Scorpions guitarist says the band first made music to prove Germany wasn‘t just “coming with tanks and making war”
The musician also said this is the reason why the band has stayed together for so many years.
Image: Wagner Meier/Getty
Scorpions guitarist Rudolf Schenker has spoken about the driving motivation behind the band, stating that the members were initially determined to counteract negative stereotypes with their sound.
During the interview with Headliner Chicago, the musician spoke about the band’s original motivations, stating that they thought it was vital to challenge the world’s perception of Germany when they first formed.
Emerging from Hanover in 1965, Schenker describes how he felt that the band’s location allowed for “a completely different view [of] rock and roll” to be created by the members, explaining that, during this time, negative connotations with Germany were rife.
“We weren’t born in England or America, where rock and roll was really born. [Instead, we] learned from our idols,” he says. “[When we first formed] we said to ourselves: ‘In Germany, we want to go and make bridges with our music, show that from Germany they’re not coming with tanks and making war; they’re coming with guitars, playing love, peace and rock and roll.’”
This follows comments made recently by the band’s frontman Klaus Meine. Speaking to another publication, Meine also reflected on Scorpions’ political undertone, claiming that following the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the band’s best-selling hit Wind Of Change has now “lost the meaning”.
Elsewhere in the interview with Headliner Chicago, Schenker proceeded to admit that it is the underlying politics tied to the band which has allowed them to create such a long-lasting career.
“I think this power in this basic foundation of this thought made the band very strong […we made] rock and roll not only for fun – of course for fun, but [also] with a deep message behind it,” he says. “That’s the reason why we try to build the right chemistry in all our years that we can live together and, when we are on tour, we have fun and we can talk still together.”
Rapidly approaching six decades since Schenker first formed the band, Scorpions are currently about to hit the road once more with Whitesnake – embarking on their upcoming Rock Believer World Tour. This proceeds the band’s latest album Rock Believer, which was released this February.
Remaining tickets for the tour can be found on the Scorpions’ website.
Find the full interview with Rudolf Schenker below.