August 18, 2025 • 17 mins
Interview by Kris Peters
German guitarist Uli Jon Roth is renowned for his work with the Scorpions during their early, more experimental phase and for pioneering the neoclassical metal genre. He is also known for his innovative Sky Guitar design and his solo career exploring a unique blend of rock, classical, and philosophical themes.
Roth joined the Scorpions during their formative years, contributing to albums like Fly to the Rainbow, In Trance, Virgin Killer, and Taken by Force, as well as the iconic live album Tokyo Tapes. These albums are all heralded in the history of Rock and Metal, with Tokyo Tapes being touted as one of the greatest live albums of all time, with Roth's guitar playing on those albums highly regarded for its precision and innovative style, influencing many later guitarists.
Now, for the first time ever, Australian crowds get to witness the majesty of Uli Jon Roth when he hits this country for a run of three select dates this September. Uli will be performing a best of the SCORPIONS set, amongst other songs from his extraordinary catalogue, guaranteed to make up for lost time.
Roth joined HEAVY earlier this week to find out more details. We start by asking why he has neglected Australian fans for so long.
"You know what, nobody asked us to come," he laughed. "So it's actually you, because we need an invitation if we want to play somewhere. I would have loved to come much sooner. Having said that, even the Scorpions - although they were so successful - even they found it difficult to get to Australia simply because of the logistics. When you tour America, you can do a month-long tour, and you have a big tour bus. You sleep at night, and then the next morning you're in Chicago, you know? I don't think that entire industry exists in Australia in the same way. You have to fly everything, and that makes it much more complicated to do a tour and more expensive."
We bring up Roth's time with the Scorpions and ask how that period shaped the rest of his life and his musical career.
"I was only 18 when I joined," he recalled. "It very much shaped my life because it was my artistic apprenticeship and also learning the ropes in the music business. Learning how to do an album, how to write songs, all that came together in those five years. And we had a great time. You know, it was wonderful. I've got only good memories. It was just at the end, I started to write music that really didn't fit the framework anymore."
In the full interview, Uli Jon Roth discussed his upcoming tour to Australia and Japan, with Uli explaining the tour logistics and musical direction for each leg. We explored Uli's history with the Scorpions and his decision to leave the band to pursue his own artistic vision through Electric Sun and classical compositions.
We talked about why, after all these years, he is finally coming to Australia and what fans can expect. He discussed curating a set list to appease longtime followers, Tokyo Tapes and his thoughts on the live album, plus his other musical passions. The conversation concluded with a discussion of Uli's influence on other guitarists and his perspective on musical collaboration and learning.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
German guitarist Uli Jon Roth is renowned for his work with the Scorpions during their early, more experimental phase and for pioneering the neoclassical metal genre. He is also known for his innovative Sky Guitar design and his solo career exploring a unique blend of rock, classical, and philosophical themes.
Roth joined the Scorpions during their formative years, contributing to albums like Fly to the Rainbow, In Trance, Virgin Killer, and Taken by Force, as well as the iconic live album Tokyo Tapes. These albums are all heralded in the history of Rock and Metal, with Tokyo Tapes being touted as one of the greatest live albums of all time, with Roth's guitar playing on those albums highly regarded for its precision and innovative style, influencing many later guitarists.
Now, for the first time ever, Australian crowds get to witness the majesty of Uli Jon Roth when he hits this country for a run of three select dates this September. Uli will be performing a best of the SCORPIONS set, amongst other songs from his extraordinary catalogue, guaranteed to make up for lost time.
Roth joined HEAVY earlier this week to find out more details. We start by asking why he has neglected Australian fans for so long.
"You know what, nobody asked us to come," he laughed. "So it's actually you, because we need an invitation if we want to play somewhere. I would have loved to come much sooner. Having said that, even the Scorpions - although they were so successful - even they found it difficult to get to Australia simply because of the logistics. When you tour America, you can do a month-long tour, and you have a big tour bus. You sleep at night, and then the next morning you're in Chicago, you know? I don't think that entire industry exists in Australia in the same way. You have to fly everything, and that makes it much more complicated to do a tour and more expensive."
We bring up Roth's time with the Scorpions and ask how that period shaped the rest of his life and his musical career.
