The Scorpions make acoustic debut
They are Germany's most successful musical export, inspiring other big hair bands such as Bon Jovi- and this Friday releasing their first acoustic recording. Power balladeers The Scorpions are this week's Germans of the Week.
They have sold about 100 million records around the world, and are currently three years into a Farewell World Tour, playing their hits such as Wind of Change as well as a string of new songs to cigarette-lighter-waving fans.
The 1990 song composed by singer and frontman Klaus Meine became the tear-in-the-eye anthem of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and although wildly popular, did nothing for the band's rock credentials.
But in 2006 the band made a spectacular showing at the Wacken heavy metal festival, conquering a whole new audience many of whom had heard little of the 1965-founded band's back catalogue.
Now the Hannover-based rockers have taken a further step towards musical credibility and recorded an acoustic concert as part of the long-running MTV Unplugged series.
They played the show in September at an open-air venue in Greece, with a number of special guests including Aha's lead singer Morten Harket.
"It is a musically exciting project. We all grew a bit as musicians with this, because it is so different," said Meine, 65.
Sitting on bar stools as is tradition for the MTV Unplugged - and which even Nirvana managed to universal acclaim - was a challenge to The Scorpions.
"That was a change over, but in the end it worked well," said Meine.
The band played hits including Rock You Like a Hurricane and Still Loving You as well as, of course Wind of Change - this time with Harket singing too. The double CD and accompanying DVD of the concert will be released on Friday.
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They have sold about 100 million records around the world, and are currently three years into a Farewell World Tour, playing their hits such as Wind of Change as well as a string of new songs to cigarette-lighter-waving fans.
The 1990 song composed by singer and frontman Klaus Meine became the tear-in-the-eye anthem of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and although wildly popular, did nothing for the band's rock credentials.
But in 2006 the band made a spectacular showing at the Wacken heavy metal festival, conquering a whole new audience many of whom had heard little of the 1965-founded band's back catalogue.
Now the Hannover-based rockers have taken a further step towards musical credibility and recorded an acoustic concert as part of the long-running MTV Unplugged series.
They played the show in September at an open-air venue in Greece, with a number of special guests including Aha's lead singer Morten Harket.
"It is a musically exciting project. We all grew a bit as musicians with this, because it is so different," said Meine, 65.
Sitting on bar stools as is tradition for the MTV Unplugged - and which even Nirvana managed to universal acclaim - was a challenge to The Scorpions.
"That was a change over, but in the end it worked well," said Meine.
The band played hits including Rock You Like a Hurricane and Still Loving You as well as, of course Wind of Change - this time with Harket singing too. The double CD and accompanying DVD of the concert will be released on Friday.
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