Legendary SCORPIONS. Biography. Lead singer of the Scorpions group Klaus Meine: biography, interesting facts

Singer Klaus Meine, who speaks warmly of Russia, is known to music lovers as the permanent leader of the rock band Scorpions. The vocalist is the author of most of the group’s songs, including such hits as “Wind of change”, “You and I”, “Moment of Glory”, “Speedy’s coming” and “Still loving you”.

Childhood and youth

Klaus Willi Meine was born on May 25, 1948, in the city of Hanover (Germany), located at the foot of the Graz Mountains. Despite the fact that the artist was born into a family of ordinary workers, his craving for music became evident from a very early age. According to Klaus himself, he realized what he wanted to devote his life to the day he heard songs by The Beatles and the singer’s compositions on the radio.

Having discerned in their son a craving for creative self-realization, the parents bought their beloved child a guitar. The active boy mastered the string instrument a couple of months after acquiring it. The artist has repeatedly admitted that the memories of how he organized chamber concerts, where he pleased his household with the performance of popular singles at that time, still bring a smile to his face.

During the self-study course, Maine also attended singing lessons. His first vocal teacher had an extremely effective teaching method: when he could not hit a note, the teacher would prick Klaus with needles. After receiving his secondary education certificate in 1964, the ambitious young man entered the local design college, after which he briefly worked as a driver and sang in the bands “The Mushrooms” and “Copernicus”.

Klaus Meine in his youth

As a student, the vocalist met guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who invited the vocal Maine to team up to create their own group. At that moment, Klaus considered the idea a waste of time and refused. After the collapse of Copernicus, Klaus accepted Schenker's offer and, together with the founder of the group, Michael, joined the increasingly popular musical group Scorpions.

Music

In 1970, Klaus officially joined the Scorpions, becoming an indispensable member. It was Klaus who wrote almost all the lyrics of the group's songs. A striking example of such work is the single “Wind of change” recorded by the group in 3 languages.

Meine went through a formative period with the Scorpions musical style groups, recording increasingly heavier albums. The real breakthrough came in 1979, when the album “Lovedrive” successfully conquered the US music charts.

In 1981, the Scorpions were at the peak of their popularity, but before recording the Blackout album, Klaus began to have problems with his voice. Initially thought to be a common cold, the sore upon examination turned out to be a fungus of the vocal cords. The vocalist wanted to leave Scorpions so as not to interfere with their triumph, but the members musical group They persuaded Maine not to go crazy and return to them after a full recovery.

After two surgeries and almost a year of rehabilitation, his voice sounded again. As a result, the album “Blackout” became one of the most successful in the history of the group, hitting 10th place on the Billboard chart, and the composition “No one like you” became first on the Mainstream Rock Chart.

Two years later, the album “Love at first Sting” appeared on the shelves. The album, which went platinum, included such famous hits as “Rock you like a Hurricane”, “Bad boys running wild”, “Coming home”, “Big city nights” and “Still loving you”.

The album “Savage amusement”, released in 1988, in addition to classic songs (“Don"t stop at the top”, “Media overkill”), also contained tracks with elements of progressive rock (“Walking on the Edge”, “Passion” rules the game").

1990 was marked by the release of the album “Crazy World”. Many critics rated this disc as one of the best in the group's work.

It was in this album that the world-famous compositions “Wind of change” and “Send me an angel” appeared. Five years after its release, the work was awarded multi-platinum status.

The sixteenth studio concept album, Humanity: Hour I, was released in May 2007. In addition to the Scorpions themselves, other famous personalities also worked on the disc. Guitarist John 5 co-authored the album's opening composition "Hour I", and in the song "The Cross" Klaus sang a duet with Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan.

In 2009, in honor of his birthday, Klaus performed the song of the vocalist of the group “Queen” - “Love of my life” at a concert in the Swiss city of Basel. In March 2010, the album “Sting in the Tail” was released. The single “Raised on rock” took 2nd position on the Classic Rock Mediabase, and the album itself reached 23rd position on The Billboard 200 chart and 6th position on the Rock Albums chart.

In 2015, the eighteenth studio album “Return to Forever” appeared on the shelves. The album included 12 tracks and 4 bonus tracks, available for listening when purchasing the deluxe edition.

It is known that when recording the material for the album, the work left over from the releases of the records “Blackout”, “Love at first Sting”, “Savage amusement” and “Crazy world” was used. The world premiere took place in March of the same year. documentary film“Forever and a Day”, the plot of which is centered on the history of the creation of the legendary rock band “Scorpions”.

Personal life

The Scorpions lead singer destroyed the ossified stereotype that freedom-loving rock musicians are fickle in their sympathies and often change their life partners. With my first and only wife Gabi, the singer of the song “Maybe i maybe you,” met in 1972 at one of the Scorpions concerts.

In conversations with media representatives, the singer repeatedly said that he fell in love with his wife at first sight. Despite his busy work schedule, the vocalist found time both for work and for his chosen one, who was only 16 years old at the time of their first meeting.

Two years after they met, the lovers began to live together, and in 1977, Klaus proposed marriage to Gabi. In 1985, the artist’s wife gave birth to his son. The happy parents named the boy Christian.

Klaus Meine now

During the existence of the Scorpions, the musicians have already toured the world three times with “farewell” concerts. In 2017, Klaus Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker officially announced that the Crazy World Tour scheduled for this year was not final and that the band members decided to continue their careers. Since the beginning of June, the Scorpions have given concerts in France and the USA, and in October-November the rockers will perform in Russia.

This time the artists will visit seven Russian cities: Sochi, Krasnodar, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa and Yekaterinburg. The name of the current tour was given by the album “Crazy World”, released in 1990, the track list of which included the popular composition “Wind of change”. Few people know that Klaus wrote this single after visiting Moscow.

Despite the fact that the permanent leader of the Scorpions, 163 cm tall, does not have accounts on social networks, Scorpions fans have created pages on Vkontakte and Instagram on which, in addition to photographs and interviews, they regularly post materials related to creative biography members of the musical group.

Discography

1972 – “Lonesome Crow”
1975 – “In trance”
1979 – “Lovedrive”
1980 - “Animal magnetism”
1982 - "Blackout"
1984 – “Love at first Sting”
1988 – “Savage amusement”
1990 – “Crazy World”
1993 – “Face the heat”
1996 – “Pure instinct”
1999 – “Eye II Eye”
2004 – “Unbreakable”
2007 – “Humanity: Hour I”
2010 – “Sting in the Tail”
2015 – “Return to forever”

As a rule, the rise and fall in the popularity of performers occurs simultaneously with the change in the age of their admirers. The rock band Scorpions is unusual, first of all, in that more than half a century has passed since its creation, and yet its founders still appear on stage. The performers had to overcome both the persistent rejection of their compatriots and the disdainful attitude of the English-speaking kings of rock and their fans, go through creative crises and gain strength for a new rise. The group firmly occupies forty-sixth place on the list of kings of hard rock, and the number of albums they sold has long exceeded 100 million.

The performers who were at the origins of the creation of Scorpions were born in post-war Germany. Their musical tastes were shaped by the king of rock, Elvis Presley, and they all went through a wave of Beatlemania as teenagers. Hanover resident Rudolf Schenker, who first picked up a guitar at the age of five, decided at the age of sixteen that he could create his own band. In 1964, Rudolph announced the creation of the beat group Nameless, in which he performed as a guitarist and vocalist. The composition of the group changed, and in 1965 they changed their name to Scorpions, the reason for which was the popular film “Attack of the Scorpions” at that time.

In 1969, the lineup included vocalist Karl Meine and Rudolf's younger brother Michael, after which the group chose hard rock as its dominant direction. IN New Year's Eve In 1970, the group was recognized as the best in Hannover and won the right to record in the studio. True, due to the lack of high-quality sound equipment, they had to come up with various tricks, including singing into an empty bucket. The musicians' financial capabilities were more than modest; they pooled together to buy a used car, which they used to go to performances. After Kony Plank became the group's producer, they released their first album. Seven compositions in the style of psychedelic rock were performed on English language, which was very critically received in Germany. However, people started talking about the group, and their new recordings began to sell out quickly. Scorpions began to invite such famous performers as opening acts such as Uria Heep, IFO, Rory Gallagher.

In the mid-seventies, the group made several tours around Western Europe and recorded the albums Fly to the Rainbow (1974), In Trance (1975), Virgin Killer (1976). Hard rock style, shocking covers - all this aroused great interest in Europe and Japan. In 1975, officially recognized as the best German rock band, the Scorpions managed to captivate English fans at a concert in Liverpool and then in London. Virgin Killer, like its follow-up Taken by Force (1977), achieved gold sales in Japan. This success was marked by the band's tour of Japan and the release of the album Tokyo Tapes (1978), which is still highly valued by rock fans and, in a certain sense, is the final result for the work of the Scorpions in the seventies.

The next frontier the group had to conquer was the United States. After constant changes of performers, the group, in addition to Meine and Schenker, included guitarist Matthias Jabs, bass guitarist Ralf Rickerman, and drummer James Kottak. Their tour of the United States, performances in open venues, especially in Chicago, and the albums Love Drive (1979), Animal Magnetism (1980) and Blackout (1982) were a real triumph. True, during the recording of his last album (which went platinum), Karl Meine lost his voice, but managed to restore it after a risky operation on his vocal cords.

However, the Scorpions not only became one of the best rock performers in the world, but even contributed to the emergence of their own movement in the USA (in particular, the Van Halen group). At the group's three concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1984, the total number of spectators exceeded 60 thousand. It can be argued that the mid-eighties began to be called the “golden age of hard rock” primarily due to their performances. Their concerts in California were attended by 325 thousand spectators, and in Rio de Janeiro - 350 thousand. Supporting acts for the Scorpions were such later legendary bands as Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Europe, Metallica, etc. The best that the Scorpions created during this period was included in their albums World Wide Live (1985) and Savage Amusement (1987), both certified platinum. The song Still loving you became an international hit and an unofficial rock anthem. The breakthrough for the group was their tour in Leningrad in 1988, which attracted a full house. The Festival of Music and Peace in Moscow also became a legend for domestic rock fans, after which the group wrote the legendary hit “Wind of Change,” which was also released in Russian. This composition was included in the album Crazy World (1990), and in 1992 “Scorpions” were awarded the Music Peace Prize.

As usual, the rise was followed by a decline. The group again underwent lineup changes; American producers refused to work on their album Eye II Eye (1999). However, the reputation of the Scorpions managed to overcome the emerging crisis. After their tour in Thailand, this album was certified platinum. Also in the late nineties, the group began its collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom they performed at a concert in honor of the tenth anniversary of the unification of Germany and recorded the album “Minute of Fame” (2000), which was presented during tours in Russia and the CIS.

Their new album Unbreacable (2004) delighted fans again hard rock a return to the traditions of past years. In 2005, the group held a series of outdoor concerts in Vienna, Budapest, and Colmar. In 2007, the group gave successful concerts in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kyiv in support of the new concept album Humanity. Soon after this, information spread about the end of the Scorpions' performances and that the 2010-2012 tours would be their last. However, after recording the album Sting in the Tail (2010) and communicating with young fans, the group decided to continue their activities. Their latest album to date was Return to Forever (2015), and after a successful tour of Russia, which included Moscow, Tyumen, Novosibirsk and other cities, in 2016 Scorpions are touring in France, Monaco, South America and the USA.

This group became the first to declare the German rock scene as a real fighting unit. They were the ones who opened the path to fame, albeit indirectly, for such groups as Accept, Helloween, Bonfire. As you probably already guessed, the article will focus on the Hanoverian group Scorpions. The history of this group goes back almost 50 years, but the group still remains in service and attracts crowds of thousands at its concerts.

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 group’s sound, so beloved by fans of the group’s early work. 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 in 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 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 the swan song of the golden Scorpions line-up. 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! Last change The lineup included the arrival of Pavel Machivoda, a Pole by nationality 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.

