Dieter Dierks

Last updated

Dieter Dierks
Dieter Dierks 2014.jpg
Dierks in 2014
Background information
Born (1943-02-09) 9 February 1943 (age 81)
Stommeln, Germany
Genres Krautrock, hard rock, heavy metal, pop music
Occupation(s)Sound engineer, record producer, entrepreneur
Website dierksstudios.com

Dieter Dierks (born 9 February 1943) is a German record producer, sound engineer, music publisher, studio owner and musician. He became well known as producer of the rock band Scorpions who were signed to him between 1975 and 1988. Before that time, he had already successfully established Hamburg-based band Atlantis in the US. Between 1969 and 1975, numerous albums of the "Krautrock" era were produced at Dierks Studio. From 1975 onwards, more and more international artists started booking his state-of-the art sound and TV studios.

Contents

Personal life

Dierks is the son of a Jewish mother and a Catholic father. The latter was an orchestra conductor, violinist, sax player and composer. His mother Ursula ran a grocery store. Dieter Dierks was married twice and has four children with four different women. His second wife, Corina Fortmann is the sister of Swiss composer Thomas Fortmann and for many years she was an instrumental part in building the "Dierks Empire". Their daughter, Dominique Schilling, works in Los Angeles as a film director and screenwriter. Dierks' oldest son, Michael Dierks, is an actor. His oldest daughter from his first marriage, Michaela Dierks, works as a TV and music promoter in Cologne. His youngest son, Julien Freundt, works as a sound engineer, composer, music producer and management assistant at his father's company. Dieter's mother Ursula, who was in charge of the studio catering, died in 1991.

The beginning

J. Bastos - Loop di Love Scan of J. Bastos - Loop di Love.jpg
J. Bastos – Loop di Love

Initially, Dieter Dierks wanted to become a director. He studied theatre arts and afterwards went to a drama school. [1] He worked as an assistant director to Kurt Wilhelm  [ de ], Karl Fruchtmann, Jürgen Goslar and the former Burgtheater artistic director Gerhard Klingenberg. At the same period of time he also played guitar and bass in various rock bands and started setting up his own studios on his parents' premises in Stommeln. The first studio rooms were built in the attic of his parents' house. With his two re-vamped Revox amateur recording devices Dieter Dierks soon managed to attract many young, creative musicians. Again around that time Dierks formed the band "Hush" together with Tommy Engel who was then the drummer of Cologne-based band Tony Hendrik Five, and additional member Frieder Viehmann. In 1969 the band released the single "Oh! Darling/Schau mir in die Augen" (Bellaphon label #1112). The band's live appearances were known to be rather loud. [2]

Two years later Dierks built a large studio complex in the backyard of his parents' house. Shortly afterwards, the apartment building next door was turned into a hotel for studio guests. This way he had created an "all in one" entity as far as music production was concerned: musicians were able to work and live in the same place – a concept that was unique in Germany at the time. During this phase, in 1969, Dierks produced the successful disco hit Loop Di Love with singer Jay Bastos, which was released in 1971 in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The single enjoyed immense chart success and sold several million copies. [3]

The Krautrock and Electronica era

In the early seventies Studio 1 became an attraction for a new German generation of musicians of the then flourishing hippie culture. The mixture of countryside ambience and high tech studio equipment appealed to them. The name of the village near Cologne gradually started popping up in German music magazines like Musikexpress, Sounds, the trade magazine Musikmagazin as well as Pop Rocky. The editors of these magazine dedicated full pages to this "sound factory" in Stommeln and its productions.

Dierks Studios – along with the studios of Conny Plank in Wolperath – became the home of the most important Krautrock artists, first generation German rock bands, and electronic pioneers, among them Ihre Kinder, Ash Ra Tempel, Tangerine Dream, Witthüser & Westrupp, Hoelderlin, Wallenstein, Birth Control, Guru Guru, Embryo, Popol Vuh, Bröselmaschine, the politically-oriented rock bands Amon Düül and Floh de Cologne as well as Krautrock super group Cosmic Jokers founded by music visionary Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser. They were all flocking to Stommeln in order to have their interpretations of rock music recorded and produced – and to be fed by Dieter Dierks' mother, affectionately called "Mother Dierks". One of the regular clients was Klaus Doldinger with his jazz-rock formation Passport. Their albums Looking Thru (1973), Handmade (1973), Cross-Collateral (1975), and Infinity Machine (1976) were recorded in Stommeln. Their live album Jubilee 1974, a recording of the live show at Rheinhalle, Düsseldorf, was mixed at Dierks Studios.

During those years more than 40 trend-setting albums were produced which considerably elevated the reputation independent German rock and electronic music was enjoying on an international level. Many of those were released on the German labels Pilz, Ohr, and Bacillus, but they were also released in the US, France, Italy, and above all in England. The liner notes almost always featured Dierks Studios and its "sound magician and wizard of tunes" Dieter Dierks as well as a "special thanks" for the creative environment and the great catering by "Mother Dierks" who would cook for the musicians till 2 o'clock in the morning if necessary. Another benefit was the fact that Dieter Dierks had continued fitting his studio facilities with the latest high tech equipment, thus turning them into one of the leading German production sites. Self devised reverb effects, additional experimental instruments like the mellotron, a keyboard that could replay regular tapings of orchestra sounds.

