By David E. Gehlke
Herman Rarebell is unapologetic in his love for the 1980s. As the person responsible for the lyrics of some of SCORPIONS‘ biggest and most enduring hits, Rarebell has also taken full advantage of the classic “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” trope. (Watch the “Big City Nights” and “Bad Boys Running Wild” videos, and it’s usually Rarebell partying it up.) The combination of a heavy MTV presence and, of course, great songs made the SCORPS one of Europe’s biggest rock and metal bands — and provided Rarebell with a lifetime of memories that have yet to fade. In fact, they seem to have intensified as he celebrates 75 years on planet Earth.
Rarebell, along with an all-star cast of musicians, has assembled “What About Love?”, an album featuring fresh spins on various hits from the ’80s. Rarebell‘s mission is twofold: to help rekindle some of the feelings from the decade and to keep alive the music that he considers to be the best ever written. It’s time well spent for the drummer, who, in recent years, has expressed exasperation that his former bandmates won’t pick up the phone or answer emails about a potential return. In chatting with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Rarebell sounded confident that not only would “What About Love?” resonate circa 2025 but also that he’s still the right fit for the SCORPIONS‘ drum throne.
Blabbermouth: You named the album after the HEART song “What About Love?” How did that become the theme of the entire record?
Herman: “I have always loved this song. I first heard it on the radio while sitting on the tour bus. I’m truly honored to have the original guitarist, Howard Leese, as well as Jim Vallance from the HEART writing team. It brings me great satisfaction. For me, it was important to deliver the message of love to the world again. That was my main reason. I have always appreciated songs like ‘Imagine’ [John Lennon]. Now, it’s time to spread these messages. We have so many different voices that joined us on this journey, and none of them asked for any money. They all said, ‘We love the message. We want to join in. Let’s see what happens.’ I believe it’s time for these songs once more.”
Blabbermouth: You also have (former OZZY OSBOURNE bassist) Bob Daisley on the album. How far back do you and Bob go?
Herman: “I first met Bob when he was in RAINBOW. We later crossed paths at a few gigs in Birmingham. We’ve known each other for a long time. I’ve also played with Michael Schenker, Pete Way and the guys from UFO. Additionally, on the album, we have Neil Carter, who used to play with Gary Moore. We all live in the small town of Brighton, which is home to many talented musicians. It was easy for me to ask him because I know them personally. It’s a fantastic lineup, and I hope we can tour. Bob is currently living in Australia, so doing a single gig would be crazy; it would make more sense to go on tour one day.”
Blabbermouth: Have you and Bob ever talked about writing together? What do you think would happen?
Herman: “An atomic bomb! It would be great to create something new with those guys, such as moving to the next phase where we go into the studio and jam. We could do this in Brighton since half of us live here. It would be a good thing to do — just to see what comes out of the jams.”
Blabbermouth: Why do the 1980s continue to hold so much importance for you?
Herman: “As a musician, this era was the best time to create songs. The songs are still popular; they can still be played today. We had a great time conveying the message of believing in a bright future and in love. I think the best thing about the ’80s was the music. I miss it very much today since I seldom hear it on the radio. We nearly covered ‘I Want My MTV’ [referring to DIRE STRAITS‘ ‘Money For Nothing’] and I could cover a hundred songs from the ’80s. For me, it’s personal. I’ve played with all the musicians here. FOREIGNER and I have performed at many festivals in Germany. The song ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ is one of the finest tunes ever written in the history of rock. Also, Pat Benatar‘s ‘Love Is A Battlefield’ is exceptional. I have a really talented young singer, and we have made the song fresh and rock-driven now. We brought in more guitars to make it different, and it has a great drive. The next song, ‘What About Love?’ clearly resonates with Jim. He was a writer on ‘Crazy World’ for the SCORPIONS. It was a great honor for me that he appeared in the video. He’s never done that with anyone — not even with AEROSMITH. He told me, ‘This one is better than the original.’ For me, this is the highest compliment I can receive. Then, of course, ‘Every Breath You Take’ is a must from the ’80s. I thought, ‘What drums can I use?’ When I heard ‘In The Air Tonight’, I recognized that fill [mimics fill]; every drummer knows it. I said, ‘This is what you have to do.’ I made it heavier because I’m a heavy drummer. Additionally, Joan Jett‘s ‘I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll’ was played every night on our European tour in 1984 as I sat in the dressing room. Even when she stopped the show, people continued singing it. I decided, ‘This has to be on the album. It has to be the last song played live.’ It’s the perfect way to leave the crowd with that song. We also included ‘These Dreams’ from HEART. Naturally, the record company insisted, ‘You have to do two SCORPIONS songs.’ I selected my most successful ones: ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane’ and ‘Passion Rules The Game’. On ‘Passion’, we have the girl and the man answering each other, and we introduced new guitars. It kicks ass. I wrote that in 1987. Klaus [Meine] wrote the lyrics for it, while I contributed my share. It’s an honor to bring everyone back to the ’80s.”
Blabbermouth: The fact that the SCORPS played with FOREIGNER and HEART and also played with heavier bands says a lot.