Scorpions (“Scorpions”) is a cult German rock band created in 1965. However, the debut album was released in 1972. Scorpions have millions of records sold, the same number of concerts and a huge number of fans, as well as super hits: Wind Of Change, which became the anthem of perestroika, Still Loving You, which literally caused a widespread “scorpiomania” in some countries, and many others.

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: M 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 Scorpions.

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

The example for Rudolf Schenker, guitarist and songwriter, was the raw riffs of bands like M The Yardbirds, M The Pretty Things and M 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 with the singer and composer Klaus Meine to join the Scorpions. 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, the Scorpions released their excellent 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 M Jimi Hendrix, M Cream, M played Led Zeppelin in the mid 60s.

The Scorpions' distinctive 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, the Scorpions were unique to the German rock scene of the 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. Scorpions supported M Rory Gallagher, M UFO and M Uriah Heep.

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

Scorpions never rested on their laurels 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 M 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, Scorpions continued to explore 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 M Sweet on their first European tour. At the same time, Scorpions 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, Speedy's Coming, epitomizes the Scorpions style: ultra-hard rock harmoniously combined with exciting melodies.

Since the third album In Trance Scorpions have 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, the Scorpions toured Europe, where they were the highlight of the program along with M KISS. That same year they were voted the best live band in Germany. Touring the UK, the Scorpions 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 Scorpions' 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 line-up: Herman Rarebell, Uli Roth, Francis Buchholz, Rudolf
Schenker, Klaus Meine

In 1978, the Scorpions toured Japan, the world's second largest music market, 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 between Scorpions and Ulrich. This recording is even now highly prized by collectors around the world.

Returned to the group for a short time " prodigal son» Michael Schenker (he recorded parts in some songs from Lovedrive), and then the vacant position of guitarist was finally filled by Matthias Jabs. This was preceded by a huge amount of work. In 1978, an advertisement appeared in Melody Maker magazine: the Scorpions 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 grand triumph for the group and still remains one of best albums Scorpions. 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 the Scorpions played to a crowd of 55,000 as the opening act for M Genesis. In Matthias, the Scorpions have finally found a lead guitarist whose enthusiasm, virtuosity and creativity have 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 the unique Scorpions 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 " star cast”, 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 the Scorpions 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. Scorpions had to go a very long way before their own unique identity was formed. musical image on the world rock scene.

In the 80s The US had the largest music market in the world. And the Scorpions have already had many followers in the States since 1974. M 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, the Scorpions, with their original line-up of Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs, began their first major American tour, playing outdoor concerts with M Aerosmith, M Ted Nugent and M AC/DC. In Chicago, the Scorpions became the star of the show instead of Ted Nugent's M, and since then the Scorpions have had more fans in that city. These tours became a good lesson for Scorpions in how to play in the rock business.

Their seventh album, Lovedrive, was released in the US in 1979 and became the first Scorpions album to receive gold disc status there. Next

In 1972, the Scorpions released their remarkable 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.

Lonesome Crow's first album set the band on the path to international success. Scorpions supported Rory Gallagher, UFO and Uriah Heep. Throughout the history of the Scorpions, Rudolf Schenker has been its unshakable driving force. He followed his father's philosophy of life: "Nothing is impossible, you just have to believe." From the first days of the creation of the Scorpions, Rudolf Schenker said without undue modesty: “One day the Scorpions will become one of the best rock bands in the world!” The rest of the group were also committed to this idea. Scorpions never rested on their laurels and were constantly looking for something new. They used every opportunity to improve their professional level and get closer to success.

Composition 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, Scorpions continued to explore 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, Scorpions 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 Speedy's Coming embodies the Scorpions style: ultra-hard rock harmoniously combined with exciting melodies.

Since the third album In Trance Scorpions have 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. The composition of the group in 1975: Francis Buchholz, Klaus Meine, Rudy Lenners, Uli Roth, Rudolf Schenker.