"I was only 18 when I joined," he recalled. "It very much shaped my life because it was my artistic apprenticeship and also learning the ropes in the music business. Learning how to do an album, how to write songs, all that came together in those five years. And we had a great time. You know, it was wonderful. I've got only good memories. It was just at the end, I started to write music that really didn't fit the framework anymore."
In the full interview, Uli Jon Roth discussed his upcoming tour to Australia and Japan, with Uli explaining the tour logistics and musical direction for each leg. We explored Uli's history with the Scorpions and his decision to leave the band to pursue his own artistic vision through Electric Sun and classical compositions.
We talked about why, after all these years, he is finally coming to Australia and what fans can expect. He discussed curating a set list to appease longtime followers, Tokyo Tapes and his thoughts on the live album, plus his other musical passions. The conversation concluded with a discussion of Uli's influence on other guitarists and his perspective on musical collaboration and learning.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for joining to say. We're here speaking with Uli
John Roth ahead of his September torch to Australia. So oh,
thanks for joining us this afternoon.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Okay, I'm glad to be here. So now you got
that wrong. Uli is what they say in Texas the world.
It's actually Uli. It's just Uli. Yeah, all right, I
shouldn't have said that.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
You've just I'm just going to call you bait.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
How's that sound, okay? Or serious topics? All right?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
So you had to Australia for the first time ever
this September for a run of three select shows, studying
in Sydney on September third and then hitting Adelade in
Melbourne consecutive night. So not long now you've packed it
ready to.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Go, not yet packed, but almost ready to go. We're
at the moment doing previously before coming to Australia, will
being Japan, and we're playing a completely different program there,
a new program, so that's why we're rehearsing at the
moment here at Sturk Studios in Cologne, and then we're
(01:12):
flying to Japan. So no, I leave the packing to
the last moment. It's one of my least favorite things
to do. Believe me. You got to get it right
because I haven't been home for well quite a while now,
and I won't be home until mid September, so I
got to get so many cases, bring and whatnot.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
You've been playing music for around fifty years now, mate,
this is going to be your first order was long,
long way. Why have you neglected us for so long?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
I tell you what, nobody asked us to come, so
you know it's actually you. Because we need an invitation
if we want to play somewhere. I would have loved
to come much sooner. Having said that, even the Scorpions,
although they were so successful, even they found it difficult
(02:13):
to get to Australia simply because of the logistics. As
you know, you have to fly every gig. You know,
you're you have vast distances to cover, and most other
countries are not like that. When you tour America, you
can do a month long touring and you have a
big tour bus. You sleep at night, and then the
(02:34):
next morning you're in Chicago. You know, I don't think
that really that entire industry exists in Australia in the
same way. You have to fly everything, and that makes
it much more complicated to do a tour and more expensive,
and I think that's also why it took the Scorpions
so long to get there, you know.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Good point. Now, the tour is called the Pictures of
Destiny Tour, which is a great name. But what significance
of the title? Where's it come from?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, it comes from the fact that I've taken up
oil painting ago sometime again, after many many years. I
used to do oil paintings in the early nineties and
late late eighties, but then I stopped because I had
(03:23):
an allergy against the paint solvents and I didn't paint
for nine thirty years or something like that. I took
it up back again, like more recently with a Vengeance.
So I've been producing all these big oil paintings which
are based on my on my music and my lyrics,
(03:44):
and so I thought it was only fitting to do that.
So when we play in Japan, we will bring a
whole bunch of these oil paintings and we exhibit them
during the shows. In Australia, were actually not playing the
Pictures of Any tour because it's my first time there.
This would be more rock bassed. The other one is
(04:04):
more with orchestral stuff and a little bit symphonic, whereas
in Australia we will stick mainly to my early catalog,
early Scorpions classics, some Electric Sun and some of my
later pieces. You know, but that's really what it is.
(04:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Now I'm justin. You'll be saying, a pretty talented backing
band for the to So who introduces the rest of
the band? Who you got?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, it's my tried and tested bands. They're all friends
of mine and most of them have been with me
for well since the early two thousands. You know Nicholas Turman,
he's uh. He's the lead vocalist, main lead vocalist and
(04:57):
and also bass player. He used to be one of
my guitar players. We used to go out with three.