Studio expansion and international clientele

Dieter Dierks DieterDierks4.jpg
Dieter Dierks

Around 1972 Dieter Dierks expanded further. In order to enable cost-effective pre-productions, the basement of the studio hotel was turned into three small recording studios and a control room bundled as Studio 2. In late 1973 a lounge called "the canteen" planned to be used as a conference room was built in front of Studio 1 as an annex. Eventually the excellent reputation Dierks Studios enjoyed for being a first class recording location had also spread internationally. The company had become an important economic factor for the small town of Stommeln. Bands would often stay there for months, spend money in the shops and in the evenings go to local restaurants and pubs. Journalists would arrive to take photos and do interviews.

The first international band to come from England was Nektar. Between June and August 1971 this quintet recorded their debut album Journey to the Centre of the Eye in Stommeln. They came back to record the albums A Tab in the Ocean (October 1972), the studio live recording ...Sounds Like This (February 1973) and, Remember the Future which in July 1974 reached No. 19 in the US album charts. At the time this album was considered to be the most successful Dierks production so far. In December 1974 Nektar went back to Stommeln for the last time to record Down to Earth . The album went to No. 32 in the US charts and was awarded gold in February 1975.

In 1974 the first audio recording mobile was added to the company's portfolio. Consequently, live performances of renowned international artists such as Al Jarreau, Fats Domino, Oscar Peterson, Harry Belafonte, Michael Chapman, Ella Fitzgerald, The Platters, Brian Auger, Lou Reed, Nana Mouskouri, Santana or Chicago could be recorded. Thanks to his experience with major international artists, their managements and their record companies Dieter Dierks decided to extend his group of companies by launching his own production and publishing firm, Breeze Music. Dierks succeeded in signing one of Germany's leading rock bands called Atlantis featuring the bluesy-voiced singer Inga Rumpf and to produce them on an international level. He got on a plane to America and managed to convince major label Polygram to send the band on a US tour. Together with US manager Ira Blacker he put together a tour for them. The first show supporting Lynyrd Skynyrd took place in Philadelphia in front of an audience of 20 000. A few years later this network should prove very useful for him in connection with Scorpions.

Scorpions, 1973–1988

Scorpions - Still Loving You Scorpions - Still Loving You.jpg
Scorpions – Still Loving You

Back in 1973 Dieter Dierks and his wife Corina Fortmann went to a gig at a local sports hall in Essen where they encountered a totally unknown newcomer rock band, Scorpions. Despite the scarce audience Dierks was impressed by the professional attitude of these musicians. After initially being hired by RCA to produce them, in 1976 he succeeded in signing them to his company, Breeze Music. In Trance , the first album Dierks had produced sold three times as much as their previous releases. Continuous work experience abroad as well as a highly successful Japanese tour, financed by Breeze Music, the recordings of which later released as Tokyo Tapes , led to the band being signed to the Mercury label (Polygram) in the US. Bob Sherwood, then president, was a rock fan and was impressed with the skills of this German producer. David Krebs, a music business "big shot" was appointed personal manager for Scorpions. With the backing of Leber Krebs Management, a company which solely looked after huge acts like AC/DC, Aerosmith or Ted Nugent, the door for Scorpions to debut live in the US was opened wide.

The first Mercury album Lovedrive – featuring an eye-catching chewing gum breast cover, still a controversial issue to date – awarded them their first gold disc (more than 500 000 units) in the US and reaching worldwide sales of 1.5 million copies. In Germany they secured a long-term contract with EMI Electrola, which also included territories like South East Asia. This deal provided the opportunity to produce the Hanover-based rock band on an international level. For Blackout Dierks rented a huge mansion in the South of France which provided a cook and featured an outdoor pool and a tennis court to give them a break from the day-to-day studio routine in Stommeln. At the same time, the Dierks' owned recording mobile was parked on the premises and ready to go. However, Klaus Meine developed a throat infection, so the album could not be recorded. It ended up being done at a later stage at Studio 2 in Stommeln after all. The albums Blackout and Animal Magnetism branded Scorpions to be the leading melodic hard rock band. With painstaking efforts Dieter Dierks had not only created a unique sound, but also established Scorpions as a solid brand among the leading hard rock bands.

Their 1984 album Love at First Sting featuring the hit single ballad "Still Loving You" catapulted Scorpions to the then zenith of their career at the time: 2.5 million copies (double platinum) sold in the US, gold and platinum status almost everywhere in Europe as well as in Japan and South East Asia, territories where the band had advanced to become the most popular rock band of all. However the production of this album had also required two attempts: In the spring of 1983 Dieter Dierks had rented ABBA's renowned Polar Studios. Just before production was due to start Herman Rarebell and Francis Buchholz had both fallen ill. Herman brought along Jimmy Bain as substitute and Rudolf got Bobby Rondinelli involved. But the results were not convincing, so the entire album was re-recorded and mixed again at Dierks Studios – this time featuring the original line-up. It was worth the effort. This album contains most of their hits and it became the best-selling Scorpions album of all times. The live album Worldwide Live, released in 1985 was a compilation of highlights of their shows during their world tour.

