SCORPIONS' RUDOLF SCHENKER Explains 'Return To Forever' Album Title

France's La Grosse Radio recently conducted an interview with guitarist Rudolf Schenker of German hard rock legends SCORPIONS. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the new SCORPIONS album title, "Return To Forever":

"What can we do? We had every week another album title. We were calling the record company, 'What do you think about this? What do you think about this?' And they went crazy. Until one of the record-company guys called and said, 'Look, guys, I have a good title for you. Why are you not calling this album 'Return To Forever'?' And we said, 'Oh. Good. It fits perfectly with our [recently released documentary] film, called 'Forever And A Day'.' In this case, the perfect thing… You know it. If the time is right, the whole thing goes together like a puzzle. So working on this new album was really a good situation by going slowly on material, building new material to come up with an album which is now already, with all the reviews, a great success."

On how SCORPIONS chose "We Built This House" as the first single from "Return To Forever":

"Because it's the best song. I mean, for me, it was the best song anyway, already. But the record company… We always leave things open to a decision for the record company, because they have to present it, and sometimes they have a — especially for this kind of subtle things — a better ear than us. We [see] things from a different side. In this case, the record company [felt] the same way, and it was the right decision, because it's the perfect, perfect rock song. And the good thing, what I like on this song is it starts with a great… Okay, the intro is SCORPIONS-like, then going into the verse, going into the bridge, which sounds like a chorus. But then you go in the 're-chorus.' In this case, it's fantastic. It's one of my favorite songs. And also 'Rock My Car', which is one of the older ones. Because, by going on long tours, in American worldwide, going by limos, by plane, and by bus… I like to drive cars, you know. In this case, when I came home, I went immediately in my sports car and was driving like crazy on the motorway. And I came up with the idea, 'Rock my car, rock my car, push the pedal down to the metal.' So, in this case, it was inspired by life. Touring finished. You now rock the street and make speed."

"Return To Forever" was released on February 20 on CD, Deluxe CD, vinyl, Limited Collector's Box, and several more digital and physical formats.

"Return To Forever" was recorded with Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen, who had already produced "Sting In The Tail", and re-arranged the material for "MTV Unplugged" with guitarist Matthias Jabs.