He can do both equally well and and has a
great voice, so he does that. Then we've got David Kleczynski.
He's my second guitar second in command. He plays all
these harmony guitar leads with me, of which we have
(05:20):
quite a few, and he's been also with me for
a long time. On drums, we have Richard Kirk from England, Birmingham. Uh,
we go back in time, but not quite as long
as the others and on keyboards, it's he's a newbie
(05:41):
Marvin Lights. You know, he is from Cologne and very
talented and yeah it's his first big tour really, you know,
but I know he's up to it. In Australia we
have five pieces essentially. You know, in Japan we were
(06:03):
more like ten people on stage and or even twenty
when we have orchestra flaars.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Well not get a big crowded, wouldn't it.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah, well, bigger stages, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Biggest sight. There's little people ever.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
In Japan, it's one of my best countries because it
goes way back, you know, to Tokyo tapes and the
days of Virgin Kula. In fact, we had our first
gold album in Japan back then, and that was Virgin
Kula in seventy six.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
So Japan was always good for the Scorpions and for
myself as well. And as I said, Australia unfortunately, I
know we have audience there, but it just never materialized.
So finally the day is coming and you're.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Not coming to Brisbane now that is you do in Melbourne.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Unfortunately, only seek shows, you know, I guess if it
goes well, we will come again, you know if we
get an invitation. But no, it's basically just saying hello,
Hello Australia, you know, and see how it goes. I
hope it goes well, and that's all, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Nice Now give a Witch Scopian sevent three for four
studio albums bouts a double live relief. So how did
that short time in the band shape the rest of
your musical life in your career?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Well, it was back then. It wasn't a short time.
It was five years. It's only eighteen when I joined,
So at that time it felt like a long time,
you know. With hindsight, of course, it is a more
brief time. Yeah, it very much shaped my life because
it was my autistic apprenticeship. Also learning the ropes in
(07:51):
the music business, learning how to do an album, how
to tour, how to write songs. All that came together
in those five years and we had a We had
a great time, you know, it was. It was wonderful.
I've got only only good memories. It was just at
(08:11):
the end I started to write music that really didn't
fit the framework anymore. I could have gone both ways,
I wrote in one year, I wrote sales Sharon, which
was perfectly suited for the Scorpions, But in the same
year I also wrote Earthquake, which became like something for
Electric Sun, and it was very much not suited for Scorpions,
(08:35):
and I wanted to do these songs that were not suited.
So I had no choice really artistically. I had to
leave the band. You know. There was nothing personal. We
were good friends and still are. So it was just
one of these things. You know, a man's gotta do
what a man's got to do, I guess, you know,
(08:57):
some thought it was complete and it yotic move away
from the millions that awaited us, and you know, but
I was never money driven and and success is nice,
but I wanted to achieve it on my own terms,
you know. And Electric Sun was pretty successful too, you know,
(09:19):
not not nearly like the Scorpions, but you know, we
had some major tours and and we did albums, et cetera.
So again, Electric Sun for me was a bridge towards yeah,
later steps, when I started to combine symphonic music with
(09:39):
with rock, you know, which is really where my heart is.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, yeah nice. The live album you released with Scorpions,
Take the Tapes, is widely regarded as one of the
best live releases ever, like do you hold it not
higher regard? You would you put it in your top top.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
At first I didn't quite get it because I wasn't
so happy with the sound. To me, it sounded much
better on stage. But one thing is for sure, from
the five years that I was there, this was really
the high point. We were at an extremely good moment
in time and it was all very inspired. It all
(10:18):
came together. We had a great hall grant audience in Tokyo,
and yeah, everything clicked. So it was a very special moment.
And but I didn't really anticipate the worldwide response, you
know that came over the years. People kept saying Tokyo tip,
Soko tape, Soko tips, And at first I didn't really
(10:41):
get it because I didn't really like the sound of
the album so much, you know, the way it was
recorded with you know. But other than that, yeah, now
now I'm proud of to have been part of it.
