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| First studio album after 1999. Five years. What kept you busy for so long time? MJ: Many thingss. After the "Eye to Eye" release we toured for the 3/4 of the year, and n the beginning of 2000 we focused on the album with the Berlin's Philarmonics, while in the summer of the same year we played at Expo in our special country, Hannover, with the orchestra. This concert had a such a big correspondence that we toured with orchestras in California, Portugal, Asia, Russia, and the year was over. At the early 2001 we had to prepare the Acoustica album, which included much work. We worked hard in the studio to adapt songs like Rock you like a hurrican into an acoustic form, so they would be heared well, this is a big chalenge, these songs aren't acoustic ballads. We recorded all that live, and videotaped it too, so a DVD could be released, in a litle monastery in Lisbon. Another big tour followed into Europe, Asia and aother places with the acoustic band, so 2001 was over, but with some brakes for live concerst, so we started working on the new album Unbreakable in May of 2003. Each one had songs written before we started, only some were born during the rehearsals of the recordings. In middle October we entered the studio, and curiously for the first time it was in Hannover. Let me note that the studio is new, it was built after Expo, at the Belgium's stand of that exhibition, and we decided not to "emigrate" again, since it is a very good studio. It was very good for me, cause when I ended my parts, I could return to my home, which is inly 20 minutes away. There I could prepare whatever I wanted and return the next day, already knowing what I wanted to do, saving much time.We recored 21 songs plus to additionals, which are recorded live from the Red Square in Moscow, where we played the last Semptember, therefore we have to mix 23 songs. I'm occupied with this procedure very actively cause I'm alread produced other bands, I know what I have to do, I have a good ear, and I like it. Let's put the unpleasant things off the way. The previous studio album didn't ...made your fans enthusiastic, and you had many negative reactions. Were you bothered? MJ: No, and you know why? Cause they were right. I never had good emotions for this album. We tried something different , after 25 years, which I believe is a very brave move for a group, you can't do the same again and again, that's what we believed at least. Our producer, Peter Wolf, was from a different background, he's a great musician, but he's not a good rock producer. Of course it's not only his fault, it's our fault as well, that we wanted to make such an extreme experimentation. I've said that before, but, it was our best mistake,cause it helped us understand that the experimentation is good, but it has some limits. Now, after having done al that different projects that I described before, that they don't count as normal Scorpions albums for me, we have the time and the will to make what we really like. And that's why the new work was much better than the previous ones, that we had to think hard how to make. KM:The phrase "negative reactions" sounds polite... We learned our lesson with that album, which wasn't bad in my opinion, it just wasn't a groups typical album and it wasn't what our fans would expect. With that meaning the projects we did after "Eye to Eye" were very healthy and took away the presure of doing a new, great hard rock album. After so many years, a group has some ups and downs, like in every long way. With that album we tried to experiment and put new colours to our music, but it could be the album that could break the group. We received many possitive comments for the acoustic and the symphonic album, and everyone said that they're so happy we can do these projects, but "give us a new rock album, a new Blackout"! It's not easy, but we took this critic seriously. We didn't have lost contact with what makes us a good rock group. but we needed to find a way to reactivate our strong points. We had to find the right setting, the right prducer, and most of all, the right songs. Our will was to make a very good disc, with strong guitars and melodies, something to bring close the rock world. We wanted to make this for us, but tosend a message too to whoever possibly thought that we have lost our creativity, that we're ending etc To these people the new album says that the Scorpions are still Scorpions and the Sting is still in the right position! I have a feeling that now that you did all that experiments, in some way a chapter ends in your career, and you're ready for a new start. Do you feel the same? MJ: Yes, it's like that. The projects with the Philarmonics, the acoustic, to the recent collection there are the same songs more or less. So, now it's time for new stuff, a new chapter as you said. Talking about new songs, you're going to tour soon, and there are going to be many songs to chose for the program, how