Ulrich Roth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ulrich Roth | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Uli Jon Roth |
| Born | December 18, 1954 Düsseldorf, Germany |
| Genre(s) | Hard Rock Classical Heavy Metal |
| Years active | 1968 - present |
| Label(s) | SPV |
| Associated acts | Scorpions Electric Sun Sky of Avalon G3 The Smashing Pumpkins |
| Website | Official website |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Custom "Sky Guitar" | |
Ulrich Roth (born December 18, 1954), also known as Uli Jon Roth, is a German electric guitarist and, along with Ritchie Blackmore, one of the the earliest contributors[citation needed] (before popularization by Yngwie Malmsteen) to the neo-classical metal genre. He is the older brother of fellow guitarist and artist Zeno Roth.
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[edit] Career
In the early 1970s, Roth formed a band called Dawn Road. In 1973 he temporarily joined Scorpions, replacing guitarist Michael Schenker (brother of Scorpions guitarist Rudolf) who had left to join UFO. Michael had a reputation as a highly skilled technical player; Scorpions disbanded after he left the group. The "new" Scorpions were, in effect, a merger between the four members of Dawn Road, (Uli Jon Roth, Achim Kirschning, Francis Buchholz, Jürgen Rosenthal) and the two remaining Scorpions members, Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine.[1] During his tenure as lead guitarist and a main songwriter for the Scorpions, the band released five very influential records, including the live album Tokyo Tapes, which sold nearly one million copies and went gold in several countries.
Some later Scorpions releases with Roth began to exhibit a stylistic split in songwriting. Roth-composed songs were influenced by classical music and Jimi Hendrix, but songs involving Rudolph Schenker as composer leaned towards straight hard rock and pop hard rock. This split reflected Roth's growing dissatisfaction with his role in the band. He began investigating spiritually oriented subjects in his private life, like his influence Jimi Hendrix did towards the latter half of his career. Roth left the Scorpions in 1978.
Roth formed his own band named Electric Sun which released three albums. The first, Earthquake (1979), was dedicated to the spirit of Jimi Hendrix and featured cover art by artist Monika Danneman, Jimi Hendrix's former girlfriend who had been with him when he died in 1970, and who became Roth's partner afterwards. A second album released two years later, Fire Wind (1981), was dedicated to Anwar el-Sadat (the assassinated President of Egypt who had tried to make peace in the Middle East), featured a song called "Enola Gay" which was about the atomic bombing of Japan, and cover art by Monika Dannemann.
Interviews with some original Scorpions members after the release of these albums demonstrated how far the two parties had grown apart. Matthias Jabs, the guitarist who replaced Roth, told the press that he thought Roth was "lost" musically[citation needed]. This may have referred to the commercial success Roth had stepped away from that the Scorpions were still experiencing. Roth's records were released on the much smaller German Metronome Musik label. Roth's move into deeper spiritual and political subjects was opposite that of the Scorpion's foray into more "good-time" subjects accompanied by MTV-style videos showing the band at parties and in 1980's era fantasy heavy metal settings. The two band's public images were starkly different: the Scorpions favored skin tight leotard style clothing typical of the 80's while Roth leaned more towards a loose, flowing Hendrix-influenced style of dress.
In the 1980's, Roth commissioned construction of custom guitars with additional frets (32). He called them Sky guitars and used them on his last Electric Sun album Beyond the Astral Skies (which was dedicated to Martin Luther-King and to Roth's fans), released in 1985. Since then, Roth entered a new phase of creative work, composing a.o. four symphonies and two concertos, and sometimes performing with symphony orchestras throughout Europe.
The untimely death of Roth's girlfriend and spiritual partner Monika Danneman April 5 1996 was reported a suicide; she had just lost a legal battle with a former Hendrix girlfriend and was due to be described in a book about the last days of Hendrix in a negative light. However, Roth publicly stated his opinion that her passing had been the result of foul play[citation needed]. Roth dedicated later works to the memory of Ms. Danneman.
Roth appeared in concert at Castle Donington in 2001 with original Scorpions lead guitarist Michael Schenker, and critics noted the healthy appearance of Roth and his mastery of his material, but described Schenker as past his prime. These reviews ended comments of Roth being "lost" musically by his former Scorpions bandmates, now that Roth had developed into a polished and successful artist while the commercial pop success of his former band had faded.
On June 2, 2007 at the Rock am Ring festival in Germany, Roth joined The Smashing Pumpkins on stage for their epic closing song "Gossamer". He made another appearance with the Pumpkins upon their return to Germany on February 26, 2008.
