Scorpions…the sting of rock. On the occasion of the new and the last album of the German rock legends before they split up, Metalpaths go back in time to remember the glory days of the band.
Since the 60’s there have been numerous bands that have written history and a few that are worth something more than just respect from the rock and heavy metal society. Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple are some of the examples. However, also few were the bands that through many years of touring and recording have managed to stay together through thick and thin and keep on rocking until today putting together in halls and stadiums fans of three different generations. Well, what can we say about today’s Black Sabbath or today’s Led Zeppelin for example?
Scorpions, remain until today one of the, even fewer, bands that have managed to perform all the things that I just mentioned. And they’ve been doing so for almost 40 years. Since 1972, when their first record called “Lonesome Crow” came out. Maybe nowadays Germany is considered to be a country that raised a lot of great bands such as Helloween, Accept, Blind Guardian or even Rammstein, however, back then, things weren’t so simple. The English language was a high barrier for an unknown German band and today the rest of the band remember Klaus Meine (vocals) entering the recording studio with a dictionary in hand.
To get things right on track, it all began in 1965, in Hannover, West Germany, when Rudolf Schenker launched the band completing its first known formation in 1969 along with his brother Michael Schenker, both in guitars, and Klaus Meine in vocals. Bass and drums were held by Lothar Heimberg and Wolfgang Dziony. Uli Jon Roth joined the band later on, in 1973 as Michael Schenker accepted the offer from the British band UFO during their tour for Lonesome Crow, a record that sounded more psychedelic than usual, following the trends of the time then. Uli Roth had replaced M. Schenker temporarily during the tour and in 1973 Scorpions were formed to record “Fly To The Rainbow” with Klaus Meine, R. Schenker, U.J. Roth, Achim Kirschning (keyboards) and Jürgen Rosenthal (drums ). J. Rosenthal was later on the drummer for the well known, also German, Eloy.
Well, that’s how it all began, so let’s see some of Scorpions’ highlights during their great career. I’m going to divide their career in eras as they do not only represent time or line-up changes, but also musical directions.
First Era
1975 – In Trance
In “Fly To The Rainbow” the opener “Speedy’s Coming” (one of my personal rock favorites ever) summarizes the band’s decision to take their music to a new level. Well, on this occasion, their expectations are fulfilled in this masterpiece. From the exterior, the always provocative mood of Scorpions is already seen.
The two first dynamites, “Dark Lady” and “In Trance” drive us crazy and the rest of the album is already written in history.
Line up: Klaus Meine (Vocals), Rudolf Schenker (Guitars), Uli Jon Roth (Guitars), Rudy, Lenners (Drums), Francis Buchholz (Bass)
1977 – Taken By Force
This is the album that brings together the old school rock fans of that time and the heavy metal youth of that age. 
A bridge over two generations of hard music representing, in general, the changes and the evolution to heavy metal that hard rock was coming through when this record came out. Klaus Meine and Uli Jon Roth are now an example and will always remain one since this colossal record. How can someone describe the shivering in “He’s A Woman She’s A Man”, “We’ll Burn The Sky”, “The Sail Of Sharon”. It’s also an album that was the end for Uli Jon Roth and the pre beginning of their next era, the commercial one.
Line up: Klaus Meine (Vocals), Rudolf Schenker (Guitars), Uli Jon Roth (Guitars), Herman, Barebell (Drums), Francis Buchholz (Bass)
The Commercial Big Bang
Soon after “Taken By Force”, Uli Jon Roth and Rudolf Schenker are replaced by Mathias Jabs and Michael Schenker being a guest in the next album having left UFO due to his problems of alcoholism. Scorpions manage to stand their grounds and this era will be the one that gained them appreciation from fans of all music genres.
1979 – Lovedrive
After these massive line up change of Uli Jon Roth, someone can wonder if a band is able to make such a dynamic comeback with a record capable of competing the two mentioned masterpieces. It’s a well known fact that UJ Roth was and still is a great composer. Well, Scorpions managed to do so with Lovedrive making a great commercial success. Containing such fan favorites as “Loving You Sunday Morning”, “Always Somewhere”, “Holiday” and the instrumental “Coast to Coast”, the well known ‘Scorpions formula’ of hard rock songs mixed with melodic ballads was firmly cemented and the band raised a new generation of rock fans with this one.
