which told about the visit of the group "Scorpions" to Leningrad and the concert they gave at the Rock Club.
And recently unearthed a more detailed plot on YouTube. Also there were memories of one of the spectators of that concert.

"For a long time I wanted to write about this wonderful event, which I myself witnessed. After all, in fact, the Scorpions were the first who managed to break through the Iron Curtain and perform in the USSR (except for the incomprehensibly allowed Elton John concert in Leningrad in 1979) .

My then friends - the group "Mitra" (there is practically no information about which on the Internet, although some famous personalities came from there) tried to join the Leningrad rock club, but were rejected 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 the Aquarium). At the same time, the NEP group was auditioning, which was more fortunate - they managed to get into the next round. My classmate and I liked the group very much, and we decided to go and see it in the second round.

Taking my older brother (also a great music lover) with us, we came the next weekend to 13 Rubinshteina Street. An unusually large number of party-goers in the yard of the rock club immediately caught my eye, and mostly hairy metalheads in riveted leather jackets. The audition of the NEP took place in the small hall, but we were not allowed in (it turns out that the second round was held behind closed doors). We had already decided to go home, when suddenly a whisper swept through the party: "Now the Scorpions will arrive!" We ask individuals - they say: "Yes, there was such a rumor." We remain waiting.

Suddenly, indeed, a limousine drives into the courtyard (or maybe just some kind of foreign car, we didn’t see them in large numbers then) and the Scorpions come out, accompanied by two huge guards who help them squeeze through the crowd of fans into the rock club building. Another rumor is circulating through the crowd: "there will be a session." We are waiting again.

After some time, everyone is launched into a small hall, there is simply nowhere for an apple to fall. Among the public are many eminent musicians of the rock club. First, the Pig performs, sings his uncomplicated songs, something like "I hate all the bourgeois." Himself, as usual, in a tattered raincoat, brandishes a half-empty bottle of beer, periodically pouring water on the front rows. Then the girl punk band "Situation", 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, you can’t make out the words, the instruments too.

Then a short break, and here is the moment of truth: the Scorpions enter the scene! They pick up the instruments that our punks have just played, do the tuning for about five minutes and start playing. To say it was a shock is an understatement! On the same equipment, the Germans produce a sound comparable to their own sound on a record. They performed Blackout and some other killer song (I don't remember now). The hall 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 switch jackets with Rudolf Schenker. Schenker becomes the happy owner of a leather jacket with a handicraft riveted inscription, and the St. Petersburg metalworker - an elegant brown cowboy leather jacket.

Well, that's all. After that, the scorpions went, apparently, to thump with the administration of the club, and the dumbfounded audience went home. And the St. Petersburg musicians got a good lesson in professionalism and the right attitude to sound."



You can immediately start watching the video from the 4th minute, when Scorpions are starting. Against their background, all of our "AU", "Situations" and so on, who then participated, is, of course, just an anti-musical breed. And this despite the fact that I do not like scorpions.
Incidentally, the so-called Red Corner Rock Club- this is the room in which in the 90s Panker and Pinochet organized a rock shop. There was also a bar there, and some concerts were periodically held on the same stage. I then worked in the Rybinsk (ex-Kino) newspaper Niotkuda and wrote reports about these concerts. Somewhere around 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 legendary Scorpions once again say goodbye to Russia as part of an additional tour. The mini-tour in Moscow will end on the stage of the Crocus City Hall, which, according to the band's vocalist Klaus Meine, will differ from previous "farewells" and, most likely, will still be the last in the capital and in Russia.

In 1972, the band released their debut album, Lonesome Crow. From the very beginning, Scorpions aimed to reach the top of the world hard rock business, so Klaus Meine wrote all the lyrics in English language.

Starting with their third album, In Trance (1975), the band began collaborating with renowned international producer Dieter Dirks. The album Virgin Killer (1976) won the Album of the Year award in Germany, and in Japan received the status of "gold" - for the first time in the history of the group.

In 1979, the Scorpions released the album Lovedrive, which became a grandiose triumph for the group.
In the same year, the musicians began their first major tour of America. During the recording of Blackout (1982), Klaus Meine lost his voice. After two operations on the ligaments, Klaus resumed work in the group.

After the group's three albums at once - Animal Magnetism (1980), Blackout (1982) and Love At First Sting (1984) - hit the US charts The Scorpions spent two years touring the world and playing at every major rock festival.

