Scooter

1988 - 1991
Celebrate The Nun release two albums and five singles. Their highlight is reaching the Top 5 of the US dance charts.

1986
Rick and H.P. meet each other in Hanover through a small ad and found the avant-garde synthesiser pop band 'Celebrate The Nun'.

Autumn/Winter 1993
The Loop release various remixes for acts including Adeva, Holly Johnson, Tag Team, RuPaul, Marky Mark feat. Prince Ital Joe etc. The Loop become one of the top remix teams in Germany.

Summer 1993
A week after the 1993 Love Parade in Berlin Rick, H.P., Jens Thele and Ferris Bueller, H.P.´s cousin, form the remix team The Loop.

Spring 1993
H.P. starts working in Distribution and Sales at the former Hamburg Indie label (and now major record company) 'edel records' and meets Jens Thele there. Rick builds his first recording studio in his cellar in Hanover.


August 1994
After selling about 50,000 copies, without entering the charts (!), Scooter stop delivery of the single, remix the song and re-release the original together with the remix around three weeks later. The reaction from the 'Raving Society' is euphoric and Scooter become famous overnight (number 2 in the German singles charts). 700,000 singles are sold in Germany alone -platinum!

May 1994
'Hyper Hyper' is released, Scooter hope it will be a small club hit...

April 1994
First live appearance at the 'Palladium' in Hamburg. Scooter perform Vallée de Larmes, Cosmos (B-side) and a (still) instrumental techno track on which H.P. spontaneously starts MCing during the show. 'Hyper Hyper' is born and Scooter change from being a project to a band. Members: H.P., Ferris and Rick. Jens Thele works behind the scenes and becomes manager.

February 1994
The first Scooter single 'Vallée de Larmes' is released. Scooter is only supposed to be a project at first. The single reaches number 8 in the German Dance charts.

December 1995
The release of the single `Back In The UK` sees Scooter crack the British Top 20. It reaches number 18! In Germany, the song peaks at number 5. In Ireland, the single is released with the title `Back In Ireland`.

August 1995
Rick moves from Hanover to Hamburg. Together with H.P., he sets up the studio which then becomes the band´s own studio. First production: `Back In The U.K.`.

March 1995
The third single 'Move Your Ass!' is released. The shout style of H.P. is now an established trademark of the band. The single enters the charts on position 13 and is the highest new entry in the history of the German charts so far. In UK the tracks climbs on rank 23 and in Germany it reaches rank 3. International breakthrough for Scooter.
They play in Scotland and Ireland: on March 16th 8.000 fans in the Befast King's Hall sing 'Happy Birthday' for H.P.!
In Spring and Summer the singles 'Friends' (peak in Germany #3) and 'Endless Summer' (#5) are released and reach gold awards.


December 1996
'Break It Up' becomes the first techno ballad in history.

September 1996
'I´m Raving' sees Scooter reach a turning point. While the tempos of their previous songs ranged between 160 and 190 beats per minute (BPM), 'I´m Raving' is 138 BPM and progressive house influences can also be heard in a Scooter song for the first time. The gamble pays off: 'I´m raving' reaches number 4 in Germany and also goes gold.
There´s no end to Scooter´s creativity and in the same year 'Wicked!', the band´s third album, is released.

June 1996
`Rebel Yell' sees a techno band covering a rock song for the first time. The single reaches number 8 in the German charts. The video, shot in a castle in Prague, takes three days and nights and nearly drives the almost 100 (!) extras and the crew crazy.
`Happy Hardcore Clips' , the band´s first video compilation, is released.
At Midem in Cannes, the group are presented the Dance d´Or music award for `Move Your Ass'.

February 1996
The second LP `Our Happy Hardcore` comes with an extra CD featuring photos, videos and information about Scooter. It is the first extra CD to be released by a German band.
`Let Me Be Your Valentine' is released.


September/October 1997
The video for 'The Age Of Love' is probably the most expensive video to date from a techno act and wins a coveted video award.
The 'Age Of Love' tour becomes the band´s first indoor arena tour.
After the tour, Scooter release 'No Fate'. At this point, the band realise they are mentally exhausted and desperately need a creative break.
At the end of November 'Rough And Tough And Dangerous - The Singles 94-98' is released as the first look back on Scooter´s career.

April 1997
On their track 'Fire', Scooter become the first techno band to use a metal guitar riff. The single enters the charts at number 6 on 8 April. Four weeks later, Scooter pick up a gold disc for the 250,000 singles sold.
The band meet Axel Coon, a Hamburg-based techno DJ with years of experience, thanks to a demo tape Jens Thele is given at a party. Axel is taken on as studio assistant to help Rick who is by now overloaded with work managing the Scooter recording studio. Studio 2 is set up at this time. Axel quickly learns how to use the equipment and produces his first demos.


December 1998
As a thank you to fans, a limited edition of the successful album `No Time To Chill', which was originally released in July, is brought out. This version features remixes and videos.