on earth are you gonna chose? MJ: This is always going to be a problem. A group like us should play about 3 hours, but this can't be done. We surely want to refresh your program, the last ten years is almost the same, with minor changes. We want to put new songs, at least 7-8 from the new album, which surely will be deminished at 5 gradually, but however most of the groups play 2. There are some songs that we always have to play, like "...Hurricane" or "The Zoo" or "Wind of Change", but some can be replaced by new ones. KM: It's something very hard. I hope that we manage to pass three or more songs to the program, so it will be refreshed in some way. Besides, the way we recorded the new album, with the basic parts live, they are highly offered for the scene. But how is this going to happen, since you have to take out old songs to put new songs in, that the crowd want to listen? On the other hand, playing our new ones, is good for us, it refreshes us, and so always the desision is going to be difficult to be taken. For Europe, and specially the festivals, there are some songs, that we played after a long time in the recent tour in the U.S., like "Hit between the eyes", and we will embody to the program, cause it has been a long time since they were played here. Generally, this time things will be a bit different. Matthias, you're in the group for 25 years. Do you still feel like being "the new" one? MJ: Yes. I still have a fresh feeling, an ambition, although I know that we've done much, for a long time. We're making a documentary, which I was watching recently with much surprise for some things we have achieved. In the daily routine you can't notice them, and only after you see them backwards you understand. Like they happened to someone else. Now substantially the core of the group has remained, the three of you. Let's suppose that one of you left, would this group be still the Scorpions? In which point a group loses its identity? When the Scorpions would stop being the Scorpions? MJ: As long as theres the singer, the voice is noticable, it's the most important element of the identity of a group. Take Deep Purple for example. Without Ritchie Blackmore, for a lot of people it's not the same. A bit before the tour we did together in 2002, Jon Lord left as well. It's still Deep Purple, with Ian Gillan in vocals, but different Deep Purple. About us, we have a new drummer, and relatively new bassist, but this isn't so important for our friends. But if he left then it wouldn't be the same Scorpions, so we're obligated to stay together I think. (laughs) KM: That's a difficult question! The most difficult someone has asked me today, and I've answered many! If you ask each one of us, I'm sure that he would say that if he leaves, something would change at the group. And that's the answer, that if anyone leaves from the three of us, something would change, the result wouldn't be Scorpions anymore. There's a tribute-group in Canada, In Trance, that if you listen to them you'll be shocked. They look like us as well. So if we get tired, we'll call them - come guys, it's your turn now! Seriously now, it's a great group, and they play all Scorpions' songs that someone would like to hear and the real Scorpions don't play. |
| Do you believe that german groups are more known than they used to be? especially i think of rammstein... M.J.: i wouldn't say that.rammstein are an exception. for sometime they were very popular in the u.s.a, even at moscow-when we got there- everyone known them but that happend because of that song. especially in tha u.s.a.almost every year one artist who is not english or american gets famous-you must remember the austrian Falco or Nena later with the ''99red baloons'' that became No1 but then they dissapear. with no will to prais ourselfs, in the u.s.a. the only exception are we.the rest german music heads to different ways,in our country, pop and dancing music are very know but those artists have not the power for universal carrier take as an ex. a new young German pop artist X, i don't think so! in German though they handl it very good nevertheless i have a feeling-maybe the same for greece- that lately music ''closes'' and each country works on a specific music. Lets return to your new album. the title refers to you? M.J.: there isn't a song with that title. ''unbreakable''is the general matter of the album, and the idea is that it refers to to our long life of the group. here i must tell you that we are up to an anthology of the bandin dvd and we have so much stuff that we don't know if it will be on the dvd! it will be releashed this year likely 6 weeks after the new album. it is about our 30 years but we can't make it finally. so i said that because we can't do it about our 30 uears, we will wait till the next ''circle'' anniverssary? nooo... watching the film: the naked gun'' i thought that it would be a great title ''33 and 1/3''- and so it would be named finally! it refers to those old and great