In 1985, the double album World Wide Live was released, which was the result of the tour, combining songs performed during the tour. In 1986, the Scorpions headlined the famous Monsters Of Rock festival in the UK, featuring some of the biggest names in the hard rock/heavy metal scene.

In 1988, Savage Amusement was released - the last album produced by Dieter Dirks. It reached number three in the US charts and number one in Europe. On the eve of the Savage Amusement world tour in 1988, the Scorpions gave 10 sold-out concerts in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), which were attended by a total of 350,000 Soviet fans.

Scorpions were the first foreign rock band who played in the USSR. In 1989, the Soviet authorities allowed the legendary Moscow Music and Peace Festival to take place, which was organized in support of the fight against drugs in Russia.

Scorpions performed at the Moscow stadium. Lenin along with Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row, Motley Crew and the Russian band Gorky Park. Impressed by the festival, Klaus Meine created a hit wind of change.

In the same year, the Berlin Wall was torn down. Wind Of Change has become the worldwide anthem of glasnost and perestroika, a kind of soundtrack to the fall of the Iron Curtain, communism and the end of the Cold War.

In 2012, the last tour in Russia was announced. On April 26 and 27 concerts will be held in Moscow at Crocus City Hall.

Over the film, which began filming at the end of 2011. This is a documentary film about the band, concerts. Filming took place in London, Berlin, Paris, different corners around the world. The last concerts in Moscow will also be filmed.

The current composition of the group includes: Klaus Meine (Klaus Meine) - vocals; Rudolf Schenker - rhythm guitar Matthias Jabs - rhythm guitar, James Kottak - drums, Pawel Maciwoda - bass guitar.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

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

Childhood and youth. First steps in music

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

They encouraged their son's passion and even gave him a real guitar for one of his birthdays. Klaus studied perfectly and perfectly combined his studies with music lessons. Favorite entertainment for the family was his home performances in front of relatives and friends.

First steps in music

The most inspiring and guiding was the 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 reference, the novice musician chose the personality of Elvis Presley, whose performances simply fascinated Meine. Throughout its musical career the lead singer of the Scorpions, whose biography is directly related to youthful musical tastes, recalls Elvis as a role model and is not shy about deliberately repeating some of the techniques of the great king of rock and roll.

Adherence 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 formation, not everything went smoothly with vocals. Klaus had a very peculiar teacher who, if one of the students did not go well, pricked them with an ordinary needle. This way of teaching paid off, in the end, Klaus learned excellent vocals, but he still laughingly recalls how, in retaliation for a cruel teacher, before the next lesson, he bought a large thick needle and pricked the teacher in the fifth point with it.

Professional development

Surprisingly, the future soloist of the Scorpions group chose a profession not related to music. In many ways, the decision was influenced by the parents. Despite the fact that they supported their son in his passion for music, they sought to give him a firmer footing in the form of a mastered profession as a decorator. And after receiving the 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: the composition of the group

The fame of the insanely talented and indefatigable vocalist reached the musical circles while still in college. Klaus had the opportunity to choose which band 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 the Scorpions began their full-fledged existence, ironically, Klaus ended up in other bands, often competing with the legendary group.

So, the future soloist of the Scorpions group became the soloist of Copernicus. To lure him away from this group became a fundamental task, since his younger brother Michael played there, the musical confrontation with which was a long and painful one. As a result, the case ended with the victory of Rudolf, and Klaus ended up in the Scorpions team. Together with him, Michael Schenker also joined the group. It happened in 1969. No matter how often the soloists of the Scorpions changed earlier, the composition of the group was finally formed.

First album

In the same year, when the group was finally formed and acquired its voice, novice 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 was equipped with outdated equipment, which did not allow 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 were useless. This setback delayed the release of their first album, but did not cancel it. So, in 1972 they released their debut album called Lonesome Crow. Produced by Koni Plank. Even then, a landmark for the international level was noticeable - all songs were recorded in English. It was Meine's own decision. The album did not have much success, but allowed the novice team to light up well in the starry sky.

Acquaintance with Gaby

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 the only love Gaby. Their acquaintance happened after one of the many concerts. The difference of 7 years did not stop the couple. And, despite the fact that Gaby at that time was very young (16 years old), the choice she made turned out to be the right one.

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

World triumph

Despite the cool attitude of the public to the first album, subsequent records conquered the listeners one after another. 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 tour World Wide Live became an absolute triumph.