September 1998
Scooter play in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 17,000 in Moscow. In St. Petersburg, 10,000 fans party in the ice rink.
Then they move onto Kazakhstan where the band play in front of 3,500 fans in Almaty at the foot of the Himalayas.
Scooter are voted the best act of the year by MTV Russia viewers.

July 1998
No Time To Chill', the first album produced with the new team, is released. Reaching number 4 it is the highest-placed Scooter album to date in the German charts. 'N.T.T.C' is also a real hit outside Germany.

May 1998
During the production of the single 'How Much Is The Fish?' Ferris leaves the band and starts a solo career.
Since Axel has now progressed from the assistant to the co-producer in the team, the choice of successor is not difficult: Axel says yes and is immediately 'promoted' to band member. With this new line-up we enter the 'second chapter' of Scooter.
'How Much Is The Fish' goes straight in at number 3 in the German single charts and also turns gold after selling over 300,000 copies.


December 1999
The single version of 'Fuck The Millennium' is one of the most-played songs at New Year´s Eve parties across Europe. In the backstage scenes from the video, the band are just like in real life: it´s not just on stage that there´s a party.
H.P. also announces his four new pseudonyms: the Scooter frontman will be called Sheffield Dave, Ice, Screaming Lord and Candyman in future.

September 1999
On their sixth album 'Back To The Heavyweight Jam', (number 7 in Germany) Scooter are unusually club-oriented. In a move 'back to the roots', extended tracks replace the usual song structures. The band turns to current club trends. 'B.T.T.H.J' becomes Scooter´s first gold-selling album in Germany.
'We Are The Greatest / I Was Made 4 Loving You' is released as a double A-side single.
In the Ukraine, Scooter become the first internationally successful band to play concerts in Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkiv. In Kiev, a total of 25,000 people come to the Olympic Stadium to see Scooter. The long journeys inside the country are made in a Yak-40 chartered from the Ukranian vice-president.

July 1999
Another rave anthem is released: 'Faster Harder Scooter'. The song sums up the band´s attitude to life: foot to the floor... 'F.H.S.' reaches number 7 in Germany. The video for the single was shot in the desert of South Africa and is still held in esteem by many today.

January/February 1999
The 'No Time To Chill' tour becomes Scooter´s online debut: Scooter are one of the very first bands to document their complete tour in an online tour diary. This idea is so successful that the server at edel records is sometimes completely overloaded.


September/October 2000
Scooter are awarded a 'Comet' at the 2000 VIVA Comet Awards in the Most Successful Dance Act category. The 'Sheffield Tour 2000' becomes a success despite organisational difficulties. Scooter show themselves to be more a mature, but far from tamed self-made act, who still have a lot more to offer.

May 2000
The new single `I´m Your Pusher' is released followed by the album 'Sheffield'. The album sees Scooter take yet another new direction. Featuring 6/8 rhythms on 'Don´t Gimme The Funk', 'Sex Dwarf' and the duet 'Summerwine', a cover version of the song by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood - 'Sheffield' is probably the most progressive work yet from the Hamburg boys. In autumn, 'She´s the Sun', a mid-tempo track, is then released reminding us of the (New Wave) roots of H.P. and Rick.


December 2001
Scooter release their 22nd single 'Ramp! (The Logical Song)'. The video based on the 'The Fast And The Furious' is one of the most action-packed promos in Scooter´s career. The single shifts almost 250,000 units in Germany.

August 2001
The video for 'Aiii Shot The DJ' sees a comedian and cabaret artist feature in a Scooter video for the first time with German star Helge Schneider.

June 2001
On their ninth album 'We Bring The Noise', Scooter clearly show where their strengths lie. The tracks have a freshness and a relaxed feel you normally find on debut albums. 'Are You Happy?' includes samples taken from an old Commodore C64 computer, while some of the vocal passages on 'Posse (I Need You On The Floor)'are set to a higher pitch. Other tracks feature extensively filtered breakbeat loops.

May 2001
Scooter shoot the video for 'Posse (I Need You On The Floor)' at the Fredericia dance festival in Denmark. Scooter use pitched voices in the chorus for the first time since 'Endless Summer' and are therefore the forerunners for a flood of songs using this stylistic device.


November 2002
The release of the album '24 Carat Gold' sees all Scooter singles collected on one CD for the first time.

May 2002
Scooter have long since become a legend, no one can dispute that. The full history of this exceptional band is documented on the first Scooter DVD `Encore (The Whole Story)', which is released at the same time as the live album 'Encore - Live And Direct'. The DVD immediately enters at the top of the German DVD charts. The live album, which was recorded during the previous tour, reaches number 13.

March 2002
The 23rd Scooter single is released. Entitled 'Nessaja', it is a version of the title track from Peter Maffay´s musical 'Tabaluga'. During the video shoot, 'Joey', a one-metre tall bush kangaroo has both the film crew and members of the press running around!
The new line-up makes a sensational entry at number one in the German sales charts for the first time with 'Nessaja'. The greatest success in the history of the band so far.

January 2002
Scooter release their second 'Best Of' album entitled 'Push The Beat For This Jam (The Second Chapter)' and take another look back over the past years. Axel Coon leaves the band to concentrate fully on his DJ projects in the future. Jay Frog, who has already released a single ('Pushin´) on Kontor Records, joins the band.


