Best of Scorpions
Best of Scorpions is a compilation from the German band, released by RCA on 17 November 1979. It gathers songs from the albums they made between Fly to the Rainbow and Taken by Force, so it covers the 1970s run that took them from early promise to a harder, more confident sound. Nothing is taken from their debut, Lonesome Crow.
It came out in the United States in the same year as Lovedrive, which makes it a useful snapshot of what the band had built before the 1980s arrived. The cover art changed with each edition: the original German sleeve showed a scorpion stinging a naked girl's hip, the Japanese release used a different image, and the 1984 US re-release put a man in a leather jacket and scorpion necklace on the front. That 1984 reissue was also the album's first appearance on CD.
Best of Scorpions: tracklist, credits and charts
11 tracks · 39:35Tracklist
- 1Steamrock FeverRudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine3:39
- 2Pictured LifeSchenker, Meine, Roth3:26
- 3Robot ManRudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine2:47
- 4Backstage QueenRudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine3:14
- 5Speedy’s ComingRudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine3:39
- 6Hell-CatUli Jon Roth3:00
- 7He’s a Woman - She’s a ManSchenker, Meine, Rarebell3:20
- 8In TranceRudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine4:47
- 9Dark LadyUli Jon Roth3:31
- 10The Sails of CharonUli Jon Roth4:25
- 11Virgin KillerUli Jon Roth3:47
- Produced by
- Dieter Dierks, Frank Bornemann, Snuff Garrett, Conny Plank
- Recorded at
- Dierks Studios, Musicland Studios, Studio Maschen, Star Studios
- Recorded
- 1974–1977
- Mixed by
- Dieter Dierks
- Engineered by
- Dieter Dierks, Horst Andritschke, Mack
- Labels
- RCA, RCA Records
- Length
- 39:35
Line-up
- Francis Buchholz · bass guitar, background vocals
- Herman Rarebell · drums (drum set)
- Uli Jon Roth · guitar, background vocals, electric guitar, lead vocals
- Rudolf Schenker · guitar, background vocals, electric guitar
- Klaus Meine · vocals, lead vocals
- Achim Kirschning · synthesizer, keyboard, organ, mellotron · guest
- Rudy Lenners · drums (drum set)
- Hans‐Jürgen Rosenthal · drums (drum set) · guest
- Wolfgang Dziony · drums (drum set), percussion, background vocals · guest
- Lothar Heimberg · bass guitar, background vocals · guest
- Michael Schenker · electric guitar, background vocals · guest
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1979 | 180 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 17 November
Every year →More from Scorpions
Full discography →The best of 1979
All of 1979 →More on RCA
The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikidata only
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1979 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | November 1979 | |
| Wikidata | 17 November 1979 |
9 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | DE | RCA | 003362708214 | original |
| 1984 | US | RCA | 2083112532698 | other |
| 1984 | DE | RCA | 035627008221 | other |
| 1984 | DE | — | 0035627400629 | other |
| 1984 | US | RCA | 078635351620 | other |
| 1984 | ZA | RCA | 0035627400629 | other |
| 1989 | XE | RCA | 0035627400629 | other |
| 21 June 1989 | JP | RCA | 4988017014394 | other |
| 24 November 2017 | US | Audio Fidelity | 780014226626 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: major: best source 1424x1389, upscaled to 1500 (x1.08)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1424×1389 | upscaled: major: best source 1424x1389, upscaled to 1500 (x1.08) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |