Editing Fly to the Rainbow

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Fly to the Rainbow
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]]
| cover      = Scorpions-Fly To The Rainbow.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = 1 November 1974
| recorded   = April 1974
| studio     =
* [[Musicland Studios|Musicland]] (Munich, West Germany)
* Studio Maschen ([[Seevetal]], West Germany)
| genre      = *[[Hard rock]]<ref name = Decibel>{{cite web|url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2014/04/29/scorpions-in-trance/|title=Scorpions – “In Trance”|first=Chris|last=Dick|access-date=April 11, 2025|date=April 29, 2014|website=Decibel (magazine)}}</ref>
*[[krautrock]]<ref name = Decibel></ref> 
| length     = 40:47
| label      = [[RCA Records|RCA]]
| producer   = [[Frank Bornemann]]
| prev_title = [[Lonesome Crow]]
| prev_year  = 1972
| next_title = [[In Trance]]
| next_year  = 1975
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Fly to the Rainbow
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = Speedy's Coming
 | single1date = 1975
 | single2     = Drifting Sun
 | single2date = 1976
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/fly-to-the-rainbow-r17516 |title=Fly to the Rainbow – Scorpions &#124; AllMusic |first=Eduardo |last=Rivadavia |publisher=AllMusic|year=2011 |access-date=2 July 2011}}</ref>
| rev2 = [[Teraz Rock]]
| rev2Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.terazrock.pl/recenzje/czytaj/fly-to-the-rainbow.html |title=Teraz Rock &#124; jedyne pismo rockowe w Polsce |first=MARCIN |last=GAJEWSKI |work=terazrock.pl |year=2011 |access-date=2 July 2011}}</ref>
}}

'''''Fly to the Rainbow''''' is the second studio album by the German rock band [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]], released on 1 November 1974 by [[RCA Records]]. This was the band's first release with guitarist [[Uli Jon Roth]] and bassist [[Francis Buchholz]], and the only one to include drummer [[Jürgen Rosenthal]].

==Background==
In support of the ''[[Lonesome Crow]]'' album, Scorpions toured as the opening act for the British rock band [[UFO (band)|UFO]]. At the end of the tour, Scorpions lead guitarist [[Michael Schenker]] was asked to fill an open position as UFO's guitarist and accepted the position.<ref>{{cite web |author=Trunk, Russell A. |title=Scorpions: Yet Another Sting in the Tale! |url=http://www.annecarlini.com/ex_interviews.php?id=805 |publisher=Annecarlini.com |access-date=12 May 2008}}</ref> Schenker's departure temporarily resulted in the breakup of the band but [[Rudolf Schenker]] and [[Klaus Meine]] ultimately merged with the band [[Dawn Road]]. The new band consisted of guitarist [[Uli Jon Roth]] replacing Michael as well as drummer Jürgen Rosenthal, keyboardist Achim Kirschnig and bass guitarist [[Francis Buchholz]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Syrjälä, Marko |title=Interview with Francis Buchholz |url=http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/content/view/791/ |publisher=Metal-rules.com |access-date=12 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618051118/http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/content/view/791 |archive-date=18 June 2012}}</ref> The new lineup assumed the Scorpions name and recorded ''Fly to the Rainbow''. Three songs on ''Fly to the Rainbow'' were co-written with departing guitarist Michael Schenker as part of his agreement on leaving the band.

==Artwork==
When asked to comment on the cover art for the album, Uli Jon Roth said: "Don't ask me what that cover means… I disliked it from the beginning. It looked ludicrous to me back then and looks just as bad today. It was done by a firm of designers in Hamburg, who had actually done a good job on the ''Lonesome Crow'' album before, but I think that time they failed miserably. As for the meaning, I can only guess, but I'd rather not…"<ref name="ClassicRock">{{cite web|author=Jeb Wright |title=Uli Jon Roth: Surviving the Scorpions Sting |url=http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/Interviews06/ulijonroth.htm |access-date=14 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613043717/http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/Interviews06/ulijonroth.htm |archive-date=13 June 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