Loss of voice and return to the stage

But before the start of the world tour, the group was faced with serious test Klaus lost his voice. His main intention was to leave the "Scorpions", so as not to interfere with the further creativity of the team. However, the members of the group were not just colleagues in the musical workshop, but also true friends. It was their support that helped Maina return to the profession of a musician. Surgery was required to restore his voice, and after two operations on the ligaments, Maine regained the ability to sing. I had to train a lot, rehearse, 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.

Growing popularity

Scorpions have reached incredible heights of popular love all over the world. They became the first band from Germany to successfully perform in New York three times and their albums topped the American and European charts one after the other.

The most sought-after album in rock history is the Scorpions record called Love At First Sting. The brightest 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 USSR legendary band first visited in 1988. Concerts in Moscow were disrupted due to the principled nature of the organizers - they refused to remove the chairs for spectators from the stalls. The group refused to perform. At the same time, 10 concerts took place in Leningrad. It was unprecedented that the team performed every day without interruption and collected full houses. The musicians will remember their stay in Russia for a long time. Subsequently, even the cassette To Russia With Love was released.

A year after the Leningrad concerts, Scorpions received an offer to take part in the Moscow Music and Peace Festival, along with other rock bands. The team happily agreed. The 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 replenished by Mikhail Gorbachev himself, who invited the band's staff to a meeting in the Kremlin.

A new stage in the life of the group

The 2000s marked a new important stage in creative life groups. 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 devoted fans of the Scorpions, the band's biography overcame a new important turn.

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

In 2015, the Scorpions flew to St. Petersburg to hold a number of more concerts and celebrate Klaus' 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 over and over again and readily performs for Russian fans.

Scorpions ("Scorpions") - a group whose biography is still striking in its stable development and enduring love of the public.

Klaus Meine in real life

According to the 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 communication, he is distinguished by radiant sincerity, kindness and intelligence.

Apart from creative activity As part of the Scorpions, Meine is also 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 fierce fan of his native Hanoverian football club, but also a player, however, an unprofessional one. Klaus devotes a lot of time to sports, especially before concerts. It is a known fact that before the performance, Maine alone with himself can perform an exercise for the press a hundred times and, as a vocal warm-up, makes loud, almost inhuman sounds. Another favorite game is tennis, which last years not enough time. According to Meine, sport helps him tune in to the right wave.

An indisputable fact - the singer is in excellent condition. physical form despite being 67 years old. Many do not believe this figure, and each time they ask themselves 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 trials that come his way.

This group was the first to declare the German rock scene as a real fighting unit. It was they who became the ones who opened the way to fame, albeit indirectly, for such bands as Accept, Helloween, Bonfire. As you probably guessed, the article will focus on the Hanoverian band Scorpions. The history of this group is almost 50 years old, but at the same time the group still remains in the ranks and gathers thousands of crowds at its concerts.

The history of the team formally began in 1948, when two boys were born in the Schenker and Meine families - Rudolf and Klaus. In 1965, Rudolf Schenker decided, influenced by the British rock scene, to form his own band focused on heavy music. Soon, due to the need to serve in the army, the group temporarily broke up, but in 1969 it gathered again. At that time, in addition to Rudolf Schenker, Karl-Heinz Vollmer, Wolfgang Zioni 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, as well as vocalist Klaus Meine, who at that time played in the band Copernicus, to join the line-up. Volmer left the band by that time and this quintet recorded the band's first album "Lonesome Crow" (Lonely Crow). The album was recorded as the soundtrack to the film Cold Paradise.

After that, Michael Schenker left the group, joining the British from UFO. A new lead guitarist, Uli John Roth, joined the band, who held this position until 1978 and recorded on 4 albums, bringing to the band's sound a special style so loved by fans. early creativity groups. Also, at this time, bassist Francis Buholz joins the group, who has become a member of the group for two decades. Drummers changed more frequently until Herman Rarebell took over drums in 1977. The band defined their style as a mixture of hard rock and heavy metal with lyrical ballads, which became the band's trademark, de facto rock ballad style. At this time, the group began to gradually gain popularity in the European and Japanese scene, 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 to the guitarist's place for a short while, who was then replaced by Matthias Jabs, who became the last link in the group that decided to conquer the world. In 1979, the first album of the golden line-up, Lovedrive, was released, containing several hits that are often performed at concerts to this day, including the ballad Holiday. With this album, the glorious path of the group on the American and world stage began. One after another, albums were released that became gold and platinum, especially 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. It 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 hit Scorpions Wind of Change. This song and the album "Crazy World" became the swan song of the golden line-up of the Scorpions. After that, Bucholz left the group, replaced by Ralph Rieckermann. 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-haired 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 line-up change was the arrival of Pavel Macivoda, an ethnic Pole, before the release of Unbreakable in 2004. But before that, the band had done two rare projects for a metal band.

