As one of the greatest hard rock bands of all times Scorpions are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first release of Wind of Change by releasing an exclusive box set on October 3rd. Wind of Change: The Iconic Song is dedicated exclusively to the power ballad written by Klaus Meine, which became the soundtrack for the end of the Cold War. Inspired by the experience of playing at the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989, Wind of Change embodies the feeling of hope, optimism and the prospect of a better future.
“When we came on stage in the Lenin Stadium and started the show with Blackout, all the Red Army soldiers, who function as security, threw their hats and jackets in the air, turned to us and became part of the crowd. The world was changing right in front of our eyes … It was unbelievable! “ says Klaus Meine
The box set, which appears in a brick look, contains an 84-page hardcover book written by Dr. Edgar Klüsener, former editor-in-chief of Metal Hammer and close confidant of the band, who interviewed Klaus Meine exclusively for this purpose and writes about the genesis and impact of the song. It contains several pages of photographs from the band’s photographer Didi Zill and from Klaus Meine’s private archive, as well as the handwritten lyrics for Wind of Change by Klaus Meine.
Next to the book the box set includes a vocal and piano arrangement of Wind of Change as well as a CD and 12” LP with five versions of the song: the original album version, the Berlin Philharmonic version, the Russian and Spanish and an unreleased demo version by Klaus Meine. Heart and centerpiece of the box set is a handcrafted unique piece of the Berlin Wall customized with the red Wind of Change star and a handwritten lyric by Klaus Meine.
People not just in Europe but all over the world felt connected to the motif of change and the melancholy of the song. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the hunger for freedom and community was great. The sudden vacuum in Europe left a lot of room for dreams and hopes. Wind of Change captured this indescribable magical mood and became the anthem to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The song continues to influence and is still meaningful now more than ever.
“In times of COVID-19 and all the wild conspiracy theories in these extremely trying times,Wind of Change is like a hug, a good friend from a time when the hope for a peaceful world seemed to be fulfilled. The dream of peace lives on in this song.” adds Meine.
On August 13th, the same day that the Berlin Wall was built in 1961 and the Moscow Music Peace Festival took place in 1989, the pre-order of the box starts only on TheIconicSong.com.
The Iconic Song Box is hand-numbered, limited to 2020 copies and will be released on the day of the 30th anniversary of German unity, October 3rd.
3 Responses
“Wind Of Change” is 1 of the greatest songs ever written.
I don’t know of another band as dedicated as Scorpions are to getting you to buy their music more than once.
Everybody does it, – KISS, Def Leppard, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, etc…