SCORPIONS Guitarist RUDOLF SCHENKER Responds To Being Slammed In The Press By MICHAEL SCHENKER – "I Love My Brother"

During a press junket back in May, guitar legend Michael Schenker quite surprisingly criticised and condemned his older brother, Scorpions guitarist Rudolf Schenker, calling him a “con artist” and saying “I have to stay away from him and I can’t trust him anymore, period.” Rudolf Schenker is reportedly aware of the statements that have been made, and during a recent interview with Nalle Österman at Finland’s Etelä-Suomen Media he made it clear he wouldn’t get involved in a war of words through the press:

“Some people were sending me stuff, but I can say to all these things: I love my brother. He’s an outstanding guitar player. That’s all what I can say.”

Following is an excerpt from Michael Schenker’s interview with Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon at The Metal Voice where he reveals his thoughts on Rudolf:

On the possibility of recording with the Scorpions again:

Schenker: “No, I can’t because I am very disappointed in Rudolf (Schenker/brother) by what I found out about Lovedrive (Deluxe Edition) bio. I was 23 when I finished with UFO, when Rudolf found out I had left UFO and Mathias (Jabs) who just joined could not do the album with the Scorpions to their liking, they asked me to help out. I came over and when I finished my work on the Scorpions Lovedrive album they didn’t want to let me go, they got rid of Matthias. They basically persuaded me to be in the Scorpions after the Lovedrive recording, and all the management in America were very interested in wanting to sign the Scorpions. I started touring but after two weeks I could not do it I went away and was too shy to confront them. I couldn’t do it. My brother found me, he called me back, he cried on the phone and it was so embarrassing I came back a second time. After the second time I realized, this is not it . I need to stop this and I went away again. I found out they got Matthias back.

Later, I get a phone call from Rudolf (asking) if I would let him play my black and white guitar design, I said okay. He also asked me if I would give him the songwriting credit for ‘Coast To Coast’; all the melodies were written by me and I didn’t pay attention. I was the six part (member) of the Lovedrive album and I have a contract everything was divided by six.

So when they approached me just recently for the Scorpions (Lovedrive) Deluxe Box, I found out that they put a bio out that was completely the wrong story. I found out there was nobody credited for what I wrote on ‘Holiday’; it’s the intro to ‘Holiday’, 45 seconds long, that intro that I wrote. And then Rudolf asked me to give the melodies for ‘Coast To Coast’. And those two things were the most tastiest and the easiest parts to copy because Rudolf is not really a great guitarist. And all the managers finding out they wanted to sign that band the Scorpions that I was part of, I guess he figured how he can misrepresent and fool people all these years because I didn’t pay attention until just recently. There was not a picture of me on Lovedrive, there was no mention on ‘Holiday’ who wrote and played that intro and of course Rudolf persuaded me to give him the ‘Coast To Coast’ melody. I must say I am now finding out more and more weird stuff about Rudolf. I have to stay away from him and I can’t trust him anymore, period.”