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

After that, the group recorded 3 more albums of new songs, and in 2011 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 the next driving album "Sting in the Tail", the band announced the end of the concert activity and, following this, went on a farewell tour, which lasted until 2012. True, the Germans promise to please with the release of many unreleased records of past years, including new songs!

As a result of a long career, several generalizing facts can be drawn. In total, today the group has managed to release 19 studio albums and 4 live ones. 17 people managed to play in its composition, among them only Rudolf Schenker was its permanent member. Although the band's style is defined on the verge of hard rock and heavy metal, they occasionally played in a lighter style. Their music is considered by more than one generation of fans, Scorpions are accepted for their own and in the camp of notorious metalheads and fans of classic rock.

134 chord selections

Biography

- this is perhaps the most famous rock band from Germany. This team can safely be called the monsters and legends of "Hard & Heavy". They still exist, and it seems that neither time nor problems can bend the "metal" will of these people, the will to the beautiful and useful (sometimes).
Modern ones are already known to us Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine, Matthias Jabs, James Kotak and newcomer Pavel Machivoda (bass).

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

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

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

Rudolf Schenker, guitarist and songwriter, was inspired by the rough riffs of bands like The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things and Spooky Tooth, who were considered real 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 with the singer and composer Klaus Meine to join. Klaus and Rudolph have teamed up to create an excellent creative duet Meine/Schenker, thus laying the foundation for an impressive success story.
Line-up for 1972: Michael Schenker, Joe Wyman, Lothar Heimberg, Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker.

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

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

In a way, 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.

The first album, Lonesome Crow, set the band on the road to international success. Opened for Rory Gallagher, UFO and Uriah Heep.

Throughout the history of the group, Rudolf Schenker has been its unwavering 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 too much modesty: "One day they will become one of the best rock bands in the world!" The other members of the group were also committed to this idea.

We never rest on our laurels and are constantly looking for something new. They used every opportunity to improve their professional level and get closer to success.

1974 line-up: 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. He was replaced by Ulrich Roht as lead guitarist in Skorpovsky's place. He too was an exceptional guitarist with an almost mystical talent. With Ulrich, they continued to study the hard rock genre.

In the 70s they undertook several tours in Western Europe, playing in numerous venues and conquering country after country. They appeared wherever it was possible to connect their instruments. In 1973 they were the opening act for 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 like never before heard from a German band. The title track Speedy's Coming epitomizes the style: ultra-hard rock in harmony with exciting melodies.

Since the third album In Trance have been working with the famous international producer Dieter Dirks. They resolutely undertook to make a career in hard rock. In Trance became a bestseller in Japan, where a real Scorpion Mania broke out.
Line-up in 1975: Francis Buchholz, Klaus Meine, Rudy Lenners, Uli Roth, Rudolf Schenker

In 1975 they made a tour of Europe, where they were the "highlight of the program" along with KISS. In the same year they were recognized as the best live band in Germany. While touring the UK, they got into the "lion's den": they had the honor of performing at the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool ("Cavern Club"). In this cradle of hard rock, they have managed to gain recognition from even the most die-hard British fans. Further successes of the Scorpions 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 band's history.

The next album, Taken by Force, also went gold in Japan.
1978 line-up: 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 first experienced what it means to be a superstar. Upon arrival at the Tokyo airport, the five of our rockers were surrounded by a crowd of enthusiastic fans.

After the Japanese tour, Ulrich Roth left the band. The double album Tokyo Tapes kind of summed up the period of collaboration with Ulrich. This record is even now highly valued by collectors all over the world.

Briefly returned to the group" prodigal son"Michael Schenker (he recorded parts in some songs with Lovedrive), and then Matthias Jabs finally took the vacant guitarist position. This was preceded by a huge work. In 1978, an announcement appeared in the Melody Maker magazine: they were looking for a new lead guitarist. In London, they had to listen to more than 140 applicants, until they settled on fellow Hanoverian Matthias Jabs.Involved in the work at the very end, Matthias nevertheless immediately joined the recording of Lovedrive.The album was a grandiose triumph of the group and still remains one of the best albums The cover won Best Art Direction of the Year.

As already mentioned, Michael Schenker briefly joined the band in 1978, but left it again right in the middle of the 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, a lead guitarist was finally found whose enthusiasm, virtuosity and creativity made a decisive contribution to the band's success. Thanks to him, the Scorpio sound became even richer and more expressive. Like the missing piece of the 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 backbone of the group.