You know.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
I was sort of touched on this a little bit,
but Promoscopion form Electric Sun before embarking on a solo Korea,
which included composed of the symphonies and concertos the former
and symphonic orperas. So what made you explore that sort
of music. It's a bit of a different, bit of
a stretch.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Well, the Electric Sun was basically I was a big
Hendrix acolyte, you know. I grew up listening to Jimi
Hendrix and he had the three piece idea. So I thought,
I want to see what I can do with a
three piece and see how far I can push it,
you know, And I figured out I couldn't push it
(11:32):
very far because in the studio I was able to
do all the guitar overdubs and it sounded quite orchestral,
so to speak. But lot was a pain with three
players because my style didn't really lend itself because my
melodic guitar solos really were asking for keyboard accompaniment or
(11:55):
chords in the background, which you don't have when you
do a three piece like uh yeah. Now, if you
look at typical or one of probably the most successful
three piece was Cream back then, and their style was
perfectly geared to it. You know, when they did Sancho
(12:15):
andov your left, they didn't need another guitar. It was
rift based and it was different. But my music from
the beginning wasn't really suited for three piece. That's why
very soon I branched out. In the end, Electric Sun
had eight people on stage, you know, it was we
had two dramas singers, you know, it was. It was
like a circus. But it was a nice Actually, it
(12:38):
was a good time and and I learned an awful
lot at that time. You know, on on many levels.
We did three albums, Earthquake, Firewin, and Beyond the Astroskies,
and each one to me was another step forward of
exploration and inspiration. You know, with hindsight, I could have
(13:02):
done a lot of things better, but back then, you know,
it was the best I could, you know, other than
that the vocals sucked. They were not good. And yeah,
well I was trying to find a vocalist in the beginning.
I couldn't find anybody at short notice who was suitable
for the weirdness of some of my compositions. At the least,
(13:29):
what I would have needed is like a guy who
can sing like Bob Dylan, but with a rock singer's approach,
and that guy pretty much didn't exist, you know, So
I did the Bob Dylan version, which was not such
a good idea either. I outgrew all that you know nowwadays,
I've actually learned how to sing after the event, although
(13:50):
it's still in trust all the important parts. Two people
who are better than I, you know. And it's one
of these things, you know, yeah, forgive and forget.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
It's always like have it Marty Freeman and Inga Malmstein,
and they've all started here as a major influence on
their playing. Like, how does that sit with you? Like,
it's going to be pretty humbling that people that have
seen looks up to you so.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Well, well, you know, I grew up looking up to
and I learned from the best, you know, I learned
from Eric Clapton, from Jimmy Page, Jimmy Page, maybe not
so much in the beginning, by Jeff Beck and and
of course Jimmy Hendrix, you know. And uh so it's
(14:36):
it's just a natural progressing progression when somebody comes and
does something new which is kind of in tune with
the wave of the moment, you know, which I think
we were at that time in the seventies to a
pretty strong degree. Then other people caught onto it, and
(14:57):
the younger generation they they say, oh I I want
to do that, and then they put their own spin
on it, you know. And that's exactly what happened with
people like Ingvay or Marty, you know, they they became
their own And yes there was an inference, but in
the end, Vay is Ingway, you know, and Marty is Marty,
you know, and and Uli. So that's that's that simple.
(15:20):
I don't really think about these things a lot, think
about them because that question comes up a lot. But
to me, it's just, you know, it's just part part
of the game, you know, it's not the most important thing.
It's just a natural progression. I guess what was it
life like in that chopper edge?
Speaker 1 (15:41):
A lot of guitar players around the world like, do
you just told each other and ask each other for
advice help play or when you get stuck and not advice?
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I've never no, I don't. Most of these guys don't
ask other guys for advice. They know their stuff and
everybody has carved out their own niche Usually when you talk,
like when I England, I we used to talk a
lot on the phone. We hardly ever spoke about the guitar,
you know, it was mainly about all sorts of other
(16:09):
things about uh. Ingvey told me about his ferrets, and
I spoke about my cats, you know, or stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
You know.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
And you know, sometimes you speak about business matters a
little bit, you know, like I was on that tour,
et cetera, and you know, you exchange information, but most
of the time it's about other things, you know, not
about gear so much. There are some gear heads who
talk about nothing else, you know, and vintage there's vintage that,
(16:42):
but I've never been interested. Although I do like gadgets
and I like cutting edge stuff, but I don't really
like talking about it a lot. I tried it out
and if it works, it works, you know, But then
that's as far as my obsession gets, you know them.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Yeah nice, All right, brother, Well, thanks very much for
your time that I made to spit of pleasure. You
are in Australia, September third, fourth, and fifth, Sydney, Allelaid Melbourne.