vinil disks... from that era we come from and if you think of it better we are very ''longlife'' group and as artists so the title could mean that too. K.M.: this is excactly what is the title about.isn't it good for a 30-years-group? Talking about the dvd i guess that many scorpions fans would like to see really old clips of the era with uli jon roth. M.J.: yes, it will include everything.stuff from the first tour to Japan, we didn't record everything though, but every film that exsists it will be used. the first tour with me in the band e.t.c... have in mind that thet not all of the films can be used because sometimes it is a matter os properties of some people that the film belongs to and they went much money for that so the cost would be huge. Tour? M.J.: the album is out at april and soon after the release we will start a worldwide tour. the feeling is very positive,with the new album, we will show a new produce, new songw, and no acoustic guitars, but electric. acoustic are good but we will do some shows for a warmup then we will try to go around europe fast playing 1-32 places in each country, with the thoght of returning bacjlater , and then asia, south america and u.s.a. in the of fall. our manager told us to end to hawai so that we can rest there for a week! not bad at all!! K.M. we will play in some festivals in europe, one in holland with judas prist, that i can see they are in the back page of your magazine, they are our friend and i'm haoppy that they are with Rod Halford again. i hope we come back to Greece. i have so many good memories from your country, the fans are vary sensational, you can tell at once that they adore our music and greece is one of the countries that you can see the crowd crying from emotion... NOw that you said that,is there a song in the album that makes you cry? K.M.: that coulc be ''maybe i maybe you''. this song is special. we put it in the album the last moment. i wrote that 2 years ago with a persian composer.in hannover i have a iranian friend, doctor and he introdused me that composer i went and met him and he had made a wonderfull melody on my voice. i told him that i liked it very much and as we talked about that he said the words ''maybe i maybe you'', we can do something with that melody. and so the lyrics began. meybe i as a musian can give the message og ballance in the world through the music, and maybe you as a surgent can do the same by saving others people lifes everyday.it is a very emotional song. it is a very dramatic moment as the melody get in the whole sound... I heared that you wrote many songs. is there a chance to be a 2cd album? M.J.: no, because it would be too expensive and we don't want that.but because we have many songs, there is a thought that the album to be releashed in different editions for different places of the world with 3 different songs. in america they don't really like ballanda but in asia they love them. so we may releash a u.s.cd with more hard songs, an asiacd with more ballands and to eurpoe something in the middle, but it will be the real album. K.M.: the think of that album is,as i said to be a powerful guitaristic album with powerful riffs. a punch in the stomach!! Talking about ballands, will you play ''maybe i maybe you'' on the tour? how? will you have a piano with you? M.J.: i'll tell you about that song.it is written from a iranian composer.klaus had played with him sometime and the song wes releashed for philanthropic reason. when we where at studio finnishing the album,klaus had it with him to copy and send it to somewhere and when we heared it we said hey wait, that song,we need it!! in the last moment! the guy that play keyboards, wrote a an intro for the song and ti appeared a great song, which i don't think that it has nothing to do with the other songs..there is an acoustic soing very good, not a balland but a rokc song played acoustic. those things are things that then you say ''we should'n have done that'' or ''it's better we did that''! K.M.: i have no idea. i never thought such a thing and we don't use keyboards. you bring me in a herd position again today, this is a question i answer for first time... Finally, have you anything else to say to those greek friends of scorpions? M.J.: yes, i only have the best memories from your country, and i want to thank them for their loyalty , you are one of the most loyal friend. i hope we play in greece in the next tour we have already play in athens and thessaliniki , are there any othre places? i hope yes,coz i can still hear you sound in my ears!!! |
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| THANX A LOT TO MANOS BELIKAS WHO SENT ME THE PICS AND THE TRANSLATION OF THE INTERVIEW, AND THANX TO ROCK ON MAGAZINE FOR MAKING A FUCKING GREAT INTWERVIEW TO SCORPIONS / GRACIAS A MANOS BELIKAS POR MANDARME LAS FOTOS Y LA TRADUCCI�N DE LA ENTREVISTA Y A ROCK ON MAGAZINE POR HACER UNA ENTREVISTA TAN FREGONA A SCORPIONS |
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