisely to return to the charts, to create an album of hits. It looks like they have achieved their goal, but, as always, they don’t stop there...

And at the beginning of 2009, after a long, large-scale tour, Klaus Meine said in an interview that the idea for a new album was already being created. And recording of the album begins at the end of this year. The title of the album sounds very interesting - Sting In The Tail.

"It has always been our pleasure, our purpose in life, our passion and our fortune to play music for you - no matter whether at a concert or in the studio recording new songs. Throughout the past months, when we have been working on our new album, we have been aware, without exaggeration, , how powerful and creative our work is - and how much joy it brings us in the process. But there was something else: We want to end an extraordinary career on a high note. We are extremely pleased with the fact that we have maintained the same passion with which started our career. This is the answer to the question why, especially now, we decided to end our journey. We end our career with an album that we believe will be one of the best records we have recorded, and a tour that starts in our native Germany and will take us across five continents in a few years.

We want you, our fans, to be the first to know about this. Thank you for your never-ending support over the years! We published a small preview from our album especially for you on myspace. And now... let the party begin and get ready for Sting In The Tail!

See you on tour!
Your Scorpions"

Discography

Albums:

Lonesome Crow (1972)
Fly to the Rainbow (1974)
In Trance (1975)
Taken by Force (1977)
Virgin Killer (1977)
Tokyo Tapes (1978)
Lovedrive (1979)
Animal Magnetism (1980)
Blackout (1982)
Love At First Sting (1984)
World Wide Live (1985)
Savage Amusement (1988)
Crazy World (1990)
Face the Heat (1993)
Live Bites (1995)
Pure Instinct (1996)
Eye II Eye (1999)
Moment of Glory (2000)
Acoustic (2001)
Unbreakable (2004)
Humanity - Hour I (2007)
Sting In The Tail (2010)

Collections:

Best Of Scorpions (1979)
Best of Vol 2 (1980)
Hot & Heavy (1982)
Gold Ballads (1984)
Best (1985)
Best Of Rockers "N" Ballads (1989)
Still Loving You (1990)
Hurricane Rock (1990)
Hot & Hard (1993)
Deadly Sting (1995)
Deadly Sting: The Mercury Years (1997)
Big City Nights (1998)
Scorpions best (1999)
Pictured Life: All the Best (2000)
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Scorpions (2001)
Classic Bites (2002)
Bad For Good: The Very Best Of Scorpions (2002)
Essential (2003)
Box of Scorpions (2004)
Hot & Slow: Best Masters of the 70's (2004)
The Platinum Collection (2006)
Gold (2006)
Taken B-Side (2009)

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Like many teenagers of the 60s, 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", the Scorpions have traveled an incredible path in their career, 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 album of the year from the RCA catalog.

In the mid-70s, the newly formed Van Halen began to gain popularity through covers. Scorpions- "Speedy's Coming" (album "Fly To The Rainbow") and "Catch Your Train" (album "Virgin Killer").

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.

In 1983 at a festival in California in San Bemadino Valley Scorpions performing in front of 325 thousand fans.

In 1984, the album "Love At First Sting" was released with the famous ballad " Still Loving You". “Scorpio mania” is beginning 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, visiting the USSR for the first time, Scorpions They sell out their concerts. Thus, in Leningrad, the “scorpions” completely sold out 10 concerts, which were attended by more than 300 thousand fans.

In 1990, the "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 unique event both in the history of rock music and in the history of the USSR. The same year the single " Wind Of Change"took first place in the charts in 11 countries.

In 1992 Scorpions received the World Music Award and were recognized as the best German group.

In 1994, they again received a World Music Award and received an invitation from their daughter Elvis Presley to play at the prestigious Elvis Presley memorial concert in Memphis.

In 1996, to mark the end of the war in Libya Scorpions played a concert in Beirut, thus becoming the first Western hard rock band to perform there.

On November 11, 1999, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the reunification of Germany, at the invitation of the German government, Scorpions performing in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

In 2000 at a rock festival in Poland Scorpions gather the largest audience - 750 thousand people.

In 2003 Scorpions perform in Moscow on Red Square during the City Day celebration.

The Scorpions were one of the first Western groups to perform about the USSR. Does Russia hold any special place in your hearts now?

Interviews with musicians"SCORPIONS"

Klaus: Russia has always held a special place in my heart, primarily because we had many interesting and impressive moments there related to our creativity and music. They simply cannot be forgotten. I have a lot of memories associated with concerts and meetings in Moscow and other cities. Even using the example of our last big tour in 2002, when we were asked if we would be interested in giving concerts in more than ten cities, including Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Vladivostok, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, etc., we We had no doubt at all, and these six weeks of tour became for us the most unforgettable adventure that simply cannot be forgotten. Every time I remember and share my impressions of Russia with my friends, I do not hide that Russia will always remain a special place for Scorpions, be it our very first concert in Leningrad, the Moscow "Music Peace Festival" or the last September performance on Red Square at the bottom of the city, when I, standing with eyes closed in front of tens of thousands, I thought: this is the most wonderful dream that any musician can have. I even wrote a ballad called "Siberia" ("Siberia"), but time will tell whether it will see the light of day or not. Maybe we'll include it on one of our albums as a bonus track.