In 1975, the Scorpions 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, the Scorpions 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. Further successes of the Scorps in the mid-70s were concerts at the famous London club The Marquee. The Scorpions' 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, the Scorpions 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 between Scorpions 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: Scorpions 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 was a huge triumph for the band and remains one of the best Scorpions albums to this day. 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 the Scorpions played to a crowd of 55,000 as the opening act for Genesis. In Matthias, the Scorpions have finally found a lead guitarist whose enthusiasm, virtuosity and creativity have 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 the unique Scorpions sound. Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs still form the core of the group.

With bassist Francis Buhholz (who joined the band in 1973 at the same time as Ulrich Roth) and drummer Herman Rarebell (who made his debut during the recording of Taken By Force), they finally established an all-star lineup ", 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.

In the 80s The US had the largest music market in the world. And the Scorpions have already had many followers in the States since 1974. 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, the Scorpions, with their original line-up of Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs, began their first major American tour, playing outdoor concerts with Aerosmith, Ted Nugent and AC /DC. In Chicago, the Scorpions became the star of the show instead of Ted Nugent, and since then the Scorpions have had more fans in that city. These tours became a good lesson for Scorpions in how to play in the rock business.

Their seventh album, Lovedrive, was released in the US in 1979 and became the first Scorpions album to receive gold disc status there. Animal Magnetism (1980) was next. With these two albums - Lovedrive and Animal Magnetism - the band finally made a breakthrough North America. The Scorpions' second US tour was a triumph. The era of the grand Scorpions Tour has 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 the Scorpions. 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, the Scorpions toured the United States (with Iron Maiden as their opening act) in support of their smash 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 the Scorpions 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.

Scorpions 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. Scorpions spent 2 years "on wheels", participating in all major rock festivals, which appeared in the wake of Woodstock. They toured around the world with entire squadrons of trucks, buses, helicopters, their own airplanes and traditional limousines. The Hanoverian heavy metal band was now giving grandiose concerts in North, South, Central America, in 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 - Scorpions unleashed a storm of light and sound on the audience.

Their endless energy drove fans crazy. For American audiences, the Scorpions, with their brilliant, polished "melodic rock" and the powerful, dramatic vocals of Klaus Meine, embodied the best of hard rock. Bon Jovi, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Europe, who later became supergroups, opened for the Scorpions, 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. Magazine Rolling Stone called the Scorpions "heavy metal heroes". The Scorpions have been inducted 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 the hallmark of the Scorpions.

The Scorpions' 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 recent international triumph groups. In 1986, the Scorpions 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.

The Scorpions were a regular 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, Scorpions did not rest on their laurels, but continued to look for something new. In anticipation of the Savage Amusement world tour in 1988, the Scorpions 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 the Iron Curtain. Scorpions 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. Here the Scorpions performed alongside other hard rock monsters such as Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row, Motley Crue and the Russian group Gorky Park - in front of 260,000 Soviet rock fans at Moscow's St. Petersburg 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 to 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, the Scorpions 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 German group was invited to the Kremlin for a meeting 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.

The Scorpions themselves were also touched 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 album produced by the Scorpions themselves (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 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, the Scorpions 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 "Crazy World" tour, the Scorpions parted ways with their bassist Francis Buchholz (there were rumors that he manipulated the group's finances as its accountant). The recording of Face The Heat (1993) (co-produced by Bruce Fairbairn) featured a new bassist - Ralph Rieckermann, with a conservatory education!

In 1994, the Scorpions 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.

That same year, Scorpions, together with the UN, 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 finishing recording Pure Instinct, drummer Herman Rabell, a Scorpions veteran, left the band.

In 1988, during the "Savage Amusement" tour, she opened for the Scorpions American band Kingdom Come, produced by Keith Olsen. 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 has appeared in the Scorpions group.

The "Pure Instinct" world tour proved that the Scorpions were still one of rock's most important acts. 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, the Scorpions became the first rock band to play concerts in Beirut after graduation. civil war in Lebanon. 1999 lineup: Rudolf Schenker, Ralph Rieckermann, Klaus Meine, James Kottak, Matthias Jabs.