Line up: Klaus Meine (Vocals), Rudolf Schenker (Guitars), Mathias Jabs (Guitars), Herman Barebell (Drums), Francis Buchholz (Bass)
1984 – Love At First Sting
Germany is now a fortress of hard rock and heavy metal and soon will produce even more bands. Scorpions are not just another hard rock group but rock superstars. After Animal Magnetism and Blackout of 1980 and 1982, which brought even more commercial success to the band, Scorpions make another colossal record. Another provocative cover and some new all time classic rock dynamites. “Bad Boys Running Wild”, “Rock You Like A Hurricane”, “Big City Nights” and “Still Loving You” are only some of them. Scorpions are double platinum in the USA, something very difficult for a European band at the time and are now on MTV.
This vinyl record still is a jewel in my living room. It was impossible for me to exclude this live record from Scorpions’ most important moments of their career. Maybe this is one of the best live albums ever both personal and in general. Recorded over a year-long world tour and released at the height of their popularity, the album was another success for the band, peaking at #14 in the charts in the US and at #18 in the UK. In general, this album is like a photograph catching the band during their best time ever presenting songs that will stand the test of time for the years to go.
Line up: Klaus Meine (Vocals), Rudolf Schenker (Guitars), Mathias Jabs (Guitars), Herman Barebell (Drums), Francis Buchholz (Bass)
The End Of An Era
It’s well proven that on World Wide Live Scorpions had reached the peak of their success. From 1988 to 1993, Scorpions release three albums Savage Amusement, Crazy World and Face The Heat. The first one follows the paths of Def Leppard’s success, it sold well but didn’t gain the same critical acclaim as the older albums. Crazy World, although harder brought mediocre success to the band but contained one of the best hard rock songs ever written, “Wind Of Change” which comments the social and political changes that occurred in the beginning of the last decade of the 20th century.
Face The Heat of 1993 finds Scorpions releasing one of their heaviest written records containing songs like “Alien Nation” which happens to be one of my favorites from this band. Although productive, success for Scorpions was not the same anymore as the music world had changes with the rise of Seattle scene with grunge setting aside hard rock for many years to come. In 1995 the band releases Live Bites a live album although with better sound than World Wide Live, but as successful as the second one. Their next studio release takes place in 1996 with Pure Instinct which contains many ballads contrary to “Face The Heat”. In 1999, Scorpions make maybe the worst album of their long and successful career Eye II Eye which has nothing to do with the band’s history as it contains music styles different to Scorpions’ style through all these years.
The Later Days and Announcement of Retirement
In 2004 the Scorpio returns with Unbreakable, a dynamic comeback after 5 years. The rock scene has gone heavy for many years now and Scorpions follow the trend of the time with a very good record. It was their first studio release after Moment Of Glory in 2000 and Live Acoustica in 2001.
2007 is the next stop for Scorpions as they release Humanity Hour I entering the Billboard Charts at #63. It was an album that was characterized as “concept” something that Klaus Meine refused to confirm saying that the band wanted to stop singing about boys chasing girls.
In December 2009 the band realized that it was time for them to step down and retire after the tour for their last record, “Sting In The Tail”.
So, let’s see some highlights during their long year career;
• “Lovedrive” reaches #55 in US charts in 1979 and the cover of the album is voted as “Best Album Sleeve” for 1979 by the readers of Playboy Magazine.
• During their career Scorpions cooperated with many great musicians, in 1981 Don Dokken is brought in to help with the recording of Scorpions’ Blackout.
• In 1985 World Wide Live reaches #14 in the charts in the US and at #18 in the UK.
• On the Savage Amusement tour in 1988, Scorpions became only the second Western group to play in the Soviet Union (the first being Uriah Heep in December, 1987), with a performance in Leningrad. The following year the band returned to perform at the Moscow Music Peace Festival.
• On July 21, 1990 and some months since the fall of the Wall in Berlin, Roger Waters performs in a front of a massive crowd one of Pink Floyd’s and music’s greatest albums ever written, “The Wall”. Scorpions hit the stage with “In The Flesh” and end the concert along with Roger Waters.
Some say that they should have retired a long time ago, others that it was the right time and some others that the band had even more to give. Maybe this question will remain unanswered but one thing is for sure; Scorpions gave us so many during the 40 years of their career, joy, excitement and tears. They also did something that many great bands didn’t manage, they brought together fans of different audiences and different music genres with their music which was solid and pure hard rock.
Last, they managed to do everything, they were underground, heavy, commercial and sorted out top quality staff. Whether we like it or not, whether a huge fan or small, Scorpions are legends and their music is our legacy.
Chris “Wild Child” Zarkadakis.