According to Roth's official site he is currently working on a new full-length studio album, which is to be released before the summer. The title of the album will be "Under A Dark Sky". This is going to be the first official release in the long-awaited series of Symphonic Legends, which is a cycle of music written by Uli for his all-encompassing Sky of Avalon project.
[edit] Releases
[edit] Discography
With Scorpions
- Fly to the Rainbow (1974) - Guitar, vocals
- In Trance (1975) - Guitar, vocals
- Virgin Killer (1976) - Guitar, vocals
- Taken by Force (1977) - Guitar, vocals
- Tokyo Tapes (live recording, 1978) - Guitar, vocals
With Electric Sun
- Earthquake (1979) - Guitar, vocals
- Fire Wind (1981) - Guitar, vocals
- Beyond the Astral Skies (1985) - Lead/harmony vocals, guitar, keyboard, bass
Solo and classical works (released)
- 1991 - Aquila Suite - 12 Arpeggio Concert Etudes for Solo Piano
- 1996 - Sky of Avalon - Prologue to the Symphonic Legends (with Sky Orchestra)
- 2000 - Transcendental Sky Guitar Vol. I & II
- 2003 - Metamorphosis of Vivaldi's Four Seasons (with Sky Orchestra)
Solo and classical works (unreleased)
- 1987 - Sky Concerto
- 1992 - Europa ex Favilla (symphony)
- 1994 - Hiroshima de Profundis (symphony)
- 1996/97/98 - Requiem for an Angel (dedicated to the memory of Monika Dannemann)
[edit] Videography
- 2000 - The Electric Sun Years Vol. I & II (in the Historical Performances series)
- 2002 - Legends Of Rock: Live At Castle Donington
- 2006 - Scorpions Reunion at Wacken Festival in Germany
[edit] Notable public appearances
- 1991 - Live TV Concert at E-Werk, Cologne "The Spirit of Jimi Hendrix" with Jack Bruce, Simon Phillips, Randy Hansen, John Wetton, Zeno and others
- 1993 - Symphonic Rock For Europe - 3 hour concert with Brussels Symphony Orchestra and choir, performing Uli's first symphony "Europa Ex Favilla" and other pieces. The show featured 4 Rock singers: John Parr, Tommy Heart, Michael Flexig, Peter Goalby. Broadcast by German TV
- 1998 - G3 Concert Tour in Europe with Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker (jam with Brian May at London Wembley Arena)
- 1998 - G3 Concert at Monsters of Rock - Turin, Italy
- 2000 - Performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Transcendental Sky Guitar (with Detmold Chamber Orchestra)(October)
- 2001 - First Japanese Uli tour since 1978 (May)
- 2001 - Legends of Rock Concert at Castle Donington. Uli played with Jack Bruce, UFO, Michael Schenker (June 23)
- 2002 - Legends of Rock Tour of 13 UK venues with Frank Marino, Jack Bruce, Glenn Hughes
- 2004 - First US tour (19 dates)since 1985. Co-head-lining with Michael Schenker (August-September)
- 2004 - Jamming onstage with Deep Purple at Cardiff International Arena
- 2005 - Scorpions reunion with Uli in France (September)
- 2006 - Jamming with Deep Purple at Max Schmeling Halle, Berlin
- 2006 - First U.S.A. tour as headliner since 1985
- 2006 - 3 Sky Academy Concerts at UCLA Los Angeles - Uli taught his approach to the guitar and to music. Uli Jon Roth and friends concerts were part of the Academy. Uli performed with guests including Jeff Scott Soto, Chris Impellitteri, Joe Stump, Graham Bonnett, Robbie Krieger and many others
- 2006 - Scorpions Reunion at Wacken Festival in Germany (July)
- 2007 - With The Smashing Pumpkins at the two ´Rock am Ring` and Rock im Park festivals performing their 19 minute epic song Gossamer
- 2007 - With Scorpions at Paris, Nantes, Dijon, Rouen - France. (May 2007)
- 2007 - With Scorpions at Sweden Rock Festival(June 9)
- 2007 - With Scorpions at Karaiskaki Stadium in Athens - Joe Cocker as support (June 18)
- 2007 - With Scorpions, London, Manchester (July 2007)
- 2007 - 2 Sky Academy Concerts and seminar at the Hollywood MI - with Paul Gilbert, Robbie Krieger, Johnny Hiland a.o. (August)
- 2008 - With Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan) at Hamburg Colour Line Arena (February 2008)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Uli Jon Roth Announces 2008 Sky Academy Seminars, February 15, 2008.
- The Official Uli Jon Roth Website
- Edenwaith Uli Jon Roth Website
- Authorized Uli Jon Roth Website
- Sky Academy Website
- The Official Uli Jon Roth Website News
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