It's up to you guys to get along with the show,
so they come back and come to Brisbane so I
can see him in the meantime, Brady, take care and
enjoy the rest of your practice.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
All right, Thank you so much. Thanks for having me
Thanks for joining to say. We're here speaking with Uli
John Roth ahead of his September torch to Australia. So oh,
thanks for joining us this afternoon.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Okay, I'm glad to be here. So now you got
that wrong. Uli is what they say in Texas the world.
It's actually Uli. It's just Uli. Yeah, all right, I
shouldn't have said that.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
You've just I'm just going to call you bait.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
How's that sound, okay? Or serious topics? All right?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
So you had to Australia for the first time ever
this September for a run of three select shows, studying
in Sydney on September third and then hitting Adelade in
Melbourne consecutive night. So not long now you've packed it
ready to.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Go, not yet packed, but almost ready to go. We're
at the moment doing previously before coming to Australia, will
being Japan, and we're playing a completely different program there,
a new program, so that's why we're rehearsing at the
moment here at Sturk Studios in Cologne, and then we're
(01:12):
flying to Japan. So no, I leave the packing to
the last moment. It's one of my least favorite things
to do. Believe me. You got to get it right
because I haven't been home for well quite a while now,
and I won't be home until mid September, so I
got to get so many cases, bring and whatnot.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
You've been playing music for around fifty years now, mate,
this is going to be your first order was long,
long way. Why have you neglected us for so long?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
I tell you what, nobody asked us to come, so
you know it's actually you. Because we need an invitation
if we want to play somewhere. I would have loved
to come much sooner. Having said that, even the Scorpions,
although they were so successful, even they found it difficult
(02:13):
to get to Australia simply because of the logistics. As
you know, you have to fly every gig. You know,
you're you have vast distances to cover, and most other
countries are not like that. When you tour America, you
can do a month long touring and you have a
big tour bus. You sleep at night, and then the
(02:34):
next morning you're in Chicago. You know, I don't think
that really that entire industry exists in Australia in the
same way. You have to fly everything, and that makes
it much more complicated to do a tour and more expensive,
and I think that's also why it took the Scorpions
so long to get there, you know.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Good point. Now, the tour is called the Pictures of
Destiny Tour, which is a great name. But what significance
of the title? Where's it come from?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, it comes from the fact that I've taken up
oil painting ago sometime again, after many many years. I
used to do oil paintings in the early nineties and
late late eighties, but then I stopped because I had
(03:23):
an allergy against the paint solvents and I didn't paint
for nine thirty years or something like that. I took
it up back again, like more recently with a Vengeance.
So I've been producing all these big oil paintings which
are based on my on my music and my lyrics,
(03:44):
and so I thought it was only fitting to do that.
So when we play in Japan, we will bring a
whole bunch of these oil paintings and we exhibit them
during the shows. In Australia, were actually not playing the
Pictures of Any tour because it's my first time there.
This would be more rock bassed. The other one is
(04:04):
more with orchestral stuff and a little bit symphonic, whereas
in Australia we will stick mainly to my early catalog,
early Scorpions classics, some Electric Sun and some of my
later pieces. You know, but that's really what it is.
(04:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Now I'm justin. You'll be saying, a pretty talented backing
band for the to So who introduces the rest of
the band? Who you got?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, it's my tried and tested bands. They're all friends
of mine and most of them have been with me
for well since the early two thousands. You know Nicholas Turman,
he's uh. He's the lead vocalist, main lead vocalist and
(04:57):
and also bass player. He used to be one of
my guitar players. We used to go out with three.
He can do both equally well and and has a
great voice, so he does that. Then we've got David Kleczynski.
