Quite a sharp interview by Michael Schenker!
@mckindog
http://gigsandfestivals.com/features/michael-schenker-interview-2016
excerpts:
...
What was it like playing in the earliest days of The Scorpions?
There are things that I know today, and I must say I’m actually very disappointed in my brother [Rudolph, guitarist] in The Scorpions these days, because I just found out that a lot of things have been incorrect in the past. Me, being seven years younger than the other guys, I think I was taken advantage of right from the beginning.
I wrote most of The Scorpions songs on the ‘Lonesome Crow’ album, and it was credited to all members. The very first song I ever wrote was ‘In Search Of The Peace Of Mind’, and it too was credited to all members. I was focusing on music, and they were maybe focusing on business; I have no idea, but they didn’t know how to write songs in those days.
....
Your Black and White guitar is so iconic.
The guitar thing to me; I didn’t pick the guitar – it’s all based on circumstances, and if it works don’t fix it. When I did the ‘Lovedrive’ album with The Scorpions, I decided to paint my guitar black and white, and when I left The Scorpions something mysterious happened. My brother called me and asked me if I would allow him to use the black and white design, and I was always wondering;
“why the heck is he so desperate to do this?” Today I think I know – I think he wanted to distort and take a bit of my image.
You and Rudolph are quite alike aren’t you?
The difference is one can play and the other one can’t! [Laughs] That’s how you can find out who is who. Or you look at the eyes; his eyes are brown, but he can fake that too by getting blue lenses. Rudolph is the entertainer on a visual level; I’m the artist.
Have you any plans to get up on stage with The Scorpions before they call it a day?
I don’t pay attention to any of that. I focus on what I’m doing. I’m fed up with that, and I’m disappointed in them; they have completely distorted the ‘Lovedrive’ phase. Just a few weeks ago I was confronted with The Scorpions [albums reissue] box, and what I saw there, it really, really shocked me. I can’t trust them anymore. The whole ‘Lovedrive’ story is wrong. They are putting it down as if I begged them to take me into The Scorpions. They begged me to join – I was already doing arena tours with UFO in the States. It’s unbelievable. They asked me to help them, and now I see that the whole ‘Lovedrive’ story is written to their favour; they are the big guys.
I can’t believe it, honestly – they’re just fooling people with their finishing playing, and then they don’t, and then [they continue playing] forever and ever. I guess when you get older you get bolder or something, but I have absolutely no interest because I can’t trust them. If I look back now, it’s unbelievable, little bits and pieces I’m discovering. So putting together the whole picture, it looks like they’re absolutely desperate.
So far, the rockers seem pretty weak and aren't doing much for me, but the ballads are just incredible!
