New interview with Klaus Meine (audio in English)

[Gabi6912]

Hello Mike,
It's nice to read a wise, intelligent comment from you here after so long time.
I hope, all is good in your life.
Love you my friend.

[antonis]

Nice work Roberta!!!Thanx for this nice and interesting interview!!!
Weldone!!!

[JüZe]

To say we retire for sale more albums? Hm, i know that the Scorpions received only Gold and Platinum in Germany and Gold in France . . . #23 in US Billboard - the next week out ( anybody knows more about?? )
i don't think that they saled so much CD's
But for the tour/concerts ( and musicians makes more money with concerts than with CD's . . . ) it's a good marketing idea! Thats fact!
I think too that the band would retire - but they never know how! And now they go on forever I like this but i try to explain it again: for us, the fans the best is yet to come But for all non-fans ( who like music and know the Scorps ) it's only a marketing gag!
Please be patient, Scorps

[Scottss8]

To say we retire for sale more albums? Hm, i know that the Scorpions received only Gold and Platinum in Germany and Gold in France . . . #23 in US Billboard - the next week out ( anybody knows more about?? )
i don't think that they saled so much CD's
But for the tour/concerts ( and musicians makes more money with concerts than with CD's . . . ) it's a good marketing idea! Thats fact!
I think too that the band would retire - but they never know how! And now they go on forever I like this but i try to explain it again: for us, the fans the best is yet to come But for all non-fans ( who like music and know the Scorps ) it's only a marketing gag!
Please be patient, Scorps

My suggestion to the band is to take 2013 off from touring and release at the end of this year around Christmas a double CD of new material.
Disc 1- material from 1982-1991 leftovers
Disc 2- brand new studio music from this year..

basically the material from 1982-1991 is almost done since they spent the first part of 2012 working on those songs.. so spend the rest of this year writing new material for Disc 2..and then come back in 2014 with a full schedule of touring..Eastern and Northern Europe,Asia,Russia,South and North America and yes Australia...if i have left off your part of the world my bad please don't shot the messenger..lol..

[Kristof]

Thanks for the interview ! Well done !

[RobertaForster]

Hi Mike! What do you mean with it "cut off at the end"? It finishes with me saying goodbye.
About the marketing thing, well, when it happens, it's about the concerts, it's like "none fan will want to miss the last chance to see their favorite band live!"

[Stormchaser]

The interview cut off with about 7 minutes to go but I heard more than enough to satisfy me and I thought it was very informative. You did a fantastic job of eliciting thoughtful responses and instead of interrupting him you allowed him to answer at length which is a skill many interviewers seemingly lack. Great job! As for the marketing" it's only a ploy if it was done with the intention to mislead in order to exploit all the while knowing it was false. Personally I think they intended to retire and stop touring altogether but changed their minds on the former and may or may not do so on the latter. Time will tell but either way I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

Gabi, thanks for the kind words and I return the love 100%! We have a lot of catching up to do, I'll send you a long long email soon if you don't mind. Let me know if the address I've always had is still good or if you've changed it to something else.

[Scottss8]

Mike i agree with you 100% as always....Roberta great interview you handled yourself so well and showed what a classy young lady you really are..

Here is my take on the retirement cancellation:
1- The band still loves to play for their fans and the past three years have been the most successful time for the band since the 1990-1991 Crazy World Tour..
2- When they announced they were going to retire i think both Rudy and Klaus did not see themselves on stage at the age of 65 still touring the world. I think in the back of their minds they thought they could still make music in the studio but doing a 2-3 year tour was not going to happen. So they thought why not go out and tell the fans this was going to be it for touring in most parts of the world. And i still think that is the case. There is still going to be alot of countries the Scorpions will never go back to in the future. So yes this last tour was a farewell to those countries.
3- When Klaus mother died that also could of changed his mind on retiring the band. When you have a love one pass away you get closer to the ones you love in your life and yes the Scorpions members are family. Rudy and Klaus have been a muscial partnership for 43 years(1970-2013) so why end something that brings you joy.

[oldscorpsfan75]

Here' s my thought!

