For the entirety of their near six-decade existence, German hard rock legends Scorpions have been anchored by electric guitar player Rudolf Schenker.
Before he embarked on a stellar career of his own – first with UFO and later with a number of his own groups – Rudolf's younger brother, Michael, was also a Scorpion. Michael played on the band's very first album, 1972's Lonesome Crow, and made significant contributions to the band's influential 1979 effort, Lovedrive.
Relations between the brothers in recent years, though, have been... less than stellar, with Michael frequently taking rather public potshots at his older brother for any number of reasons.
In a new interview with Guitar Player though, Rudolf shrugged off his younger brother's volleys, maintaining his hope that the two could perform together again one day.
"I tell you one thing: I love my brother," Rudolf said. "He can say whatever he wants to say. He’s an amazing guitar player, an amazing person – whatever he wants to say, why not say it? [laughs] If that is what makes him happy, then okay. I wish him all the best.
"I think, sooner or later, we will all be friends again and we will play together again. My life is too happy to put myself into a dustbin over it. I want to live in the sky. I am so happy for my life."
Though last an official member of the group during the Lovedrive sessions, Michael Schenker has performed with Scorpions a handful of times in recent years. Along with fellow former Scorpion Uli Jon Roth, Michael played with the band during their headlining performance at the 2006 Wacken Open Air festival.
He also joined the group onstage for a handful of songs at the Hammersmith Apollo in London in October 2008.
For now though, both Schenker brothers have new albums to focus on.
Scorpions recently released their first studio album in seven years and 19th overall, Rock Believer. Michael Schenker, meanwhile, is prepping for the release of Universal, his second album in as many years.
To read the full interview with Rudolf Schenker and current Scorpions lead guitarist Matthias Jabs – in which the two guitar greats also discuss the making of Rock Believer and the band's remarkable longevity – pick up a copy of the latest issue of Guitar Player at Magazines Direct.
