SCORPIONS LOVE YOU!

Took the kids to the Richmond County Fair a couple of weeks ago, and had the good fortune to run into Rudolf Schenker, founder and rhythm guitarist of The Scorpions. I borrowed my wife’s notepad, and sat down for a quick chat.

ST: Welcome back to America. You’ve had a pretty good history of success here, huh?
RS: Yes, the Americans love our power. They know that we will give them rock, and the girls like the slow kissing songs. America: power and kissing!

ST: So you think that dichotomy has helped you through the years?
RS: Yes, yes, yes. When Klaus had his throat problems back in 1981, everyone said “Is Scorpions finished? Will Don Dokken sing for Scorpions?” And then Klaus had the dichotomy and his voice came back, and I don’t need to say the next thing, do I? No, I don’t.

ST: OK, I’ll say it then. The next thing was Blackout, with the breakout FM hit “No One Like You.”
RS: I still remember when Klaus and I wrote that. He had just gotten out of the Stuttgart clinic, and he was feeling strong. I said “Klaus, maybe we should do a slow one, where the vocal performing is like a whisper.” And that’s what we did. But it’s not like a little kiddie whisper: it has the sexiness and power in it. When he does that “Girl…” whisper part in concert, every time the bras bloom like tulips.

ST: That brings up a point. You guys were often accused of being sexist, due to some of your lyrics, videos, album covers…
RS: This makes me so angry. The fans know we are not doing sexism. We are doing sexy, with the Y. They see our videos and they say “Hey, Mr. Critic, Scorpions are in cage. Not pretty ladies. Scorpions are animals.”

ST: Some of those album covers, though…
RS: We get criticism for Virgin Killer, but it is joke. The naked 12-year old girl just means that Scorpions are virgin killers, and if you are one of them, we are going to get you and kill you with our love. So maybe you won’t be the virgin anymore, yes? Lovedrive has the picture with the bubble gum on the guy's hand sticking on the tittie. But the critics don’t get the humor. I think that’s not the only thing the critics don’t get, yes? Animal Magnetism, the man with the tight trousers and the woman and dog kneeling before him? You know the word for a woman dog is, right? So, again we make a joke, but you have to be paying attention to appreciate. It has the subtleness. And power.

ST: Well, Rudolf, I thank you for your time. Do you have any words for your American fans?
RS: Look out for our newest album called Unbreakable. Klaus has written some of his best song lyrics here. Listen, listen: “Roller coaster flies off the track/Hits you in the face, stabs you in the back.” I mean, you can just see that roller coaster going woooo, and then hitting the guy in the face and stabbing him in the back, yes? And the new ballad Maybe I, Maybe You that Klaus wrote with Anoushirvan Rohani is something for the ladies. So, keep rocking America! Scorpions love you!