Just a matter of money!

[fantasy]

money ok but the money is nothing when you don't like your job !

they can't stop to sing and to play guitar no??
it is in their blood, so ,, why to stop is the question and not why to continue

[RobertaForster]

Thank you Mike and Scott How could I interrupt when Klaus is talking? People want to hear from him, not from me LOL
I guess it's better when a fan interviews some artist, because they usually know what the other fans want to know and what has been asked in other interviews. Anyway, thanks for your cumplimments

And I liked asking things about the the cold war because I was interested in how rock'n'roll get influended by the history... after this interview I even wrote an quickly article about rock and its role in the society, culture and history, from the early times when it raised after the second war to the nowadays, maibe I'll translate it into english when I have some free time. I wanted to ask so much more, like... for example, Roger Waters is pro Palestine etc. I would like to know more his political position etc. But, well... we had one hour , I couldn't make it bigger

Mike, here it runs ok until the last secont, I don't know what's happening. Did you try to put it manually after the point it cuts off?

[YNWA]

When Scorps announced their farewell, a lot of fans and journalists in Bulgaria started making parallels with Kiss too...I`ve heard so much theories that everything is nothing but a marketing trick. I`ve even heard it from a huge Scorpions followers...

But even in a second I have no doubt that their decision is not connected to a "gaining fast money" intentions and that they are not that kind of people/rockstars, who`ll purpously mislead their fans, just in order to sell more albums or tickets.

Now, when they have changed their mind, I can be nothing BUT HAPPY! I don`t care what the others will say, I know the truth for myself! And as some of you have already said, each one of us had that experince - to change his/her initial plan or decision, due to some circumstances! And I want to believe, and I actually DO believe, that, in Scorpions case...we - THE FANS, are these circumstances!

It would have been a pity if they stopped. Seeing them, especially the last year, what can I say: WOW! They are in a great shape - crazy, rocking, full of power, amazing!

The best is yet to come!!!

Again Ro, thanks for the interview!

[Gabi6912]

I couldn't agree with you more Curry.
I do believe in our Scorps, because they never have given me any reason not to believe them.

[therocker]

Hey Roberta... Wow !!!

Excellent job! I am really happy you made it this BIG ! I can see how do you feel after this, it came in my mind when we used to discuss such subjects...

In my opinion there were lots of people waiting for this kind of NEWS from the band, everybody may have his own way of expressing feelings, but I do think there were really a huge amount of people waiting for this decisison from the band. Myself I consider it a good and acceptable decision. I mean it was the only one. When Rock'n'Roll is growing up again and it is basicly going up where it belongs, why one of the most significant realities of Hard Rock, should cut itself out ?

Retirning anouncement may have been questionable, I do think so. From one hand it is Ok to go around a table and consider the fact that even you are doing great, - for me that band was doing excellent since 2004, - this won't last forever. From the other hand there were too many things that made people think that the band can't call it quits right now. Myself, I was sure it was not gonna happen. Basicly because I do consider the band good enough to keep it going on for some more. They have got the skill, they've got the means, they got the experience to do it the best way.

I would have been glad with a different approaching way. You could treat it as easy as it is: We want to say to our fans and supporters, for obvious reasons we will continue doing our job in a different way. We are sure you all understand our point. I know sometimes I am a little bit too naiv, but in this way nowadays (I am having the chance to travel the world lately, and wherever I go I see people saying that these are difficult times) maybe they would have had even better results, if this was a strategy. But I don't think so. I see the whole thing in a different way. Rudolf has always been the one to push it beyond any limits. The others have followed just because it was always fun and success, because they know how to do it. So if you find yourself in front of a sold out venue, it is natural to think Why should this be the end ???? I was not really happy with that anouncement, as I said before, but It would have been way too much worse if for any strange reason - ( like pride, or other strong feelings ) - they would have let it go like that. Just one more thing....
LONG LIVE ROCK 'N' ROLL....Hey guys you got a lot of Screaming Rock Believers out there waiting for you.