The eight Scorpions albums of the Dierks era can justifiably be considered to be the essence of the band's work. For Dierks, too – every now and then nicknamed "the sixth member of Scorpions" – these albums were the most successful ones in his career as a producer. While working on Savage Amusement , the last album that was produced in Stommeln, differences in opinion between the band and the producer emerged. As a consequence the production contract was not renewed and the collaboration ended in November 1988. [4] Drummer Herman Rarebell reflected in 2011: "For Scorpions Dieter was the right man in the right place. The more his influence within the band grew the more our record sales increased. This intimacy however also caused contempt because with his growing influence discrepancies between the band members were flaring up. At the end of the day, though, he did manage to soothe all the egos and succeeded in steering the band into one direction." [5]

Further studio expansion and motion picture technology

Ike & Tina Turner - Baby, Baby, Get It On Ike & Tina Turner - Baby, Baby, Get It On.jpg
Ike & Tina Turner – Baby, Baby, Get It On

Thanks to the success with the Scorpions the company Breeze Music was able to secure long-term contracts with major American and European record labels and music publishing companies. So, the expansion plans were apt to continue. Thanks to Dierks Studios excellent reputation more international top stars were flocking to Stommeln: Ike & Tina Turner, Eric Burdon, War, The Boomtown Rats, Dokken, and Irish rock and blues musician Rory Gallagher. Most of them visited more than once. Gallagher preferred to work during the night and recorded two consecutive albums there. He even started a dart club at the pub next door.

In 1985 Studio 3, the biggest studio complex so far, was built. This facility with its vast space offered enough room for orchestras, choirs and big bands. Thanks to its mobile camera and lighting rigs as well as its highly efficient air conditioning system it was also designed for film and video recordings and conformed to the standard of American mega studios. Since all facilities were connected via a subterranean corridor it was possible to switch around and use the entire technical equipment range of all three studios. At the same time the canteen located between Studio 1 and the studio kitchen was enlarged as well. Deep Purple's keyboardist Jon Lord produced his first solo album Sarabande at Dierks Studios. Meanwhile, major US record companies chose Dierks to produce their artists. Among them were Geffen Records' glam metal band Black 'n Blue, heavy metal rockers Twisted Sister who Dierks produced in New York and Los Angeles for Atlantic Records, and Capitol Records' New York punk avant-garde group Plasmatics. US band Mother's Finest recorded a live album with Dieter Dierks as well, using the audio and video mobile with the mixing being done afterwards at Studio 3. In 1986 the Dierks Studios Mobile 1 – put into action all around Europe to record concerts of renowned artists and having proved to be of good use for live broadcasts of the WDR channel shows Rock Palast and Rocknächte – was replaced with Mobile 2, a unit of almost twice the size. This mobile featured analogue and digital recording devices, a computerised mixing console, a state-of-the-art auditory system and, a big lounge area. In 1991 this mobile studio was used to record a Rolling Stones live album in Moscow and other European cities.

Eventually the studio hotel ended up being too small for long-term international residents. So in 1986 Dierks bought a mansion with huge gardens – suitable for long-term stays – in Bruchstraße, around two kilometres away from the studios. This was a place where musicians could stay in a relaxed atmosphere and enjoy creative breaks during long recording periods.

In 1987, after having finished the Studio 3 expansion, Dierks decided to consolidate the base of his group of companies on a long-term basis by concentrating further on the moving picture side, a division of the company, which had been growing steadily. So far only Studio 3 offered facilities for film and video recording. Therefore, a video recording mobile was needed. With the help of experts, an outside broadcasting unit was bought from Westdeutscher Rundfunk (radio and TV channel), fitted with the latest state-of-the art equipment and transformed into a giant mobile. Dierks Studios' first video unit, Mobile 1, was ready for action in 1988. In 1991 Studio 1 and Studio 2 were completely refurbished and the technical equipment was brought up to date. This enabled simultaneous production processes of equal rank in Studio 3 and Studio 1. 1992 the temporarily disbanded group Accept got back together and produced three more albums for Breeze Music.

During the mid nineties rock music gradually lost its attraction. The meanwhile domineering techno and dance music style came into being. This music no longer needed to be produced in big studios. With the help of computers and electronic devices it could be done in small "living-room-style" studios. The Dierks group of companies adapted itself to this development, and in 1995 added two new hard disc studios, namely Studio 4 and Studio 5. With this new cutting-edge computer technology, an ideal work environment for dance, house and techno music projects had been created.

In 1996 Michael Jackson recorded the song Ghosts at Studio 3, which was released on his Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix album in May 1997 and was later put on the Deluxe Collector Box Set – Limited Edition. At the Stommeln-based studios – on the cover incorrectly credited as "Diederdierk Studio (Cologne, Germany)" – vocals and drum programming were recorded. The collaboration with the King of Pop continued during the HIStory world tour with Dierks recording two shows at the Munich Olympiahalle using twelve analogue cameras as well as six digital ones. One of his two new digital mobile units which had been purchased in 1996 respectively 1997 was used for this job. The units in question were 18 meters long, respectively 21 meters long mobile recording units, transported on elaborate trucks, extensible in width and equipped with the latest digital equipment, picture direction monitors and mixing consoles. With up to twelve cameras on board they were able to record huge events. After the Jackson recordings the units came into action to tape the DOME shows for RTL II TV, the Bravo Supershow, the Sabine Christiansen Talkshow as well as the Pope John Paul II trip to Austria in June 1998. Several mobile units featuring HDTV technology were added to the fleet in 1997. This technology produced extremely high-resolution images by using special cameras and was particularly popular with the technology-affined customers from the US and Japan who tended to order numerous classical recordings. The Kirch Group for example booked these units for the recording of the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth.