''[[Metal Hammer]]'' included it on their list of "50 most hilariously ugly rock and metal album covers ever".<ref name="MH50worst">{{cite web |last1=Young |first1=Simon |title=The 50 most hilariously ugly rock and metal album covers ever |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-50-most-hilariously-ugly-rock-and-metal-album-covers-ever |website=[[Metal Hammer]] |publisher=[[Future plc]] |access-date=9 December 2024 |date=9 May 2023}}</ref>

==Live performances==
Six songs from ''Fly to the Rainbow'' were regularly performed live by Scorpions: the title track, "Speedy's Coming", "They Need a Million", "This Is My Song", and "Drifting Sun". "Far Away" was already performed by early lineups with Michael Schenker, since at least 1973. The live versions of "Speedy's Coming" and the title track appear on the live album ''[[Tokyo Tapes (album)|Tokyo Tapes]]'', which was recorded in April 1978. Soon afterwards, Scorpions dropped these songs from their setlist. Between 1980 and 1999, nothing from ''Fly to the Rainbow'' appeared in Scorpions concerts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/stats/albums/scorpions-3d63ddf.html|title=Scorpions Album Statistics |website=Setlist.fm|access-date=30 November 2021}}</ref> Following a one-off performance of ''They Need a Million'' on 7 June 1999 at Patinoire de Kockelscheuer, Luxembourg,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/scorpions-3d63ddf.html?songid=53d40b09|title=They Need a Million by Scorpions Song Statistics |website=Setlist.fm|access-date=30 November 2021}}</ref> the title tune and "Speedy's Coming" were performed a number of times between 2000 and 2008. "Speedy's Coming" was played with relative frequency from 2015 to 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/stats/scorpions-3d63ddf.html|title=Scorpions Tour Statistics |website=Setlist.fm|access-date=30 November 2021}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| headline        = Side one
| title1          = Speedy's Coming
| length1         = 3:36
| writer1         = [[Rudolf Schenker]], [[Klaus Meine]]
| title2          = They Need a Million
| length2         = 4:50
| writer2         = R. Schenker, Meine
| title3          = Drifting Sun
| length3         = 7:42
| writer3         = [[Ulrich Roth]]
| title4          = Fly People Fly
| length4         = 5:03
| writer4         = [[Michael Schenker]], Meine
}}
{{Track listing
| headline        = Side two
| title5          = This Is My Song
| length5         = 4:18
| writer5         = R. Schenker, Meine
| title6          = Far Away
| length6         = 5:38
| writer6         = M. Schenker, R. Schenker, Meine
| title7          = Fly to the Rainbow
| length7         = 9:40
| writer7         = M. Schenker, Roth
}}

==Personnel==
;Scorpions
* [[Klaus Meine]]&nbsp;– lead vocals, backing vocals on "Drifting Sun" and "They Need a Million"
* [[Uli Jon Roth|Ulrich Roth]]&nbsp;– lead and slide guitar, lead vocals on "Drifting Sun", storytelling in "Fly to the Rainbow"
* [[Rudolf Schenker]]&nbsp;– rhythm guitar, lead vocals on "They Need a Million", storytelling in "Drifting Sun"
* [[Francis Buchholz]]&nbsp;– bass guitar
* [[Jürgen Rosenthal]]&nbsp;– drums

;Additional personnel
* Achim Kirschning – organ, [[Mellotron]], synthesizers

;Production
* [[Reinhold Mack|Mack]] – engineer
* Horst Andritschke – engineer

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (1976)
! Peak<br/>position
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums ([[Oricon]])<ref name="JPN">{{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005|publisher=[[Oricon|Oricon Entertainment]]|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9|language=ja}}</ref>
| align="center"| 83
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://www.the-scorpions.com/album/fly-to-the-rainbow-3/ ''Fly to the Rainbow'' at the-scorpions.com]

{{Scorpions}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fly To The Rainbow}}
[[Category:1974 albums]]
[[Category:Scorpions (band) albums]]
[[Category:RCA Records albums]]