Ex-SCORPIONS Drummer Herman Rarebell - "One Of The Reasons I Left
The Band Was The Pure Instinct Album; A Really Bad Album Followed By An
Even Worse Record" Former
SCORPIONS drummer
Herman Rarebell is featured in a new interview
with Greece-based Rockpages. In the excerpt below Rarebell talks about
the band's former record label, EMI, and what he thinks of the albums
the band released after his departure:
Rockpages.gr: Did you ever expect that you would achieve such a
commercial success in USA? I mean, you were a rock band from Germany and
it was really difficult to break that market...
Herman Rarebell: "When we went to EMI, our label in Germany, and
told them that we want to play in America, they laughed at us and told
us: 'They are waiting for you there, right?' All the big bands in
America were either from the States or from England. But we were
committed and I remember telling them: 'When we will play in big
stadiums in America, I will have your name on the guest list so you will
come and see us.' Many years later he said to us - the president of EMI
in Germany - that 'I should have listened to you' (laughs)."
Rockpages.gr: You left in the mid-90s from Scorpions. What do you
think about the albums that the band has released since your departure?
Herman Rarebell: "I hate them. The last one (Sting In The Tail) is
really good; Unbreakable was at the right direction. I kept saying to
Matthias (Jabs) and Rudolf (Schenker) to stop experimenting with music
and write songs that the Scorpions fans would expect from them… nice
melodies and nice hard rock. One of the reasons that I left band was the
album Pure Instinct. I think that was a really bad album that was
followed by an even worse record, Eye II Eye. I remember telling to
Klaus (Meine) during the pre-production of Pure Instinct that I wouldn’t
play on this one because I didn’t like any song. I was pushed out from
the writing team since Face The Heat, a record which I think is very
strong…I like it a lot."
Go to this location for the complete interview.