Herman: “I can explain: Klaus wrote the ballads! The big one was ‘Wind Of Change’. Before that, it was ‘Still Loving You’. I was the dirty boy who wrote the heavy rock songs. I had more of the kick-ass songs. My lyrics are in this direction; it started with ‘He’s a Woman, She’s a Man’, then you heard it on ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’. I wrote some of the songs that would have been called out for Parental Advisory! Like the cover of ‘Lovedrive’, where you can see the tit. It was a big shock then. But, come on! It made it. It was our first Gold album. When I look back on this time, it was all in the ’80s. All the bands we knew, MÖTLEY CRÜE, BON JOVI, METALLICA, they all opened for us. I’ve known them for a long time. They were my golden years. I had all of my hits in the ’80s—my biggest successes to date. It’s a good way to reflect on my age. Maybe in five years, I won’t be able to play. Look at Phil Collins — he can’t play.”
Blabbermouth: My lasting image of you is from the “Big City Nights” video, where it looked like one big party.
Herman: “I lived for sex, drugs, and rock and roll. I can only speak for my life. I don’t regret a second of the ’80s. It was wonderful to be in the United States and meet all the groupies and beautiful women. I could do whatever I wanted every day. I have fantastic memories of the ’80s. I wanted to bring that feeling back to the album.”
Blabbermouth: You are, as mentioned, 75 now. How are you feeling?
Herman: “A while back, we had a band called ‘Drum Legends’. It featured me, Ginger Baker and Pete York, two great drummers. We performed a concert on May 12, 2019, in Brighton, our hometown. It was a sold-out show, a fantastic experience. To make a long story short, Ginger passed away on October 6 of that year. Naturally, Pete said, ‘I don’t feel so good anymore. Let’s skip it. Without Ginger, we lost a legend.’ I feel great about drumming. I still do it every day for about an hour. I go into my studio, and I feel good. I keep my hands and feet moving because when you don’t move anymore, you become weak. Also, I make sure to walk about three or four miles every day. It’s not bodybuilding, but I walk to keep my body active.”
Blabbermouth: Do you think you could do a complete SCORPS set?
Herman: “Of course I could. I’m fit. Watch the videos and you can see how good I am. This is my life. Don’t forget: I’ve been playing since I was 12. I’m now 75. It’s been over 60 years of playing the drums.”
Blabbermouth: Your lyrics are so critical to so many of those SCORPIONS songs. Do you feel like you haven’t received the notoriety you deserve because you were behind the drums?
Herman: “Every drummer has that complex. [Laughs] No, for me, the lyrics I wrote come from my heart. This was my life: Sex, drugs and rock and roll. My lyrics are about that. My first hit was ‘Another Piece of Me’ in England. I think it reached number 17. Also, ‘He’s A Woman, She’s A Man’ went to number one in Japan. That made us big in Japan, then England. After that, we broke into America with ‘Blackout’. I wrote all of those songs, including the big one, ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’. In America, they all know I wrote a lot of stuff for the SCORPIONS. I was the bad, dirty boy in the band; Klaus wrote the love ballads for the girls. That’s why I felt sad after ‘Wind of Change’; I was out of the writing process. I said to myself, ‘What the fuck am I doing here?'”
Blabbermouth: Maybe the issue was that people started to get serious in the ’90s. Do you think that was another reason why you felt left out?
Herman: “I’m a rocker in my heart. I’m used to playing heavy songs. Even before I joined the SCORPIONS, I was in a heavy band. For me, it’s my heart.”
Blabbermouth: What did you do after you left the band?
Herman: “I took a break. I had already moved to Monaco from Germany in 1985. I lived there until 2003 or 2004. I took a long break because I felt good. No one was forcing me to work. I had a lot of money from my songwriting. [Laughs] I took a break and asked myself, ‘What do I do?’ One day, while I was living in Monaco, Prince Albert came to me and said, ‘Why don’t we start a record company here?’ I replied, ‘That’s a great idea.’ We established Monaco Records. I signed about five artists to the label. Then, we began selling their work to EMI. However, EMI went bankrupt after selling their rights to Universal, and then the Internet emerged. I moved to England in 2008. There, I met Michael [Schenker], and in 2010, we formed TEMPLE OF ROCK. It was a fantastic band. Michael is one of the greatest of all time; he’s truly one of the best. I was walking along the beach in Brighton when he approached from the other side. The first thing he said was, ‘What are you doing here?’ I replied, ‘I live here.’ He smiled and said, ‘I live 200 feet from here.’ We met in the studio in his basement, and we jammed. It was telepathic.”
Blabbermouth: Did you and Michael always have such good chemistry? I know you were only in SCORPIONS together for a short period of time.
Herman: “When we play, I can close my eyes and know what’s coming. It’s telepathic. He’s also a drummer. I made an album with him a few months ago — an acoustic album. It should be out next year. If that album charts, I’ll do another tour with him. My time is short. I’m 75; I don’t want to play until I’m 90. Maybe I’ll stop when I’m 85. Drumming keeps me healthy. The English call me a ‘cheap drunk’ because I’m drunk after one drink. I think about the ’80s…I could do way more. Every day was a party.”
Source: blabbermouth.net