Matthias: Yes, of course, at one time it was a rather 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 our first concert in Hungary, he was the only person who later 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 this. Then about 45 thousand people gathered in Budapest, of which ten thousand came from eastern Germany. In the spring of 1988, when we were finally able to come to Leningrad, it was an inexplicable feeling, we had done something impossible, and it would stay with us for the rest of our lives.

Rudolf: Before, we knew nothing about Russia. Only from someone’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 Tatyana, with whom we have already been together more than a year. Having traveled around the country and 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 a folk women’s choir greeted us with songs, and our grandmothers treated us 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 around Russia in the near future?

Klaus: Yes, we are currently 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, and will highlight our arrival in Volgograd etc. I think the new video should be out before the end of 2004.

Matthias: In addition to the video, we 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, which 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 everything probably turns out differently. Even the audience can be different. Do you have any comments on these types of performances?

Klaus: Yes, 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 perform with an orchestra, everything, of course, turns out a little differently. First of all, there are many technical and organizational issues. Standing on stage, in addition to your monitors, you should hear another eighty people with violins, trumpets, etc. You have to be very sensitive and find a certain balance between the group and the orchestra. Remember that it’s not just us, not five people, but all eighty-five on stage. Everyone must 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 seems.

The history of the group formally began in 1948, when two boys were born into the Schenker and Meine families - Rudolf and Klaus. In 1965, Rudolf Schenker decided, under the influence of the British rock scene, to create his own band, focused on heavy music. Soon, due to the need to serve in the army, the group temporarily disbanded, but in 1969 it gathered again. At that time, in addition to Rudolf Schenker, Karl-Heinz Vollmer, Wolfgang Dzioni and Lothar Heimberg played in the group. A little later, Schenker invited his younger brother Michael, who was already considered an excellent guitarist at that time, to join the band, as well as vocalist Klaus Meine, who at that time played in the band Copernicus. Volmer had left the band by that time and this quintet recorded the band's first album, Lonesome Crow. The album was recorded as a soundtrack to the film Frozen Paradise.

After this, Michael Schenker left the group, joining the British from UFO. A new lead guitarist, Uli Jon Roth, joined the group, who held this post until 1978 and recorded on 4 albums, bringing a special style to the sound of the group, so beloved by fans of the early work of the group. Also, at this time, bassist Francis Bucholz joined the group, becoming a member of the group for two decades. Changes in drummers occurred more often, until Herman Rarebell took over the drums in 1977. The group defined its style as a mixture of hard rock and heavy metal with lyrical ballads, which became the band's signature, forming the de facto style of rock ballads. At this time, the group began to gradually gain popularity on the European and Japanese scenes, where their albums became very popular, which resulted in the recording of the live record “Tokyo Tapes” in 1978.

At the same time, Schenker Jr. returned briefly to the place of guitarist, who was then replaced by Matthias Jabs, who became the last link of the group that decided to conquer the world. In 1979, the first album of the golden lineup, “Lovedrive,” was released, containing several hits that are often performed at concerts to this day, including the ballad Holiday. This album began the band's glorious path on the American and world stage. One after another, albums were released that became gold and platinum; “Blackout” and “Love at first sting” became especially successful. During this time, the group recorded their main hits The Zoo, Still Loving You, Big City Nights, Rock you like a hurricane or Blackout. A few years later, Scorpions became the first rock band to perform behind the Iron Curtain of the USSR. This happened in 1988 in Leningrad. A year later they performed in Moscow at the Peace Festival. This is what formed the basis of the famous Scorpions hit Wind of Change. This song and the album "Crazy World" became swan song golden composition of Scorpions. After this, Bucholz left the group, and was replaced by Ralf Riekermann. And three years later, Rarebell followed the example of the bassist. Soon the place of permanent drummer was taken by the first non-German - American James Kottak. A blond American with a tattoo on his entire back - “Rock n Roll forever” soon became a significant figure in the group, and his drum solos became signature elements of concerts! The last change in the line-up was the arrival of Pawel Machiwoda, a Polish national, before the release of the album “Unbreakable” in 2004. But before that, the group carried out two rare projects for a metal band.

In 2000, together with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, they recorded the album Moment of Glory and released a DVD. Among the many invited guests was Christian Kolonowitz, who became a conductor at the concert and went on tour with them. A year later, they carried out a project together to record an acoustic album in Lisbon.