In 1997 the former engineering lab and the lobby of Studio 3 were turned into a new video-editing studio (avid room) in order to be capable of handling the numerous mixing and cutting jobs that came in. With its in-house avid editing suite, recorded images could be edited, mixed and processed.

Today, having undergone several stages of restructuring the Dierks Studios group of companies is currently positioned as follows:

New activities beyond music production

In 1997 Dieter Dierks launched the company Breeze TV GmbH that with its so-called P.O.S. (point of sale) TV was set to promote consumer goods via TV screens installed in retail outlets. In cooperation with economist Hagen Backhaus, Dierks succeeded in securing a long-term contract with the Schlecker drugstore chain, which at the time had more than 8,000 affiliates in Germany, Austria and other countries. The deal involved the constant broadcasting of TV commercials in continuous loops on three screens installed in each outlet. This way the commercials could reach more than two million shoppers in Germany alone. For the Dierks group of companies Breeze TV's activities meant that the supply chain and the service cycle from the production of sound and image carriers to the sale of such, had turned into a full circle. [6]

In 1999 Dierks took out a patent on DVDplus (trademark: DVD [plus]). The DVD [plus] patent is a combination of a DVD with a regular CD, which by bonding enables double-sided play back of the sound and the image carrier. [7] While for example the golden side of the DVD plays a film or a live concert, it plays a soundtrack, a music score or previously unreleased live recordings on the silver flip side. [8] In order to ensure the exploitation of this patent, in 1999 Dieter Dierks managed to secure a deal with the biggest CD and DVD manufacturing equipment producer Singulus Technologies. Sony USA is using the Dierks licence under the trading name of DualDisc. Meanwhile, several national and international top artists have had DVDplus respectively DualDisc products produced, among them Herbert Grönemeyer, Die Toten Hosen, Michael Jackson (a whole box set), Santana, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Steve Harley, Nightwish, Bruce Springsteen, Destiny's Child, AC/DC (more than 500,000 copies of Back in Black sold in the US alone), Aerosmith, and many others. But also football clubs like Bayern Munich or the film company which released "The Blairwitch Project 2" are using the new format. The DVDplus of said movie sold more than 600,000 copies. So far several million sound image carriers have been produced in total. On the DVDplus website 122 different releases are listed. [9] However, during the process of implementing the format, the fact that different companies often owned the copyright for image and sound, proved to be an impediment. [8]

In 2001 Dierks' group of companies consisted of

Significance

During his career Dieter Dierks produced more than 70 albums, several of which reached gold or platinum status. Apart from his commercial success this "creative tinkerer" [8] is also prominent thanks to his willingness to try out new things and his knack for technological innovation. In 2013 Christoph Wagner wrote: "Dieter Dierks as well as Conny Plank both made substantial contributions in establishing and consolidating an independent German rock music market. Thanks to the power of their imagination and their creativity these very new sounds were able to emerge. These sounds gave German rock music its own identity. At the same time both their studios served as an artistic medium". [10] US music magazine Rolling Stone described Dierks as "the best heavy metal producer of the world" and as far back as 1974 for the magazine "Der Spiegel" he was already then considered to be "the leading German rock music producer." [11]

Productions

The role describes Dieter Dierks' share in the productions:

