“Rudolph never minded that – they were a little tricky for him to play”: Uli Jon Roth reveals the Scorpions tracks that Rudolph Schenker didn’t play on
“Live, he coped admirably, but in the studio, it was quicker when I did it myself.”
![[L-R] Uli Jon Roth and Rudolph Schenker](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Uli-Jon-Roth-Rudolph-Schenker@2000x1500.jpg)
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Uli Jon Roth of hard rock band Scorpions has revealed that on some of the band’s tracks, he recorded all the guitar parts, even those of Rudolph Schenker, the band’s founder and rhythm guitarist.
Roth joined the band in the mid 1970s and later departed in 1978. Although it has been widely reported he left due to the band going “more commercial,” he has now clarified that it was because he wanted a new platform and more freedom having progressed as a writer.
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In an interview with Eon Music, Roth reveals that he played all of the guitar parts on Sails of Charon, including bass on certain tracks. “I wrote the song at home and then I think we did a demo, and we ended up really just being two people in the studio doing it because I also played the bass and all the rhythm guitars on that one. So it was just the drummer Herman [Rarebell] and myself, and well, of course, Klaus Meine on vocals”.
He goes on to clarify, “Very, very often on my songs, most of the time I did all the guitars, except for on the very early albums. You know, Rudolph [Schenker] never minded that. They were a little tricky to play for him maybe, because he had a different style.
“Live, he coped admirably, but in the studio, it was quicker when I did it myself, like, you know; Polar Nights and all these kinds of tracks though Yellow Raven; it was a lot quicker to do it myself”.
Also in the interview, Roth shared that being part of the band was a harmonious experience: “I liked being in the Scorpions, and so we had a great time. A lot of bands fall into that trap where they personalise things and then there’s a lot of politics and internal power struggles. We never had any of that. It was very easy-going and smooth, and we just put our best foot forward.”
Catch Uli Jon Roth on tour by grabbing tickets via his official website.