With bassist Francis Buhholz (he joined the band in 1973 at the same time as Ulrich Roth) and drummer Herman Rarebell (he made his debut during the recording of Taken by Force) they finally established an "all-star line-up" who was destined to continue the victorious march until the 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 weapon: a professional attitude to business, unbending will to win and a friendly atmosphere both within the group and in relation to the fans. And, of course, amazing musicality. 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, there were many followers in the States. Van Halen launched a career in music, covering Scorpion's hits Speedy's Coming (with Fly to the Rainbow) and Catch Your Train (with Virgin Killer).

In 1979, now professionally produced and fired up by the success of Lovedrive, their permanent line-up of Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs began their first major American tour, playing outdoor shows with Aerosmith, Thad Nugent and AC/DC. In Chicago they became the "highlight" instead of Thad Nugent, and since then the Scorpions have more fans in this city. These tours have become good lesson games in the rock business.

Their seventh album, Lovedrive, was released in the US in 1979 and was the first to be certified gold there. Animal Magnetism (1980) was next.

With these two albums - Lovedrive and Animal Magnetism - the band finally broke through in North America. The second US tour was a triumph. The era of grandiose Tours began.

After an even more successful tour in 1981, while recording Blackout, Klaus Meine suddenly lost his voice. Not wanting to hinder the group's success, Klaus decided to leave. But the strong friendship between Klaus and Rudolph, along with the support from all the members of the group, made it possible for the almost impossible to happen. After extensive training and two ligament surgeries, Klaus managed to recover from his injury. Moreover, in 1982 he returned with a much improved vocal performance. One critic wrote: "They gave Klaus Meine iron cords!" The group's decision not to part with their constant vocalist subsequently fully justified itself. It became the most fateful in the history of the Scorpions, because it was Klaus Meine who wrote the hit Wind of Change in 1989.

In 1982, they toured the United States (with Iron Maiden as the opening act) in support of the new stunning Blackout album. The stunning cover design for this album was done by Helnwein. The album and single No One Like You hit the US "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 play three successful shows 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 hit the American charts at once: Animal Magnetism (1980), Blackout (1982) and Love At First Sting (1984). The last 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 the world with entire squadrons of trucks, buses, helicopters, their own planes and traditional limousines. The Hanoverian heavy metal band has now given grandiose concerts in North, South, Central America, Europe, as well as in Asia - in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Japan. It was the "golden age" of hard rock. Giant stages, light and pyrotechnic effects - brought down on the audience a storm of light and sound.

Their inexhaustible energy drove the fans crazy. For American audiences, with their brilliant, polished "melodic rock" and the powerful dramatic vocals of Klaus Meine, they were the epitome of all the best in hard rock. Bon Jovi, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Europe, who later became supergroups, played as the opening act for, gaining invaluable experience of performing in front of a crowd of millions.

Love At First Sting has become one of the most successful albums in rock history. It includes some of Scorpio's most heartbreaking stuff like Rock You Like a Hurricane, Bad Boys Running Wild, As Soon As the Good Times Roll and the timeless masterpiece Still Loving You.

Critics competed in rave reviews. Rolling Stone magazine called them "heavy metal heroes". were accepted into an exclusive club of 30 of the 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 such a wave of hysteria among French fans, which has not been seen since the days of the Beatles, and became a hallmark.

The most memorable public appearances were concerts 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. In 1985, the double album World Wide Live, the twin brother of Tokyo Tapes, captured the band's recent international triumph in all its colors.

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 such hits 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, the Scorpions 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 conquer even the most hardened haters of hard rock.

Savage Amusement, the last album produced by Dieter Dirks, was released in 1988. It reached number 3 in the US charts and number 1 in Europe.

Even after many years of touring in 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 world tour "Savage Amusement" in 1988 broke through the "Iron Curtain" and gave 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, the Scorpion ballad Still Loving You have already penetrated the Iron Curtain. still met with 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 green light to the legendary Moscow Music and Peace Festival. Here they performed alongside other hard rock monsters such as Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe and the Russian band 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 happened. The Berlin Wall was destroyed. Wind of Change has become the worldwide anthem of glasnost and perestroika, a kind of soundtrack to the fall of the Iron Curtain, communism and the end of the Cold War. A year later, in 1990, they performed in Roger Waters' spectacular show "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 Scorpions 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 Mikhail Gorbachev, the last President of the USSR and party leader. It was a unique event in the history of the Soviet Union and rock music.