After that, the group recorded 3 more albums of new songs, and in 2011 they released the album “Comeblack”, which includes several re-recorded classic hits of the group and a number of proven hits from other groups. In 2010, simultaneously with the release of their next driving album, “Sting in the Tail,” the group announced the cessation of concert activities and, following this, went on a farewell tour, which lasted until 2012. True, the Germans promise to please with the release of many unreleased recordings from past years, including new songs!

As a result of a long career, several general facts can be drawn. In total, today the group has released 19 studio albums and 4 live albums. 17 people managed to play in its composition, among them only Rudolf Schenker was its permanent participant. Although the group's style is defined on the border between hard rock and heavy metal, they periodically played in a lighter style. More than one generation of fans considers their music to be theirs; the Scorpions are accepted as one of their own both in the camp of out-and-out metalheads and fans of classic rock.

The lead singer of the Scorpions group, Klaus Meine, whose biography is distinguished by professional brilliance and respectable monotony in his personal life, is recognized by most music experts as one of the best vocalists in the world. Every time the song Still loving you begins, listeners get goosebumps from such a strong and expressive timbre.

Childhood and youth. First steps in music

The legendary lead singer of the Scorpions group Klaus Meine was born in Germany on May 25, 1948. Hometown is Hannover. Klaus's family belonged to the working class, and there were no prerequisites for the birth of such a unique and large-scale personality. However, even in early childhood, the parents began to notice the boy’s extraordinary musicality.

They encouraged their son's hobby and even gave him a real guitar for one of his birthdays. Klaus was an excellent student and excellently combined his studies with music studies. His home performances in front of family and friends became his favorite entertainment for the family.

First steps in music

The most inspiring and guiding thing was my acquaintance with the music of the Beatles. He was 9 years old when he first heard the Beatles on one of the radio stations. Then, as a standard, the aspiring musician chose the personality of Elvis Presley, whose performances simply fascinated Meine. Throughout its entire musical career The lead singer of the Scorpions group, whose biography is directly related to youthful musical tastes, remembers Elvis as a role model and is not ashamed of the fact that he deliberately repeats some of the techniques of the great king of rock and roll.

Commitment to modern rock determined not only the musical preferences of the young Maine, but also his image, and in many ways, his way of life.

At the initial stages of musical development, not everything went smoothly with vocals. Klaus had a very peculiar teacher, who, if something went wrong with one of the students, would prick them with an ordinary needle. This method of teaching bore fruit, in the end, Klaus learned excellent vocals, but he still remembers with a laugh how, in revenge on the cruel teacher, before the next lesson, he bought a large thick needle and injected the teacher in the butt with it.

Professional development

Surprisingly, the future lead singer of the Scorpions group chose a profession not related to music. In many ways, the decision was influenced by my parents. Despite the fact that they supported their son in his passion for music, they sought to give him more solid ground under his feet in the form of a mastered specialty as a decorator. And after receiving a profession, he was free to do as he pleased. This was the position of parents who dreamed of a prosperous future for their child.

Scorpions: group composition

The fame of the insanely talented and irrepressible vocalist reached musical circles while still in college. Klaus had the opportunity to choose which group he wanted to play in. Offers poured in, and Klaus chose the Mushrooms group. The group was quite popular, and it was in its composition that Meine attracted the attention of Rudolf Schenker, at that time an aspiring guitarist. But even when Scorpions began its full-fledged existence, ironically, Klaus ended up in other groups, often competing with the legendary group.

Thus, the future lead singer of the Scorpions group became the lead singer of Copernicus. Luring him away from this group became a fundamental task, since his younger brother Michael played there, and his musical confrontation with whom was long-standing and painful. As a result, the matter ended with Rudolf's victory, and Klaus ended up as part of the Scorpions team. Michael Schenker also joined the group with him. This happened in 1969. No matter how often the lead singers of the Scorpions changed earlier, the composition of the group was finally formed.

First album

In the same year, when the group finally formed and acquired its voice, the aspiring musicians managed to win one of the competitions, where the prize was the opportunity to record their songs in a real studio. However, the joy was short-lived - the studio turned out to be equipped with outdated equipment, which did not allow them to convey the full depth of the sound of rock compositions. The musicians did their best, Klaus even tried to sing with his head in a bucket, but all these tricks turned out to be useless. This failure delayed the release of their first album, but did not cancel it. So, in 1972, their debut album called Lonesome Crow was released. Produced by Kony Planck. Even then, a landmark towards the international level was noticeable - all songs were recorded in English. It was Meine's own decision. The album was not a great success, but allowed the novice band to shine well on the starry horizon.

