Love at First Sting

Infobox Album | Name = Love at First Sting
Type = Album
Artist = Scorpions


Released = May 4, 1984
Recorded = 1983 - 1984
Genre = Hard rock, heavy metal
Length = 40:55
Label = EMI (Europe)
Mercury (US)
Producer = Dieter Dierks
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:39fexqy5ldae]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/scorpions/albums/album/245795/review/5941957/love_at_first_sting link]
Last album = "Blackout"
(1982)
This album = "Love at First Sting"
(1984)
Next album = "World Wide Live"
(1985)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate "Clean" Cover
Type = Studio album

"Love at First Sting" is the ninth studio album by the German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1984 (see 1984 in music). "Love at First Sting" became the most successful album of the band in the USA where it peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1984 and went triple platinum. The song "Rock You Like a Hurricane" reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the same year, "Still Loving You" reached number 64 on the same chart, number 14 in Germany, number 2 in the French and Swiss Top 50.
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" ranked #31 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs ["VH1 40 Greatest Metal Songs", 1-4 May 2006, "VH1" Channel, reported by [http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/103446/episode_this_list.jhtml VH1.com] ; last accessed September 10, 2006.] and "Still Loving You" ranked #22 on VH1's 25 Greatest Power Ballads ["VH1 40 Greatest Metal Songs", 1-4 May 2006, "VH1" Channel, reported by [http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/66390/episode_countdown.jhtml VH1.com] ; last accessed September 10, 2006.] .
An alternate cover showing a photo of the band members is used in several department store chains since they refused to carry the original album cover art.

Recording Sessions

The album was recorded in 1983 and 1984 between Stockholm, Sweden and Hannover, Germany and during the recording sessions some additional musicians were hired by the band. Although Francis Buchholz is credited with performing on the album, and is included in the band picture, it was recently revealed that Dio bassist Jimmy Bain was the actual performer of the bass parts after being hired by the band for the recording sessions. However, Francis denied this in a recent interview. [Syrjälä, Marko. " [http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=791 Francis Buchholz ex-Scorpions] ." "Metal Rules," 15 January 2007.] Former Rainbow and future Black Sabbath drummer Bobby Rondinelli played with the band in rehearsals while Rarebell was undergoing treatment for substance abuse. Reportedly, Neil Murray of Whitesnake and Black Sabbath played bass on the demos for this album.

Track listing

All tracks written by Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine, except where noted.

#"Bad Boys Running Wild" (Schenker, Meine, Herman Rarebell) – 3:54
#"Rock You Like a Hurricane" (Schenker, Meine, Herman Rarebell) – 4:11
#"I'm Leaving You" – 4:16
#"Coming Home" – 4:58
#"The Same Thrill" – 3:30
#"Big City Nights" – 4:08
#"As Soon as the Good Times Roll" – 5:01
#"Crossfire" – 4:31
#"Still Loving You" – 6:26

Personnel

* Klaus Meine - lead vocals
* Matthias Jabs - lead guitar
* Rudolf Schenker - rhythm guitar, lead guitar on tracks 6 and 9, backing vocals
* Francis Buchholz - bass guitar, backing vocals
* Herman Rarebell - drums, percussion

Produced by Dieter Dierks.

Charts

Album

Billboard (North America)

References

External links

* [http://www.the-scorpions.com/english/discography/records/love_at_first_sting.asp Official Website]