Samih was also touched by the "wind of change". Before the recording and release of the new album Crazy World (1990), their long collaboration with Dieter Dirks, 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 album of the year. in the world, taking the 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 proof of the Scorpion mastermind's writing talents: Matthias Jabs contributed with the fast-paced title track Tease Me Please Me, while Rudolf Schenker once again proved his ability to hit the mark with the classic Scorpion ballad Send Me an Angel, and Klaus Meine showed brilliant skill in Wind of Change.

After the worldwide tour, Crazy World parted ways with their bassist, Francis Buchholz. 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 presented a cover version of His Latest Time at the Elvis Presley Tribute Concert in Memphis.

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

In late 1995, as Pure Instinct was being completed (co-produced by Keith Olsen and Erwin Musper), 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 the opening act. Even then, the Scorpions were impressed by the playing style of the band's drummer, Californian James Kottak. In 1995, the Scorpions asked former AC/DC manager Stuart Young to call James and hire him as a drummer for the upcoming "Pure Instinct" world tour. Kottak became the first American to play in a German rock band. With 2 new members, bassist Ralf Rieckermann and drummer James Kottak, the band has a new generation of musicians.

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

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 work of the Scorpions in the studio for the first time. The album cover notes some changes in the band's style. Only the founders are shown on the cover: 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 that the band is at its creative peak. In Dubist so schmutzig (You Are So Dirty) we hear the German text from the Scorpios for the first time. As part of the world tour "Eye II Eye" played at the invitation of Michael Jackson in a benefit concert "Michael Jackson and friends" ("Michael Jackson and Friends") in Munich.

Following their motto "Don" t Stop at the Top!" ("Don't stop there!"), We met the new millennium with a new undertaking: a joint project with the world-famous Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, formerly led by the legendary Herbert von Karajan. In 1995, the orchestra considered the possibility of a joint project and was looking for a suitable band.Years later, even this classical orchestra recognized success and international reputation.Two "Mercedes" of German music agreed to a joint venture under the leadership of the famous Austrian producer, composer, conductor and arranger Christian Kolonovits (Christian Kolonovits). preparations began as early as 1995. From that time on, both bands continued to work on the project, so to speak, and after the release of Eye II Eye (1999) and the subsequent world tour, they went into serious business in earnest. at a concert held in front of Br Andenburg Gate in Berlin on November 11, 1999, on the 10th anniversary of German reunification. Wind of Change was performed by 166 cellists together with the outstanding virtuoso cellist Mstislav Rostropovich as the soloist.

In January 2000, together with Christian Kolonovitz, they began recording in Vienna. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra recorded their parts in April. The album was finally mixed in April/May 2000 at Galaxy Studios in Belgium. Joint album and 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. As a result, a live album Acoustica was recorded, which includes acoustic versions of old Scorpov hits, as well as 3 new songs. Christian Kolonovitz again took part in the recording of the project. He worked on the arrangements and also recorded the 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, the Scorpios 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 band went on a world tour in support of the album.

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

2004 is the year the Scorpions return to hard "n" heavy. After the album Eye II Eye and experiments with symphonic/acoustic concerts, the musicians decided to shake up... youth:) yes, old times. Unbreakable was a welcome bite from a venomous creature, and the band intended to symbolize their former allegiance to rock music. According to Mr. Rudy Schenker, "Unbreakable" should unite the old and new generations of fans. And 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 ones, but real ones. Superthing Humanity has become one of the best songs"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 to return to the charts, to create an album of hits. It looks like they have achieved their goal, but, as always, they do not stop there...

And at the beginning of 2009, after a long, large-scale tour, Klaus Meine in his interview announced that the idea of ​​a new album was already being created. Recording of the album starts at the end of this year. The title of the album sounds rather curious - Sting In The Tail.

"It has always been a pleasure for us, our purpose in life, our passion and luck to play music for you - whether it's in concert or in the studio recording new songs. All recent months When we were working on our new album, we were literally aware of how powerful and creative our work is - and how much joy it brings us in the process. But there was one more thing: We want to end an extraordinary career on a high note. We are extremely pleased with the fact that we have retained the same passion with which we started our career. This is the answer to the question why, especially now, we have decided to end our journey. We are ending our career with an album that we believe will be one of the best records we have ever recorded and a tour that starts in our native Germany and takes us across five continents in a few years.

We want you, our fans, to be the first to know. Thank you for your endless support all these years! We have 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)
Love Drive (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)
Acoustica (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)