The new fully authorized Scorpions documentary Forever and a Day is wrapping up its theatrical run and will come to DVD, Blu-ray, and digital platforms on November 27th (in German with English subtitles). The movie takes a look at the German hard-rock legends’ long career, while focusing on the band’s Final Sting trek, which initially was intended to be a farewell tour.
As the film shows, during the 2011-2012 tour, the band members were so energized by the response from fans that they decided to scrap their retirement plans. Founding Scorpions guitarist Rudolf Schenker says that if you watch Forever and a Day, you can see the veteran rockers come to the realization that they weren’t ready to call it quits.
Schenker explains, “Seeing all these old fans, the new fans coming, everything was sold out, and getting told by the fans what the music means for them, then we more and more” understood that the time wasn’t right for the band to retire.
Among the interesting career highlights covered in the movie is The Scorpions’ historic 1991 visit to the Kremlin in Moscow to meet Mikhail Gorbachev. The band presented the then-Soviet president with a gold record for its hit ballad “Wind of Change,” which celebrated the end of the Cold War.
Describing Wind of Change as “the soundtrack of the most peaceful revolution on Earth,” Schenker says The Scorpions’ visit with Gorbachev was “something very special” since they were the first, and possibly the only, Western band ever invited to the Kremlin. He adds that The Scorpions are still friendly with Gorbachev, who makes an appearance in Forever and a Day commenting about the group and the impact of Wind of Change.
The Scorpions recently wrapped up the 2015 U.S. leg of its 50th anniversary tour, which also is in support of their latest studio album, Return to Forever. With regard to the band’s future, longtime Scorpions guitarist Matthias Jabs says, “It doesn’t look like the end is near. You know, we keep ourselves open now. We tried the farewell tour, and we [called] it afterwards the ‘went well’ tour.”
The Scorpions will finish the year with a series of European dates in November and December, with more to come in February and March of 2016, including a run of shows in their homeland. Jabs says the band also plans to play more U.S. shows in May, and may visit South America and China as well. Check The-Scorpions.com for the group’s confirmed itinerary.
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4 Responses
“Wind Of Change” changed a lot of lives.
Long live The Scorpions.
An incredible achievement this band is. There was so much more to this band than Love at First Sting, and people here finally have a chance to appreciate that.
I sure hope that they don’t give much time to James Kottak. Man, that guy doesn’t realize how lucky he is that the third season of Ex-Wives of Rock was broadcast only in Canada. What a train wreck!
“Toyko Tapes” was the album that turned me on to this great band and I have been a fan ever since. Awesome seeing them still at it, amazing.
I can’t wait to see this movie! Scorpions’ music is as important to me as any of the bands I’ve grown up with. The first guitar riff I ever learned how to play wasn’t “Smoke On The Water”, like everyone else. It was the opening lick for the song “Falling In Love” which is on ANIMAL MAGNETISM. I was 11 years old at the time! That simple riff is where it all started for me.