He's my second guitar second in command. He plays all
these harmony guitar leads with me, of which we have
(05:20):
quite a few, and he's been also with me for
a long time. On drums, we have Richard Kirk from England, Birmingham. Uh,
we go back in time, but not quite as long
as the others and on keyboards, it's he's a newbie
(05:41):
Marvin Lights. You know, he is from Cologne and very
talented and yeah it's his first big tour really, you know,
but I know he's up to it. In Australia we
have five pieces essentially. You know, in Japan we were
(06:03):
more like ten people on stage and or even twenty
when we have orchestra flaars.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Well not get a big crowded, wouldn't it.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah, well, bigger stages, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Biggest sight. There's little people ever.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
In Japan, it's one of my best countries because it
goes way back, you know, to Tokyo tapes and the
days of Virgin Kula. In fact, we had our first
gold album in Japan back then, and that was Virgin
Kula in seventy six.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
So Japan was always good for the Scorpions and for
myself as well. And as I said, Australia unfortunately, I
know we have audience there, but it just never materialized.
So finally the day is coming and you're.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Not coming to Brisbane now that is you do in Melbourne.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Unfortunately, only seek shows, you know, I guess if it
goes well, we will come again, you know if we
get an invitation. But no, it's basically just saying hello,
Hello Australia, you know, and see how it goes. I
hope it goes well, and that's all, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Nice Now give a Witch Scopian sevent three for four
studio albums bouts a double live relief. So how did
that short time in the band shape the rest of
your musical life in your career?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Well, it was back then. It wasn't a short time.
It was five years. It's only eighteen when I joined,
So at that time it felt like a long time,
you know. With hindsight, of course, it is a more
brief time. Yeah, it very much shaped my life because
it was my autistic apprenticeship. Also learning the ropes in
(07:51):
the music business, learning how to do an album, how
to tour, how to write songs. All that came together
in those five years and we had a We had
a great time, you know, it was. It was wonderful.
I've got only only good memories. It was just at
(08:11):
the end I started to write music that really didn't
fit the framework anymore. I could have gone both ways,
I wrote in one year, I wrote sales Sharon, which
was perfectly suited for the Scorpions, But in the same
year I also wrote Earthquake, which became like something for
Electric Sun, and it was very much not suited for Scorpions,
(08:35):
and I wanted to do these songs that were not suited.
So I had no choice really artistically. I had to
leave the band. You know. There was nothing personal. We
were good friends and still are. So it was just
one of these things. You know, a man's gotta do
what a man's got to do, I guess, you know,
(08:57):
some thought it was complete and it yotic move away
from the millions that awaited us, and you know, but
I was never money driven and and success is nice,
but I wanted to achieve it on my own terms,
you know. And Electric Sun was pretty successful too, you know,
(09:19):
not not nearly like the Scorpions, but you know, we
had some major tours and and we did albums, et cetera.
So again, Electric Sun for me was a bridge towards yeah,
later steps, when I started to combine symphonic music with
(09:39):
with rock, you know, which is really where my heart is.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, yeah nice. The live album you released with Scorpions,
Take the Tapes, is widely regarded as one of the
best live releases ever, like do you hold it not
higher regard? You would you put it in your top top.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
At first I didn't quite get it because I wasn't
so happy with the sound. To me, it sounded much
better on stage. But one thing is for sure, from
the five years that I was there, this was really
the high point. We were at an extremely good moment
in time and it was all very inspired. It all
(10:18):
came together. We had a great hall grant audience in Tokyo,
and yeah, everything clicked. So it was a very special moment.
And but I didn't really anticipate the worldwide response, you
know that came over the years. People kept saying Tokyo tip,
Soko tape, Soko tips, And at first I didn't really
(10:41):
get it because I didn't really like the sound of
the album so much, you know, the way it was
recorded with you know. But other than that, yeah, now
now I'm proud of to have been part of it.
You know.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
I was sort of touched on this a little bit,
but Promoscopion form Electric Sun before embarking on a solo Korea,
which included composed of the symphonies and concertos the former
and symphonic orperas. So what made you explore that sort
of music. It's a bit of a different, bit of
a stretch.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Well, the Electric Sun was basically I was a big
Hendrix acolyte, you know. I grew up listening to Jimi
Hendrix and he had the three piece idea. So I thought,
I want to see what I can do with a
three piece and see how far I can push it,
you know, And I figured out I couldn't push it
(11:32):
very far because in the studio I was able to
do all the guitar overdubs and it sounded quite orchestral,
so to speak. But lot was a pain with three
players because my style didn't really lend itself because my
melodic guitar solos really were asking for keyboard accompaniment or
(11:55):
chords in the background, which you don't have when you
do a three piece like uh yeah. Now, if you
look at typical or one of probably the most successful
three piece was Cream back then, and their style was
perfectly geared to it. You know, when they did Sancho
(12:15):
andov your left, they didn't need another guitar. It was
rift based and it was different. But my music from
the beginning wasn't really suited for three piece. That's why
very soon I branched out. In the end, Electric Sun
had eight people on stage, you know, it was we
had two dramas singers, you know, it was. It was
like a circus. But it was a nice Actually, it
(12:38):
was a good time and and I learned an awful
lot at that time. You know, on on many levels.
