In Trance

Occupation

• Vocals: Klaus Meine
• Rhythm Guitar: Rudolf Schenker
• Lead guitar and vocals on Dark Lady and Sun in My Hand: Uli Jon Roth
• Bass: Francis Buchholz
• Drums: Rudy Lenners

In Trance is the third studio album by German hard rock band Scorpions, released in 1975. The album marked the beginning of a special era, as the band for the first time under the direction of producer Dieter Dierks recorded an album and so they began a relationship that would last until the end of the following decade. In Trance marked the breakthrough for the band in Japan.

Origin, characteristics and importance

Production history

After the Scorpions their second album, Fly to the Rainbow ( 1974) produced independently, it was to look for the band at the time, a suitable producer for their next record productions. We finally came across Dieter Dierks and closed shortly afterwards a longer contract from, who had tied the Scorpions for the following years to the native Pulheimer. In addition, In Trance was also the first album with the Belgian Rudy Lenners behind the drums.

Musical Style

Compared to the musical progression from the debut album Fly to the Rainbow development towards In Trance is rather small. The influence of producer Dierks merely affects, instead, still " more commercial " orientation of the songs, which manifests itself in terms of song length, since such extended songs such as the titles pieces of the previous two albums are completely missing retain the title a fairly even song structure and have therefore similar song lengths. As on the previous album is also partly guitarist Uli Roth heard as a singer. This time on the songs Dark Lady and Sun in My Hand, which was both also written by him. With the song Night Lights here is also the first purely instrumental song of the band included. The piece was also composed by guitarist Uli Jon Roth. Rather unusual for a Scorpions album (if one includes the following later works ) is that this album instead of a quiet ballad rather something " churned " ends than most other albums the band. Thus, the penultimate title Longing for Fire is still a merciless rockers, the conclusion Items Night Lights is only a short- held instrumental ballad.

Album Cover

The original album cover was photographed by Michael of Gimbut and shows a young woman who seems to sit on an electric guitar. The original print of this cover clearly shows the naked breasts of the woman while in a censored, more commonly used for later releases version, these are covered with black lining. This was the first but not last cover the band, which has been censored. The former Scorpions guitarist Uli Jon Roth said 2008 in an interview including this cover, claiming that probably had the idea had come to this thing to make with the guitar on the In Trance cover. However, he also said that this and other covers the band's albums, the idea of ​​the record company were, but the band did this not rejected. " These covers were probably the most embarrassing thing in which I have ever been involved with," Roth said in selbigem interview. He also described the cover as " borderline ". The guitar pictured on the cover is by the way not some: You heard Uli Jon Roth and is the same, which was later mapped on the cover of the Electric Sun album Fire Wind (1980).

Tour

The band toured in 1975 and 1976 for the first time in Europe and came here on the opening act for The Sweet. Appearances in the Liverpool Cavern Club as well as at London's Marquee Club now made ​​the band well known in England. Later they played 30 concerts in Britain.

Criticism and sale

The album became one of the best selling rock albums in Japan. Worldwide the album has sold over a million copies.

Title list

Single releases

The song In Trance appeared in 1975 as the first single from the band's history. The song Speedy 's Coming from the previous album, Fly to the Rainbow was thereby used as a B-side.

Live Recordings

The live album Tokyo Tapes of 1978 contained, among other things, the pieces Dark Lady, In Trance, Top of the bill and Robot Man from this album. In Live Bites, the third live album by the band in 1995, is also a live recording of the title track to find in a trance. Also located on the USB stick A Night to Remember - Live in Essen (2009) the song Robot Man.

Cover versions

• Agent Steel: Dark Lady ( 2001)
• Rolf Munkes: Dark Lady ( 2003)
• Kory Clarke: In Trance (2000)
• Fates Warning: In Trance (2002)
• Warrior Soul: In Trance
• The Vindictives: Robot Man (1996 )
• The Epoxies: Robot Man (2005)
• Steel Prophet Top Of The Bill (2001)