YearArtistTitleRoleRecordingRelease
1969Ihre KinderIhre KinderEJuly–August 1969Phillips
1970Hairy ChapterEyesP/EJanuary 1969Second Battle
1970 Embryo OpalP/EApril 1970Ohr
1970Orange PeelOrange PeelEBellaphon
1971 Tangerine Dream Alpha Centauri EJanuary 1971Ohr (April 1971)
1971Hairy ChapterCan't Get ThroughP/ENovember 1970 – January 1971Bacillus
1971Dull Knife (band)Electric IndianEPhillips
1971 Embryo Embryo's RacheEUnited Artists
1971EpsilonMove OnEBacillus
1971FrameFrame of MindEBacillus
1971 Gila Gila – Free Electric SoundEBASF
1971 Rufus Zuphall PhallobstP/EOhr
1971 Witthüser & Westrupp Trips und TräumeEMarch 1971Ohr
1971 Witthüser & Westrupp Der Jesus-PilzEAugust 1971Pilz
1971 Krokodil An Invisible World RevealedEUnited Artists
1971 Wallenstein BlitzkriegCo-P/EOctober 1971Pilz
1971 Nektar Journey to the Centre of the Eye EBellaphon
1971BröselmaschineBröselmaschineEAugust 1971Pilz
1971EpsilonEpsilonE1971Bellaphon
1971Nine Days WonderNine Days WonderE1971Bacillus
1971Marz & EperjessyMarz & EperjessyEBacillus
1972 Tangerine Dream Zeit EOhr (January 1972)
1972 Hoelderlin Hoelderlins TraumEJanuary 1972Pilz
1972Jerry BerkersUnterwegsP/E/AOhr
1972 Ash Ra Tempel Schwingungen EJanuary 1972Ohr
1972MassageThe Dawn Anew Is ComingEBacillus
1972EmtidiSaatP/EJanuary 1972Pilz
1972 Ash Ra Tempel with Timothy Leary Seven Up E/ME/A1972Metronome
1972Annexus QuamBeziehungenEMay 1972Metronome
1972 Witthüser & Westrupp Bauer PlathCo-P/EJune–July 1972Pilz
1972Demon ThorAnno 1972Co-P/EUnited Artists
1972 Jeronimo Time RideEMarch 1972Bellaphon
1972 Nektar A Tab in the Ocean EBellaphon
1972Midnight CircusMidnight CircusEBacillus
1972Pell MellMarburgP/E1972Bellaphon
1972Twenty Sixty Six and ThenReflections of the FutureEUnited Artists
1972WalpurgisQueen of SabaE1972Ohr
1972WindMorningECBS
1972Electric SandwichElectric SandwichP/EBrain
1972 Wallenstein Mother UniverseCo-P/EJune 1972Pilz
1972 Passport Second PassportEAtlantic
1972 Floh de Cologne Lucky StreikP/ENovember 1972Ohr
1972 Walter Wegmüller TarotP/E/ADecember 1972Cosmic Couriers
1972MarzThe Dream Is OverEBellaphon
1972 Mythos Mythos E1972Ohr
1973 Tangerine Dream Atem EDecember 1972 – January 1973Ohr (March 1973)
1973LilyV.C.U.E/AJanuary 1973Bacillus
1973 Cosmic Jokers Galactic JokeP/EJanuary – May 1973Cosmic Couriers
1973 Omega OmegaEApril 73Bacillus
1973 Ash Ra Tempel and Klaus Schulze Join Inn EDecember 72Ohr
1973 Ash Ra Tempel Starring Rosi E1973Cosmic Couriers
1973 Embryo RocksessionEBrain/Metronome
1973 Jane Here We Are1973Metronome
1973MessageFrom Books and Dreams
1973 Nektar ...Sounds Like This E1973Bellaphon
1973 Walter Wegmüller TarotE1973Ohr
1973 Passport Looking ThruEOctober 1973WEA
1973 Passport HandmadeEWEA
1973 Birth Control RebirthENovember 1973CBS
1973Tommy FortmannSunshine in Deep DarknessP1973United Artist
1973 Nektar Remember the Future RESeptember 1973Bellaphon
1973Chris Braun BandForeign LadyP/ENovember 1973Ariola
1973Jeremy B.This Is My LifeE1973Bacillus
1973 Gila Bury My Heart at Wounded KneeE1973WEA
1973 Wallenstein Cosmic CenturyCo-P1973Ohr
1973 Witthüser & Westrupp Live 68–73E1968–1973Ohr
1974Demon ThorWritten in the SkyP/ENovember 1974United Artists
1974Jay C. CorryLove Me Or Leave MeP/E/AR1974Metronome
1974 Sergius Golowin Lord Krishna von GolokaE1974Ohr
1974 Grobschnitt BallermannEJanuary 1974Brain/Metronome
1974SantiagoNew GuitarP/E/AR1974BASF
1974 Cosmic Jokers Planeten Sit-InP/E/A1974Cosmic Couriers
1974 Cosmic Jokers und Klaus Schulze Galactic SupermarketP/E/A1974Cosmic Couriers
1974 Cosmic Jokers Sci-Fi PartyP/E/ACosmic Couriers
1974AtlantisOoh, BabyP/E/AR1974Polydor/Phonogram
1974 Birth Control LiveE/MAugust 1974CBS
1974 Passport Jubilee Concert 1974E/R16. October 1973WEA
1974 Ike & Tina Turner Baby, Baby, Get It On (Single)ENovember 1974 United Artists
1974 Popol Vuh Seligpreisung E1974Cosmic Couriers
1974 Nektar Down to Earth E/REMarch – June 1974Bellaphon
1974TeaTeaP/E/AR1974Vertigo
1974A Meditation MassA Meditation MassE/REBrain
1974 Cosmic Jokers TarotE/ACosmic Couriers
1974 Manuel Göttsching Inventions for Electric Guitar E/MAugust 1974Cosmic Couriers
1974 Floh de Cologne Geyer SymphonieE/PDecember 1973Ohr
1975TeaThe ShipP/E/AR1971–1973Phonogram
1975 Wallenstein Stories, Songs & SymphoniesSPilz
1975 Eric Burdon Band Stop P/E1971–1973(July 1975)
1975 Can Landed (Track #1–#4)ME1975Virgin UK
1975 Inga Rumpf Second-Hand MädchenP/E/AR1975Phonogram
1975 Scorpions In Trance P/E/AR1975RCA Records
1975 Passport Cross-CollateralE1975WEA
1975GalaxyNature's Clear WellP/E/AR1975Venus-Records
1975 Heidelinde Weis So sing ich1975Intercord