We did three albums, Earthquake, Firewin, and Beyond the Astroskies,
and each one to me was another step forward of
exploration and inspiration. You know, with hindsight, I could have
(13:02):
done a lot of things better, but back then, you know,
it was the best I could, you know, other than
that the vocals sucked. They were not good. And yeah,
well I was trying to find a vocalist in the beginning.
I couldn't find anybody at short notice who was suitable
for the weirdness of some of my compositions. At the least,
(13:29):
what I would have needed is like a guy who
can sing like Bob Dylan, but with a rock singer's approach,
and that guy pretty much didn't exist, you know, So
I did the Bob Dylan version, which was not such
a good idea either. I outgrew all that you know nowwadays,
I've actually learned how to sing after the event, although
(13:50):
it's still in trust all the important parts. Two people
who are better than I, you know. And it's one
of these things, you know, yeah, forgive and forget.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
It's always like have it Marty Freeman and Inga Malmstein,
and they've all started here as a major influence on
their playing. Like, how does that sit with you? Like,
it's going to be pretty humbling that people that have
seen looks up to you so.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Well, well, you know, I grew up looking up to
and I learned from the best, you know, I learned
from Eric Clapton, from Jimmy Page, Jimmy Page, maybe not
so much in the beginning, by Jeff Beck and and
of course Jimmy Hendrix, you know. And uh so it's
(14:36):
it's just a natural progressing progression when somebody comes and
does something new which is kind of in tune with
the wave of the moment, you know, which I think
we were at that time in the seventies to a
pretty strong degree. Then other people caught onto it, and
(14:57):
the younger generation they they say, oh I I want
to do that, and then they put their own spin
on it, you know. And that's exactly what happened with
people like Ingvay or Marty, you know, they they became
their own And yes there was an inference, but in
the end, Vay is Ingway, you know, and Marty is Marty,
you know, and and Uli. So that's that's that simple.
(15:20):
I don't really think about these things a lot, think
about them because that question comes up a lot. But
to me, it's just, you know, it's just part part
of the game, you know, it's not the most important thing.
It's just a natural progression. I guess what was it
life like in that chopper edge?
Speaker 1 (15:41):
A lot of guitar players around the world like, do
you just told each other and ask each other for
advice help play or when you get stuck and not advice?
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I've never no, I don't. Most of these guys don't
ask other guys for advice. They know their stuff and
everybody has carved out their own niche Usually when you talk,
like when I England, I we used to talk a
lot on the phone. We hardly ever spoke about the guitar,
you know, it was mainly about all sorts of other
(16:09):
things about uh. Ingvey told me about his ferrets, and
I spoke about my cats, you know, or stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
You know.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
And you know, sometimes you speak about business matters a
little bit, you know, like I was on that tour,
et cetera, and you know, you exchange information, but most
of the time it's about other things, you know, not
about gear so much. There are some gear heads who
talk about nothing else, you know, and vintage there's vintage that,
(16:42):
but I've never been interested. Although I do like gadgets
and I like cutting edge stuff, but I don't really
like talking about it a lot. I tried it out
and if it works, it works, you know, But then
that's as far as my obsession gets, you know them.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Yeah nice, All right, brother, Well, thanks very much for
your time that I made to spit of pleasure. You
are in Australia, September third, fourth, and fifth, Sydney, Allelaid Melbourne.
It's up to you guys to get along with the show,
so they come back and come to Brisbane so I
can see him in the meantime, Brady, take care and
enjoy the rest of your practice.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
All right, Thank you so much. Thanks for having me
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