P.s. interesting point from Scott, letting go 2013 and reflecting on to do's after. If the strong will of the fans made them think, well my all times wish is :

3 DVD SET:
- TOKYO TAPES
- WORLD WIDE LIVE
- FAREWELL TOUR (Whenever it will be)

I can accept even Non 3D/Blue Ray...

[RobertaForster]

Again Ro, thanks for the interview!

You're welcome, my pleasure!

And, as Gabi, I'm with you

Hey Roberta... Wow !!!

Excellent job! I am really happy you made it this BIG ! I can see how do you feel after this, it came in my mind when we used to discuss such subjects...

In my opinion there were lots of people waiting for this kind of NEWS from the band, everybody may have his own way of expressing feelings, but I do think there were really a huge amount of people waiting for this decisison from the band. Myself I consider it a good and acceptable decision. I mean it was the only one. When Rock'n'Roll is growing up again and it is basicly going up where it belongs, why one of the most significant realities of Hard Rock, should cut itself out ?

Retirning anouncement may have been questionable, I do think so. From one hand it is Ok to go around a table and consider the fact that even you are doing great, - for me that band was doing excellent since 2004, - this won't last forever. From the other hand there were too many things that made people think that the band can't call it quits right now. Myself, I was sure it was not gonna happen. Basicly because I do consider the band good enough to keep it going on for some more. They have got the skill, they've got the means, they got the experience to do it the best way.

I would have been glad with a different approaching way. You could treat it as easy as it is: We want to say to our fans and supporters, for obvious reasons we will continue doing our job in a different way. We are sure you all understand our point. I know sometimes I am a little bit too naiv, but in this way nowadays (I am having the chance to travel the world lately, and wherever I go I see people saying that these are difficult times) maybe they would have had even better results, if this was a strategy. But I don't think so. I see the whole thing in a different way. Rudolf has always been the one to push it beyond any limits. The others have followed just because it was always fun and success, because they know how to do it. So if you find yourself in front of a sold out venue, it is natural to think Why should this be the end ???? I was not really happy with that anouncement, as I said before, but It would have been way too much worse if for any strange reason - ( like pride, or other strong feelings ) - they would have let it go like that. Just one more thing....
LONG LIVE ROCK 'N' ROLL....Hey guys you got a lot of Screaming Rock Believers out there waiting for you.

P.s. interesting point from Scott, letting go 2013 and reflecting on to do's after. If the strong will of the fans made them think, well my all times wish is :

3 DVD SET:
- TOKYO TAPES
- WORLD WIDE LIVE
- FAREWELL TOUR (Whenever it will be)

I can accept even Non 3D/Blue Ray...

Thank you, Elton! I miss the time we could spend talking when we had time for that, now... I'm running! But... hey, I'm going to Europe in july, who knows we can meet and talk eye to eye? I really do intent to meet some people from this forum

About blue ray... I do not have a blue ray player so, I still don't have their live in 3D, if they release more blue ray material I'll have to buy a player lol

[Scorpions Fos Finland]

But even in a second I have no doubt that their decision is not connected to a "gaining fast money" intentions and that they are not that kind of people/rockstars, who`ll purpously mislead their fans, just in order to sell more albums or tickets.

Now, when they have changed their mind, I can be nothing BUT HAPPY! I don`t care what the others will say, I know the truth for myself! And as some of you have already said, each one of us had that experince - to change his/her initial plan or decision, due to some circumstances! And I want to believe, and I actually DO believe, that, in Scorpions case...we - THE FANS, are these circumstances!

Great post Ynwa!! I definetly agree with that text

^And Roberta, I have same problem...still dont own Blue ray player or that 3D So will definetly buy player, if its going to be released only in blueray again:)

[RobertaForster]

^And Roberta, I have same problem...still dont own Blue ray player or that 3D So will definetly buy player, if its going to be released only in blueray again:)

Since I'm going to Germany next month, I think I'll buy their 3D blue ray, although I do not have where to play it!

[Scorpions Fos Finland]

^Just put the 3D under your pillow at the night, maybe Scorpions can work out some screening when you are a sleep