The Scorpions will kick off their 50th anniversary celebrations in 2015 with the release of Return To Forever on February 23.
The follow-up to 2011’s covers album, Comeblack, marks the German outfit’s first studio project in three years, during which time the group performed a farewell tour and made a decision to continue recording and performing because they simply had “too much fun” to call it quits.
The set comes on the heels of 2014’s MTV Unplugged - Scorpions Live In Athens, a package compiled from three concerts in Athens, Greece at the city’s Lycabettus Theatre last year.
Return To Forever features a variety of vintage Scorpions songs that were never completed back in the day.
Guitarist Matthias Jabs explains: “We found tracks mainly from the Blackout and Love At First Sting days – which people consider our most creative and best time. They sound good but were never finished. They don’t have lyrics or vocals, so we have to do everything new.”
Lone original and founding member, guitarist Rudolph Shenker, previously revealed a link between the MTV project and Return To Forever.
“Two of the new songs on MTV Unplugged – Dancing With The Moonlight and Rock & Roll Band – we had saved for bonus tracks. So we have those two and we’ll put them out as electric versions.”
The package will be issued in a variety of formats, including: digital download, standard CD, limited-edition CD with 4 bonus songs, double LP vinyl, a 50th anniversary box set, and an audiobook featuring track-by-track interviews, an exclusive t-shirt, postcard, EP, USB key and backstage pass.
Fan can pre-order the album now on iTunes or via the band’s webstore and they’ll receive the new single, We Built This House.
Scorpions will perform in the UK next July as part of the inaugural Ramblin’ Man Fair.
RETURN TO FOREVER TRACK LIST 1. Going Out With A Bang 2. We Built This House 3. Rock My Car 4. House Of Cards 5. All For One 6. Rock ‘N’ Roll Band 7. Catch Your Luck And Play 8. Rollin’ Home 9. Hard Rockin’ The Place 10. Eye Of The Storm 11. The Scratch 12. Gypsy Life 13. The World We Used To Know (bonus deluxe edition) 14. Dancing With The Moonlight (bonus deluxe edition) 15. When The Truth Is A Lie (bonus deluxe edition) 16. Who We Are (bonus deluxe edition) 17. Delirious (bonus iTunes)