SCORPIONS Guitarist RUDOLF SCHENKER

SCORPIONS Guitarist RUDOLF SCHENKER Talks About Relationship With Brother MICHAEL And ULI JON ROTH

BW&BK "Metal" Tim Henderson spoke to SCORPIONS guitar legend Rudolf Schenker recently about a number of topics including their current album, Humanity - Hour 1 and the new Wacken live DVD (Live At Wacken Open Air 2006: A Night To Remember - A Journey Through Time) that is out now in Europe. BW&BK also enquired about the relationship between the Schenker brothers - the older Rudolf and younger Michael (MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, ex-UFO, Scorpions). Michael (MSG) opened up for the Scorpions this past July in the UK. What was it like sharing a stage with your brother again?

"Really it was a bit difficult," the older Schenker (by seven years) explains. "My brother was not in the best shape. He was on an American tour and one of his managers left with the money including the money he'd earned from the UK shows. So he was sitting there and he had to give his musicians and crew money out of his own pocket so they could get back to Europe. He was stuck in the US and didn't know what to do. Maybe he got into the alcohol too much ... he didn't want to disappoint me by not being on the UK tour with us. He was really in bad shape and it was really sad to see that. The last show was in London OK, but the first show was terrible. But he had no roadies to help him. I just got an email from him and he's now back to normal and he's trying to find his way now. It's terrible, but what can you do? ULI (JON ROTH - also on the UK bill) was as good as always. He's very stable and a master of his guitar. He enjoys playing with the Scorpions much more now than when he did in the '70s! He's very happy when we play together now."

What's your relationship with Michael like these days?
"For the last two years he was living very close to me in the US, now he lives in London. We are close, but because we're both travelling a lot, it was difficult to meet. But his life is like a roller coaster - we are really close in different ways. I do whatever I can do to enjoy life. It's very difficult to find a balance between being a rock n' roll musician and being a normal person. I try to enjoy everyday more and more. Live today, not yesterday or tomorrow."

Long-time fans have yearned to see Michael and Uli Jon Roth appear on a new Scorpions album some day?
"Uli and my brother were supposed to be on the Humanity - Hour 1 album," Schenker reveals, "but the timing again was terrible. When we were in Los Angeles, Michael was in Japan. And Uli was in the process of giving his new album to his record company. My philosophy is is that when the time is right it will happen. Everyone is open to the idea."