Scorpions/London, UK 1977

The SCORPIONS released their masterpiece “VIRGIN KILLER” in 1977 and swept across Europe. This precious soundboard album is now available. This work contains a soundboard recording of the “Bolton University performance on April 30, 1977”. 1977 was the year when Rudi Leonards was replaced by Herman Larebel and the last masterpiece of the Uli Jon Roth era, “TAKEN BY FORCE”, was released. The early SCORPIONS’ journey was also the dawn of continental European hard rock. This is a good opportunity to explore the situation when they were trying to take flight into the world from their schedule at that time. 1976 January 2nd – June 7th: Europe #1 (78 shows) June 24th – July 1st: West Germany #1 (4 shows) August 7th – September 26th: West Germany #2 (16 shows) October 9th: “VIRGIN KILLER” released October 2nd – December 4th: Europe #2 (25 shows) 1977 January 5th – 30th: West Germany #3 (16 shows) February 19th – May 5th: Europe #3 (24 shows) ←★Here★ May: Rudi Leonards replaced by Herman Larebel June – October: “TAKEN BY FORCE” production October 14th – November 2nd: West Germany #4 (18 shows) December 4th: “TAKEN BY FORCE” Released December 10-17: France (3 performances) This is SCORPIONS in 1976/1977. As you can see, all the shows are in Europe. That’s because they didn’t make their first trip to the US until 1979 after Matthias Jabs joined the band. They had never performed outside of Europe until their first visit to Japan in 1978. In the above case, the multi-country dates are listed as “Europe”, and this work was the 20th concert of “Europe #3”. This work recorded at such a show is a real sound board with full rawness. In any case, the intense direct feeling of the extremely thick and zero-distance core being poured directly into the brain is enormous. That doesn’t mean it’s like an official live album, but the mix is ​​rough and raw. Of course, that’s also a beauty for sound board enthusiasts, and you can enjoy the sense of synchronization with live performance that you can’t get from official live albums or major broadcasts. This work also has a sense of realism that tends to be spoiled by such rare sound boards. The applause and cheers of the audience who were present at the scene are also super realistic. It is so realistic that it makes you wonder, “Maybe it’s not a sound board, but a super-excellent audience!?”, but the performance sound is too thick and meaty for a spatial recording. Since it is a recording that has traditionally been known for sound boards, we would like to follow the tradition at our shop. Such a thick rough rope sound is drawn as a full show of “VIRGIN KILLER Tour”, which is different from “TOKYO TAPES”. Let’s organize the set here while comparing it with the official masterpiece. In Trance (4 songs) In Trance / Top Of The Bill / Dark Lady / Robot Man Virgin Killer (4 songs) Pictured Life / Back Stage Queen / Polar Nights / Catch Your Train (★) Others (5 songs) Fly to the Rainbow: They Need A Million (★) / Fly To The Rainbow Others: All Night Long / Hound Dog / Long Tall Sally *Note: The “★” mark indicates songs that could not be heard in “TOKYO TAPES”. … and so on. Although it is one of the best songs of the early SCORPIONS, it is a great feeling just to be able to hear “Catch Your Train” and “They Need A Million”, which could not be heard in “TOKYO TAPES”. But even more than that, it is the performance of the Uri era that runs through the entire show. “TOKYO TAPES” is, of course, a historic masterpiece, but this work is even more intimate and super vivid. You feel so close that you feel like you can reach out and touch Klaus if you reach out from the front row of the club. The cult feeling of Uri Roth’s style roars in that closed room! The early SCORPIONS are sometimes praised as having a “B-grade feel,” but this album boils down that nuance and pours it out thick and sticky like shiny black tar. There is no sense of a worldwide scale. No pretty words. This is a live album that shows the full potential of a core live band that crawled out of West Germany, a land of uncharted hard rock, with twisted sense and guts. It is the ultimate in jet-black hard rock, different from the later SCORPIONS and Uri’s solo work. Soundboard recording of the “Bolton University concert on April 30, 1977”. The intense direct feeling of the extremely thick, zero-distance core being poured directly into your brain is enormous. The mix is ​​rough and raw, but for enthusiasts, it’s a beautiful thing and gives you a sense of synchronization with the live performance that you can’t get on an official live album. You can enjoy the early SCORPIONS, which had a cult appeal, right in front of your eyes, including “Catch Your Train” and “They Need A Million,” which you can’t hear on “TOKYO TAPES.” Bolton University, London, UK 30th April 1977 SBD (79:06) 1. Intro 2. All Night Long 3. Pictured Life 4. Backstage Queen 5. They Need A Million 6. Polar Nights 7. In Trance 8. Fly To The Rainbow 9. Jam 10. Catch Your Train 11. Top Of The Bill 12 Hound Dog / Long Tall Sally 13. Jam 14. Dark Lady 15. Robot Man Klaus Meine – Vocals Ulrich Roth – Guitar, Vocals Rudolf Schenker – Guitar, Vocals Francis Buchholz – Bass, Vocals Rudy Lenners – Drums SOUNDBOARD RECORDING