1975 Klaus Doldinger Doldinger Jubilee 75E/M1975Atlantic/WEA
1975AtlantisAtlantis LiveP/E1973–1975Vertigo
1975AtlantisGet on BoardP/E/AR1975Vertigo
1975Lammers / GongOut in the Garden / WomanP/E/AR1975Monopol-Records
1976 Embryo Bad Heads and Bad CatsE1975April (April 1976)
1976Schicke Führs FröhlingSymphonic PicturesP/E/AR1976Brain
1976 Passport Infinity MachineEJanuary 1976Atlantic/WEA
1976 Scorpions Virgin Killer P/E/AR1976RCA Records
1976Jay C. CorryLove Me or Leave MeCo-P1976Metronome
1976 Jackie Carter Treat Me Like a WomanP/E/AR1976Atlantic/WEA
1976LadyLadyP/EMay 1976Vertigo
1976AtlantisTop of the BillP/E/AR1975Venus Records
1976EdmundoLet's Spend the Night Together (Single)P/E/AR1976Big Mouth
1976Midnight SpecialDance, Mama, DanceP/E/AR1976Big Mouth
1977 Eric Burdon Survivor RE1977Polydor
1977 Scorpions Taken by Force P/E/AR1977RCA Records
1977Schicke Führs FröhlingSunburstP/E/AR1977Brain/Metronome
1977 Wallenstein No More LoveS1977RCA Records
1977 Nektar Thru The EarsE1977Bellaphon
1977Various Artists (Udo Lindenberg/Alexis Korner/Jürgen Drews et al.)Tell! (Musical)P/E/ARTeldec
1977Tommy FortmannPiccolo Mondo / Old Fashioned MovieP/E1977Hansa Records
1978Schicke Führs FröhlingTicket to EverywhereP/E/AR1978Metronome
1978 Scorpions Tokyo Tapes P/E1978RCA Records
1978 Rory Gallagher Photo-Finish SPolydor (1. October 1978)
1979 Scorpions Lovedrive P/AR1979EMI/Polygram
1979 Wolfgang Ambros Live... auf ana langen finster'n Stroß'n (Live)SApril 1979
1979 Rory Gallagher Top Priority S(16. September 1979)
1979SkinHot SkinP/E/AR1979EMI
1980 Scorpions Animal Magnetism P/AREMI/Polygram
1981 Hoelderlin Fata MorganaME
1981 Toy The SplitCOEMI
1981BulletExecutionP/E/AR1981Polydor
1981Vic VergatDown to the BoneP/E/AR1981Electrola
1982RevolverFirst ShotP/E/AR1982Polydor
1982 Scorpions Blackout P/E/AR1982Electrola
1982 Rory Gallagher Jinx SChrysalis (2. May 1982)
1982 The Plasmatics Coup d' État P/AR
1982 Accept Restless and Wild COMetronome
1982 Warning Warning IIP/E/ARPolydor France
1983 Accept Balls to the Wall CORCA/CBS (June 1982)
1984 Black 'n Blue Black 'n Blue P/E/AR/CO3. April 1984Geffen
1984BulletNo MercyP/E/ARPolydor
1984 Scorpions Love at First Sting P/E/AR1984Electrola/Polygram
1985 Accept Metal Heart (#6)P/AR10. December 1982RCA (24. May 1985)
1985 Twisted Sister Come Out and Play P/ARWEA (9. November 1985)
1985 Scorpions World Wide Live P1984–1985Electrola/Polygram
1986 Accept Russian Roulette CORCA/CBS (March 1986)
1987 Die Toten Hosen Bis zum bitteren Ende SVirgin
1988 Scorpions Savage Amusement P/AR1988Electrola/Polygram
1988 Joshua Intense DefenseS1988RCA
1989 Accept Eat the Heat P/E/AR1989RCA/CBS
1990 Die Toten Hosen Auf dem Kreuzzug ins Glück SVirgin (21. May 1990)
1990New LegendNew LegendP/ARBMG
1991 Die Toten Hosen Learning English Lesson One STOT / Virgin (11. November 1991)
1992Ina DeterVer-Rückte ZeitenE/ME/S10. December 1992RCA
1993 Die Toten Hosen Kauf MICH! STOT, Virgin (10. May 1993)
1993Wolf MaahnDirekt ins Blut – (Unplugged)S22. June 1993Electrola (16. December 1993)
1996 Die Toten Hosen Opium fürs Volk SJKP / EastWest (26. January 1996)
1996 Scorpions Still Loving You (#7)P/Efrom: Various Artists (OST): Bordello of Blood, Mercury Rec.
1996 Die Toten Hosen Im Auftrag des Herrn SJKP / EastWest (28. October 1996)
1997 Scorpions Bad for GoodP/AR1997from: Deadly Sting: The Mercury Years, Mercury Records
1997 Scorpions Lovedrive (remastered)PEMI
1997 Scorpions Animal Magnetism (remastered)PEMI
1997 Scorpions Blackout (remastered)PEMI
1997 Scorpions Love at First Sting (remastered)PEMI
1997 Scorpions World Wide Live (remastered)PEMI
1997 Michael Jackson Ghosts from Blood on the Dance Floor SCBS (20. May 1997)
1998 Black 'n Blue Hold on to 18 (#2)P/COfrom: Various Artists: Geffen Vintage 80s Presents: It Rocks!! Geffen Records
1998BulletDown By The Neonlights (#9)P13. October 1998from: Various Artists: Heard It on the Radio: FM Hits, Vol.1, Renaissance Rec.
1998 Die Toten Hosen Wir warten auf's Christkind... SJKP / EastWest
1999 Scorpions Rock You Like a Hurricane (#10)from: Various Artists: Jawbreaker (OST), London Records
1999 Die Toten Hosen Unsterblich SAugust – November 1999JKP / EastWest (6. December 1999)
1999 Elisabeth White Maybe God's a Woman TooSWagram/BMG
2001 T. V. Smith UselessSJKP (9. April 2001)
2001 Black 'n Blue Ultimate Collection (Tracks #2/3/4/17/19/20)COUniversal/Geffen Records
2002 Die Toten Hosen Auswärtsspiel SJKP / EastWest (21. January 2002)
2005Nisha KatariaIf You Want to Be MineP/ARtba
2007Wolf MaahnDirekt ins Blut 2 – (Un)pluggedSLibero/Rough Trade (28. November 2007)
2007Tommy FortmannKrieger der NachtPtba

