Tokyo Tapes (album)

Tokyo Tapes
Live album by Scorpions
Released	August 1978 (Japan); Late 1978 (Europe); January 1979 (US)
Recorded	April 24 & 27, 1978
Genre	Heavy metal, hard rock
Length	85:07
Label	RCA
Producer	Dieter Dierks
Scorpions live albums chronology
Tokyo Tapes (1978) World Wide Live (1985)
Alternate Cover (1995)

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Tokyo Tapes is a live album by German heavy metal band Scorpions.

"Tokyo Tapes" was Scorpions' first live album, recorded at Nakano Sun Plaza (Tokyo's Nakano Ward, Japan) on April 24 and 27, during the band's Japanese tour in 1978.

These shows were guitarist Uli Jon Roth's last performances with the band, who had announced his departure after the release of Taken by Force.

Tokyo Tapes includes songs from all Scorpions' albums released before 1978.

The songs "Hell-Cat", "Catch Your Train" and the Japanese national anthem ("Kimi ga yo") were also performed during these shows but were not included in the official album. On the 2001 EMI re-mastered CD, "Polar Nights" was omitted so as to fit a single CD, although it was included on the re-mastered version of "Taken by Force". The earlier two CD release, however, is the original album in its entirety. The original release was in August 1978 in Japan only with cover artwork of an embossed platinum Scorpion on a rose as opposed to a live shot of the band when it was eventually released in Europe in late 1978. It was released in January 1979 in the U.S.A..

Roth commented about the recording of the album:

Tokyo Tapes was a peak time, we have played together for all these years and it all came together at that time. Particularly on the first show, which unfortunately wasn't recorded. There were three shows in Tokyo, the first one was by far the best, but the second one was good too. Those are the ones on the album, the second and the third that were used. The first one I thought was a lot better and I was disappointed that it wasn't recorded.

Track listing

Side one

1. "All Night Long" (Uli Jon Roth, Klaus Meine) – 3:44
2. "Pictured Life" (Rudolf Schenker, Meine, Roth) – 3:12
3. "Backstage Queen" (R. Schenker, Meine) – 3:44
4. "Polar Nights" (Roth) – 6:43
5. "In Trance" (R. Schenker, Meine) – 5:25

Side two

1. "We'll Burn the Sky" (R. Schenker, Monika Dannemann) – 8:07
2. "Suspender Love" (R. Schenker/Meine) – 3:38
3. "In Search of the Peace of Mind" (R. Schenker, Michael Schenker, Meine, Lothar Heimberg, Wolfgang Dziony) – 3:02
4. "Fly to the Rainbow" (M. Schenker, Roth) – 9:39

Side three

1. "He's a Woman, She's a Man" (R. Schenker, Meine, Herman Rarebell) – 5:22
2. "Speedy's Coming" (R. Schenker, Meine) – 3:40
3. "Top of the Bill" (R. Schenker, Meine) – 6:45
4. "Hound Dog" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 1:14
5. "Long Tall Sally" (Enotris Johnson, Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Richard Penniman) – 2:50

Side four

1. "Steamrock Fever" (R. Schenker, Meine) – 3:41
2. "Dark Lady" (Roth) – 4:18
3. "Kōjō no Tsuki" (Rentarō Taki, arr. Francis Buchholz, Meine, Rarebell, Roth, R. Schenker) – 3:35
4. "Robot Man" (R. Schenker, Meine) – 5:47

Credits

• Klaus Meine - Lead Vocals
• Ulrich Roth - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals on "Polar Nights", "Fly To The Rainbow" and "Dark Lady"
• Rudolf Schenker - Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
• Francis Buchholz - Bass, Backing Vocals
• Herman Rarebell - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals

• Produced by Dieter Dierks