Francis Buchholz | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | Hanover, West Germany (now Germany) | 19 February 1954
Genres | |
Occupation | Bassist |
Years active | 1969–present |
Member of |
|
Formerly of |
Francis Buchholz (born 19 February 1954) is a German musician best known as the bass guitarist of German rock band Scorpions from 1973 until 1992. Since leaving Scorpions, he has been a member of Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock.
This section needs additional citations for verification .(March 2024) |
Born in Hanover, West Germany, Buchholz discovered rock music at the age of 11. His first public appearance as a bass player was at age 15 while in a high school. From then on he played in different rock, blues and jazz bands in his hometown of Hannover. While a mechanical engineering student at the University of Hannover and taking classes at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, Buchholz joined Dawn Road, whose lineup included guitarist Uli Roth. Eventually the musicians from Dawn Road and the Scorpions merged into a new incarnation of the Scorpions in 1973, with Buchholz on bass. Buchholz' first recording with the Scorpions was 1974's Fly to the Rainbow , and he stayed as a band member for 18 years, recording 12 albums during the band's most commercially successful period. Together they sold over 15 million records in the USA alone and over 100 million records worldwide. For his success with the Scorpions, Buchholz was awarded with over 50 gold and platinum awards for record sales all over the world. He left the band after a disagreement over band management in 1992. [1] His last album with the Scorpions was Crazy World , which also contained the only Scorpions track Buchholz contributed to writing, "Kicks After Six".
Buchholz reunited with Uli Roth for a tour of Europe and the United States in 2005 and 2006. In 2008 Buchholz worked with the band Dreamtide as their bassplayer and co-producer, the album "Dream And Deliver" was released in Japan (King Records), Europe (AOR Heaven) and worldwide on iTunes. [2]
In 2012, Buchholz toured with former Scorpions lead guitarist Michael Schenker for the European dates of his "Temple of Rock - Lovedrive Reunion Tour" alongside former Scorpions drummer Herman Rarebell, with ex-Rainbow vocalist Doogie White and MSG's Wayne Findley on guitars and keys. The "Temple of Rock – Lovedrive Reunion" tour went through Europe and Far East. A DVD, Blu-ray and Double-CD "Temple of Rock - Live in Europe" was released for Christmas 2012.
Temple of Rock's next album "Bridge the Gap" featured Buchholz on Bass, it was released in November 2013. A European tour in 2013 was followed by concerts in Mexico and South America and in 2014 they toured Japan and Europe. Their new album "Spirit On A Mission was released in 2015 and the band toured USA, Japan and Europe. Early in 2016 they play more shows in UK and Scandinavia.
In 1978, Buchholz founded a PA and stage lighting rental company, Rocksound, in Germany. [1] The company began as a way to distribute special exponential loudspeaker cabinets Buchholz had developed, but also to provide employment for the Scorpions' roadies when not on tour. [1] [3]
Buchholz lives in Hanover with his wife Hella; they have a son and twin daughters. In 1996, Buchholz authored the book Bass Magic, he also worked as a record producer and consultant. [3]
Scorpions are a German hard rock band formed in Hanover in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker. The longest-existing, 1978–1992, and most successful line-up of the band included Schenker, Klaus Meine (vocals), Matthias Jabs, Francis Buchholz (bass), and Herman Rarebell (drums). The band's only continuous member has been Schenker, although Meine has been with the band continuously since their first album Lonesome Crow (1972). Jabs has been a consistent member since 1978, while bassist Paweł Mąciwoda and drummer Mikkey Dee have been in the band since 2003 and 2016, respectively.
Michael Schenker is a German guitarist. He played in the rock band UFO and leads the Michael Schenker Group (MSG). He was an early member of the hard rock band Scorpions, a band co-founded by his elder brother Rudolf Schenker. In the mid-1970s, Schenker joined UFO, playing lead and rhythm guitar. He left the band in 1978 to briefly rejoin Scorpions for the recording of Lovedrive, and then to form MSG. He has rejoined UFO three times, producing an album each time. Schenker continues to perform and record. He has been called "a legendary figure in the history of metal guitar."
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.
Lonesome Crow is the debut studio album by the German rock band Scorpions. It was recorded soon after Scorpions became a fully professional band under the production of Conny Plank, apparently in only six or seven days, and released on 29 February 1972 in West Germany as the soundtrack to the German anti-drug movie Das Kalte Paradies, and May 1973 in the United States. The album's style is darkly melodic, typical for early Scorpions but unlike their later work.
Still Loving You is a compilation album by the German hard rock band Scorpions.
Fly to the Rainbow is the second studio album by the German rock band Scorpions, released on 1 November 1974 by RCA Records. This was the band's first release with guitarist Uli Jon Roth and bassist Francis Buchholz, and the only one to include drummer Jürgen Rosenthal.
James Stewart Bain was a Scottish musician, best known for playing bass guitar in the bands Rainbow and Dio. He also worked with Kate Bush and Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, co-writing on his solo albums.
In Trance is the third studio album by German rock band Scorpions, 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.
Animal Magnetism is the seventh studio album by German rock band Scorpions, released in 1980. The RIAA certified the record as Gold on 8 March 1984, and Platinum on 28 October 1991.
Acoustica is an unplugged live album by German hard rock band Scorpions. It was released in 2001 on East West Records.
Tokyo Tapes is the first live album by German rock band Scorpions and their last release by RCA Records. It was also the final release to feature Uli Jon Roth, who left after the 27 April taping session.
World Wide Live is a live album by German rock band Scorpions, released in 1985. The original audio recording was produced by Dieter Dierks. A VHS was released at the same time with footage of Scorpions' world tour.
Uli Jon Roth is a German guitarist who became famous for his work with the hard rock band Scorpions and is one of the earliest contributors to the neoclassical metal genre. He is also the founder of Sky Academy and designer of the Sky Guitar. He is the older brother of fellow guitarist and artist Zeno Roth (1956–2018).
Matthias Jabs is a German musician, best known as the lead/rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Scorpions. He has played on all but the first five Scorpions studio albums starting with Lovedrive (1979). He owns a music store, MJ Guitars, in Munich.
Victory is a German heavy metal and hard rock band from Hanover, most successful in the 1980s. With extensive tours and radio airplay, the band also made a breakthrough in North America.
Virgin Killer is the fourth studio album by the German rock band Scorpions, released in 1976 by RCA Records. It was the band's first album to attract attention outside Europe. The title is described as being a reference to time as the killer of innocence. The original cover featured a nude prepubescent girl, which stirred controversy in the United Kingdom, the United States, and elsewhere. As a result, the album was re-issued with a different cover in some countries.
Helge Engelke was a German guitar player, composer, and producer most celebrated for his guitar work in the hard rock bands Fair Warning and Dreamtide. He had also recorded as a studio musician, performing on various artists' albums, such as vocals and guitar for Zeno Roth.
Dawn Road was a German hard rock band playing neoclassicism, formed in February 1972. All four members of Dawn Road ended up playing in Scorpions, with bassist Francis Buchholz staying for 12 albums throughout their most commercially successful era, leaving the band in 1992 and later playing with among others guitarist Uli Jon Roth who had a successful solo career after leaving Scorpions in 1978.