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scorpions (band)</span> German rock band

Scorpions are a German hard rock band formed in Hanover in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker. The lineup from 1978 to 1992 was the most successful incarnation of the group, and included Klaus Meine (vocals), Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs, Francis Buchholz (bass), and Herman Rarebell (drums). The band's only continuous member has been Schenker, although Meine has appeared on all of Scorpions' studio albums, while Jabs has been a consistent member since 1978, and bassist Paweł Mąciwoda and drummer Mikkey Dee have been in the band since 2003 and 2016 respectively.

<i>Unbreakable</i> (Scorpions album) 2004 studio album by Scorpions

Unbreakable is the fifteenth studio album by German hard rock band Scorpions, released in 2004. In this release, Scorpions return to the style of music of their most successful albums, after experimenting with many different concepts and influences in the 1990s. This was the first album with Paweł Mąciwoda on bass guitar. Despite critical acclaim and extensive touring of the album, Unbreakable was not a big hit on the charts.

<i>Love at First Sting</i> 1984 studio album by Scorpions

Love at First Sting is the ninth studio album by German rock band Scorpions. It was released in March 1984 on Harvest/EMI in Europe and Mercury in the US. The album contains "Rock You Like a Hurricane", "Still Loving You", and "Big City Nights", three of the band's most famous songs.

<i>Savage Amusement</i> 1988 studio album by Scorpions

Savage Amusement is the tenth studio album by the German hard rock band Scorpions, released in 1988. It peaked at No. 5 in the US and was certified platinum by the RIAA on June 20, 1988. It was the last Scorpions record to be produced by Dieter Dierks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conny Plank</span> German record producer and musician

Konrad "Conny" Plank was a German record producer and musician. He is known for his innovative work as a sound engineer and producer in Germany's krautrock and kosmische music scene in the 1970s. Plank was involved in releases by Neu!, Kraftwerk, Cluster, Harmonia, Ash Ra Tempel, Guru Guru, Kraan, and other German groups of the era. He later produced for new wave acts such as D.A.F., Eurythmics and Ultravox. As a billed performer, Plank also formed the group Moebius & Plank, releasing 5 albums between 1979 and 1986.

<i>Lovedrive</i> 1979 studio album by Scorpions

Lovedrive is the sixth studio album by the German rock band Scorpions, released in 1979. Considered by some critics to be the pinnacle of their career, Lovedrive was a major evolution of the band's sound, exhibiting their "classic style" that would be later developed over their next few albums. Lovedrive cemented the "Scorpions formula" of hard rock songs combined with melodic ballads.

The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio is a mobile recording studio inside a DAF F1600 Turbo truck, once owned by the English rock band The Rolling Stones. Numerous bands and artists have recorded music using the RSM, including The Who, Dire Straits, Deep Purple, Lou Reed, Bob Marley, Horslips, Nazareth, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, Status Quo, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Wishbone Ash, Motörhead and the Rolling Stones themselves. Today, the RSM resides at the National Music Centre in Calgary.

<i>In Trance</i> 1975 studio album by Scorpions

In Trance is the third studio album by German rock band Scorpions and it was released by RCA Records in 1975. The music was a departure from the progressive rock of the two previous albums. Instead, the album has a hard rock sound of shorter and tighter arrangements with which the band would achieve their global success and fame. Extended suites in the vein of songs such as "Lonesome Crow" and "Fly to the Rainbow" are absent altogether. This was the first of two studio albums to feature drummer Rudy Lenners, and the first album by the band to contain the now-famous logo and controversial artwork.