Meet Gabi

The year 1972 became symbolic for Klaus not only in terms of a musical breakthrough, but also in his personal life. It was then that he met his first and only love, Gabi. Their acquaintance occurred after one of the many concerts. The 7-year difference did not stop the couple. And, despite the fact that Gabi was very young at that time (16 years old), the choice she made turned out to be correct.

She repeatedly shared with journalists her impressions of meeting her future husband. Despite his rock star status, Klaus turned out to be a caring and loyal man in life. Mutual love and affection in their relationship only grows stronger over the years. In December 1985, Gabi gave birth to Klaus' son.

World triumph

Despite the cool attitude of the public towards the first album, subsequent records, one after another, captivated listeners. In 1979, their popularity reached the United States of America. Explosive hits and melodic rock ballads drove fans around the world crazy. Their famous World Wide Live tour was a complete triumph.

Losing your voice and returning to the stage

But before the start of the world tour, the group faced a serious challenge - Klaus lost his voice. His main intention was to leave Scorpions so as not to interfere with the further creativity of the group. However, the members of the group were not just colleagues in the music workshop, but also true friends. It was their support that helped Maina return to the profession of musician. Surgery was required to restore his voice, and after two operations on the ligaments, Maine regained the ability to sing. He had to train and rehearse a lot, but he continued to work day after day. And the incredible happened - Maine’s voice changed. His possibilities became even wider, the same songs sounded completely different.

Rise in popularity

Scorpions have reached incredible heights of popular love all over the world. They became the first group from Germany to successfully perform in New York three times. Their albums, one after another, reached the top of the American and European charts.

The most popular album in the history of rock is considered to be the Scorpions record called Love At First Sting. The most striking performances are considered to be a concert in California in front of 325 thousand spectators, as well as a performance in Brazil in front of 350 thousand people.

Scorpions and Russian fans

The legendary group first visited the USSR in 1988. Concerts in Moscow were disrupted due to the organizers' adherence to principles - they refused to remove seats for spectators from the stalls. The group refused to perform. At the same time, 10 concerts took place in Leningrad. What was unprecedented was that the band performed every day without interruption and drew full houses. The musicians remembered their stay in Russia for a long time. Subsequently, even a cassette To Russia With Love was released.

After a year had passed since the Leningrad concerts, Scorpions received an offer to take part in the Moscow Music and Peace Festival, along with other rock groups. The team gladly agreed. A crowd of Russian fans, numbering more than two hundred thousand people, enthusiastically greeted the musicians. The world-famous hit Wind of Change was recorded by Klaus under the influence of impressions from concerts in the USSR. Later, expressing deep respect for the Soviet public, the musicians created a Russian-language version of this song. As a result, the ranks of Scorpions fans were joined by Mikhail Gorbachev himself, who invited the group to a meeting in the Kremlin.

A new stage in the life of the group

The 2000s marked a new important stage in the creative life of the group. So, in June 2000, the new Scorpions album was released, which was recorded together with the orchestra. The usual hits sounded completely different, and this fresh breath of change brought even more loyal Scorpions fans; the group’s biography took a new important turn.

Over the past years, the group has been actively touring, organizing one tour after another, including new programs. In 2010, a new album was recorded called Sting In The Tail, the release of which was followed by new tours around the world.

In 2015, Scorpions flew to St. Petersburg to hold a number of more concerts and celebrate Klaus's birthday. According to the musician, he has a special emotional connection with Russian fans, which is simply impossible to break. That is why the team returns to Russia time after time and readily performs for Russian fans.

Scorpions ("Scorpions") is a group whose biography continues to amaze with its stable development and undying love of the public.

Klaus Meine in life

According to the reviews of people around Klaus, in life he has little in common with the stage image to which we are accustomed. Unstoppable on stage, in reality he is serious, very focused and attentive. In his communication, he is distinguished by radiant sincerity, kindness and intelligence.

Besides creative activity As part of the Scorpions group, Meine is active in other areas of life. So, one of his favorite activities is sports. Most of all, he loves football, and is not only a rabid fan of his native Hannover football club, but also a player, albeit a non-professional one. Klaus devotes a lot of time to sports, especially before concerts. It is a known fact that before a performance, Meine, alone with himself, can perform abdominal exercises a hundred times and, as a vocal warm-up, makes loud, almost inhuman sounds. Another favorite game is tennis, for which I have not had enough time in recent years. According to Meine, sports help him tune in to the right wave.

An indisputable fact is that the singer is in excellent physical shape, despite the fact that he is 67 years old. Many do not believe this figure, and every time they wonder how old the lead singer of the Scorpions group is. The reason is not only in regular sports, but also in the fact that Klaus Meine is an example of an intellectual and harmonious person who accepts with joy and gratitude all the victories and challenges that come his way.