Igor Sandler told a story about the Scorpions’ relationship with the authorities
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In memory of drummer James Kottak
In January, sad news came – at the age of 61, the outstanding drummer and integral part of the legendary Scorpions, James Kottak, left us. His skill and energy certainly left an indelible mark on the history of rock music, but it is important to remember that Kottak was not only a talented musician, but also an interesting, funny person with whom it was especially pleasant to communicate.
Our paths crossed several times when the Scorpions came to Russia with their stunning concerts, and these meetings were always very memorable. In 2013, while still in the band, James joined our unique project called Rockstar, successfully implemented in a creative tandem with Alice Cooper and Slash’s Snakepit guitarist Keri Kelly. On tour, we managed to travel to many cities in our country with a truly stellar team: Keri Kelly himself on guitar; keyboardist Teddy “Zigzag” Andreadis (Guns N’ Roses); bass guitarist Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne); vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest) and, of course, James Kottak on drums. This was a real supergroup in the most classic definition of the term!
Rehearsals, gatherings, press conferences, the road… It’s worth admitting that behind-the-scenes life on concert tours is simply teeming with adventures, and our experience was no exception, my colleagues and I talked a lot and enthusiastically about different things, together we created amazing memories… I’ll tell you about this how some other time, but now I would still like to share some stories that Kottak managed to tell us about the Scorpions group during this time.
For example, with a certain trepidation and pride, he recalled his historic visit to the Kremlin in 1991, where the Scorpions group was invited by Mikhail Gorbachev in response to their recording of the Russian version of the song Wind of Change. In addition to meeting with the first President of the USSR, the children were given a private tour of the Kremlin, which made an indelible impression on them. They also performed at a private reception for the president, and at that time this was a completely unique experience for any Western artist. James was very proud to have not only experienced incredibly unique events in his life with the Scorpions, but also to have become part of a large historical mission to unite peoples and the world after the collapse of the Iron Curtain and the end of the Cold War.
By the way, this composition – Wind of Change, inspired by the musicians’ next visit to the USSR, when perestroika permeated the air with a sense of freedom (and foreigners felt this very keenly), created a real sensation in the world and itself became a true anthem of the era of hopes and great changes. Moreover, its name, translated as “Wind of Change,” became a stable figure of speech in Russia itself, and over the years the Scorpions group itself, albeit jokingly, but with a degree of undoubted recognition, was called nothing less than “the people’s group of Russia.”
James recalled with warmth how, during the historic meeting in the Kremlin, Gorbachev showed sincere human hospitality, which did not fit into the prevailing stereotypes at all. He often recalled the joke with which Mikhail Sergeevich responded to the words of the band’s vocalist Klaus Meine about Nikita Khrushchev’s famous antics in the hall of the UN General Assembly, when he banged his shoe on the table. “Well, isn’t this rock and roll!?” – Gorbachev retorted, causing friendly laughter from the Germans.
The status of the Scorpions was so high that at the beginning of the 2000s, even members of the presidential security unit accompanied the group on tour, and James recalled how in 2002 this helped them in one of the provincial cities, when they found themselves in the center of a skirmish in a local entertainment establishment . “Rush’s mother is a country of contrasts,” the merry musician joked.
However, fame and privilege were not always around the Scorpions. James told how one of the first successes of the still nascent group was winning a young talent festival in Germany in the 70s. The main prize was recording in a low-grade studio, where the musicians had to sing into an empty galvanized bucket to achieve acceptable sounds. In other words, the path to the stars was thorny for them too…
The guys have come a long way to make a name for themselves, to win the hearts of millions of fans who so generously showered them with support and love, and in Russia, as Kottak said, with “mountains of teddy bears…”. He never refused the toys thrown onto the stage by the audience, and continued to play his parts next to them.
Yes, this is a great loss, but my memories associated with James Kottak remain exceptionally bright, colorful and full of his sparkling energy. May his memory remain exactly that way! After all, with the scale of his personality and the fruits of his filigree creativity, he did not leave the audience indifferent, and his influence on the perception of rock music in Russia was felt especially strongly.
Newspaper headline:
How the presidential guard saved the Scorpions
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