Witthüser & Westrupp was a German singer-songwriter duo from Essen. The guitarist Bernd Witthüser (1944-2017) and the multi-instrumentalist Walter Westrupp had their roots in the folk and protest song movement, and their joint titles initially had macabre, later predominantly psychedelic elements. The band was formed in June 1969 as "W&W's pop cabaret", singing German texts in a special way. In 1970 the name changed to "Witthüser & Westrupp". Their music was attributed to the genre of psychedelic folk and later to krautrock. Their best-known album became the 1971 concept album Der Jesuspilz, in which an undefined substance becomes a symbol of the divine. The duo existed from 1969 to 1973. Later, Bernd Witthüser lived in Murci (Italy) until his death, while he was working as the street musician Bärnelli in Europe. Walter Westrupp is still living in Germany and is the frontman of the skiffle and jug band Walter h.c. Meier Pumpe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Dierks</span> German actor from Cologne

Michael Dierks is a German actor from Cologne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock You Like a Hurricane</span> 1984 single by Scorpions

"Rock You Like a Hurricane" is a song by the German hard rock band Scorpions, considered their signature song. It was released as the lead single from their ninth studio album, Love at First Sting (1984). It was written by Klaus Meine, Herman Rarebell, Rudolf Schenker and arranged/produced by Dieter Dierks. The lyrics of "Rock You Like a Hurricane" also reference the title of the album on which it originally appeared – Love at First Sting.

<i>Metal Heart</i> 1985 studio album by Accept

Metal Heart is the sixth studio album by German heavy metal band Accept, released in 1985. Although the group had recorded before at Dierks-Studios, this was the first album produced by Dieter Dierks himself. It marked the return of guitarist Jörg Fischer after a two year absence, with Herman Frank having been his replacement. This album was a cautious attempt to crack the lucrative American market with more accessible songcraft and emphasis on hooks and melodies. Although critically panned at the time, today Metal Heart is often considered by fans as one of the band's best records. It contains several of their classic songs such as "Metal Heart" and "Living for Tonite". The band also makes a detour into jazz metal territory with the unusual song "Teach Us to Survive".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No One Like You</span> Song by German rock band Scorpions

"No One Like You" is a song by German rock band Scorpions. It was written by band members Rudolf Schenker (guitar) and Klaus Meine (vocals) and released as the lead single from the band's eighth studio album Blackout (1982). It was produced by Dieter Dierks and was recorded at Dierks Studios.

<i>Russian Roulette</i> (Accept album) 1986 studio album by Accept

Russian Roulette is the seventh studio album by German heavy metal band Accept, released in 1986. It was again recorded at Dierks-Studios, but the band chose to self-produce rather than bring back Dieter Dierks as producer. It would be the last Accept album to feature Udo Dirkschneider as lead vocalist until the 1993 reunion album Objection Overruled.

<i>Objection Overruled</i> 1993 studio album by Accept

Objection Overruled is the ninth studio album by German heavy metal band Accept, released in 1993. It is the first to feature Udo Dirkschneider on lead vocals since 1986's Russian Roulette. It was recorded at Dierks-Studios in Stommeln after pre-production at Roxx Studios.

<i>Humanity: Hour I</i> 2007 studio album by Scorpions

Humanity: Hour I is the sixteenth studio album by German hard rock band Scorpions, which was released in Europe on 14 May 2007 and in the United States and Canada on 28 August 2007. Humanity: Hour 1 is a concept album based on a loose storyline by Desmond Child and futurist Liam Carl, which predicts a world torn apart by a civil war between humans and robots. This apocalyptic nightmare serves as a warning shot to all humanity, whose only hope of survival is to reclaim our humanity.

<i>Coup dEtat</i> (Plasmatics album) 1982 studio album by Plasmatics

Coup d'Etat is the third studio album released by punk rock band The Plasmatics in 1982.

<i>...Sounds Like This</i> 1973 studio album by Nektar

...Sounds Like This is the third album from English progressive rock band Nektar, released in 1973. It was the first Nektar album to be released in their home country of the United Kingdom. An attempt to recreate the band's live sound, ...Sounds Like This was largely improvised and dominated by extensive instrumental jamming, in contrast to their usual concept and composition-driven albums. The different approach to recording, combined with a number of difficulties with the mixing, resulted in it being the band's heaviest work.

TEA is a Swiss progressive heavy rock band perhaps best known for featuring lead vocalist Marc Storace before he went on to front Krokus, Switzerland's all-time best selling rock act.

Trance is considered to be one of the co-founders of German heavy metal starting as early as the late 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s. Trance is active again as of 2011 under the original name TRANCE with original co-founders Markus Berger and Tommy Klein, after a temporary name change to „Trancemission“, which was then later subsequently furthered by the other co-founding member Lothar Antoni.

References

  1. Andreas Kraatz: Hinter verschlossenen Türen – Dieter Dierks. In: Metal Hammer, Issue 10/1986, p. 22–25.
  2. Walter K. Schultz: Als die Fööss das Laufen lernten. 2010, p. 80.
  3. Loop Di Love Hitparade.ch, 2014-03-20
  4. Andreas Kraatz: The Scorpions. Eine wilde Ehe vor Gericht. In: Musikexpress. Das Archiv. 2. Dezember 1990.
  5. Herman Ze German Rarebell, Michael Krikorian: And Speaking of Scorpions... 2011, ISBN   978-1-4636-0110-2, p. 57.
  6. Exposé Hagen Backhaus
  7. mediabiz about DVDplus
  8. 1 2 3 Lutz Becker, Holger Hakensohn, Frank H. Witt: Unternehmen nachhaltig führen. 2012, p. 24.
  9. dvdplusint.de
  10. Christoph Wagner: Der Klang der Revolte. Schott. Mainz 2013, p. 114.
  11. "Popmusik: spätes Wirtschaftswunder". In: Der Spiegel, Issue 34. 1974. p. 79