December 2003
'Jigga Jigga!' is released at the start of December and reaches number 10 in the charts. Scooter thus record their sixth successive Top-Ten hit in Germany.

November 2003
At their first Japanese concert, Scooter play to 8,000 excited fans in Nagoya. The complete show is recorded and features in parts of the 'Jigga Jigga!' video. All other scenes in the promo shot by Marc Schölermann and Michael Menke are filmed using Super-8 cameras in the centre of Tokyo.

August 2003
The single 'Maria (I Like It Loud)' is released in collaboration with hardcore producer Marc Acardipane and his MC Dick Rules on 11 August 03.
The chorus becomes a battle cry for many fans at Scooter concerts.
The single makes number 4 in the top five of the charts.

May 2003
'The Night' is the last number to feature the HPV (high pitched voice) effect and also reaches the Top Ten in Germany.

March 2003
'The Stadium Techno Experience' (released 31 March 03, number 7 in the charts) is released.

February 2003
Scooter pick up the highest award in the German music industry for the single 'Nessaja': the 'Echo 2003'.
The video for 'Weekend!' causes a real scandal with its scenes of topless dancers.
Various TV stations and media observers discuss the 'Downfall of the youth who are being ruined by the increase of sexuality in the media.'
The fans are not bothered by this debate and the song reaches number 2 of German single charts!


December 2004
'One (Always Hardcore)' is the 8th Top Ten Hit in a row, which entered the German Sales Charts on 7. Scooter have 19 Top Ten Hits on the whole by now.

November 2004
H.P. Baxxter reads storys of Thomas Bernhardt, which are plublished on the audiobook 'Reading Stars' (German), Eichborn publishing.
The second single 'One (Always Hardcore)' of the Top 20 album 'Mind The Gap' goes back to the heavy sounds of Scooter.

October 2004
The 28th single 'Shake That!' was released on 4th of October in most European contries. Scooter surprised with 70's House sound. 'Shake That!' entered German Sales Charts on 8 and got gold awards in Czech Republic.
'Mind The Gap' was the 10th studio album of the band. The album leads through different styles of music, without loosing the typical style of Scooter. For the first time a Scooter album was available in three different versions.

March 2004
H.P. Baxxter, Rick Jordan and Jay Frog started on the national qualifiers for the European Song Contest and ended up as second best.

February 2004
The band pick up the highest award in the European music industry in the category 'Dance Act National', for the second time; the 'Echo 2004'

January 2004
On the 'We Like It Loud!' tour, Scooter celebrate their tenth anniversary in over 20 cities.
At the same time, they re-launch their web site www.scootertechno.com!

2005
Scooter - A Success Story

Of course, the band´s route to success was not quite as simple as frontman H.P. Baxxter describes. Scooter have indeed worked hard on their career and - we should not forget - they have now been in the business for over ten years. The former techno trio, who fought their way through the discotheques with "Hyper Hyper", has developed into a serious band that now fills arenas with 80,000 people, has sold over ten million records and whose list of gold and platinum discs just seems to be endless.

Did anyone expect this back in 1994 when the band was formed in its original line-up? H.P. Baxxter, Rick J. Jordan, Ferris Bueller and, not least, manager and label boss Jens Thele started small: The trio's debut "Hyper Hyper" went straight into the charts - and was immediately passed off as a one-hit wonder. However, the critics and journalists spoke far too soon. The follow-up hits like "Move Your Ass", "Friends", "Endless Summer"and "Back In The UK" were all just as successful. Anyone who believed that Scooter just wanted ride on the wave of their first hit were very wrong. Fun was and is the driving force behind the trio, by far more than the pressure to succeed and live up to expectations.

This explains the phenomenon of Scooter seeming to re-invent themselves for almost every single. Constantly combining styles that others would strictly separate, H.P., Rick and Ferris employ their unbelievable creativity with a healthy portion of humour and irony. The result is electronic ballads, eighties-style electro tracks, melancholic songs like "No Fate" or "She's The Sun" and the legendary techno rock monster "Fire" (1997), which still sends H.P.'s "Flying V" guitar up in flames each night on stage. New member Axel Coon also felt this when he replaced Ferris Bueller in 1997, as did his successor Jay Frog, who is still a permanent member of the trio today.

All band members have their own special roles: H.P. still writes all of the lyrics while Rick and Jay are busy with the playbacks in the studio. To keep Scooter's hand in club scene, Jay has taken over the role of DJ and also mixes a set for the Kontor Radio Show every other week. Jens Thele, the man behind the scenes, is responsible for anything to do with organisation and logistics. He is also the one to ensure the band gets back on track after any disputes.

If it wasn´t for this work distribution, Scooter would very probably not be where they are today. Twenty-eight singles and thirteen albums clearly show that Scooter are a lot more than just a project. All critics and doubters will have had to admit that by now too.

Scooter's new single "Shake That!" sees the band take a brave step by placing H.P.'s shouts over pumping disco house music. This courage has also already been rewarded: "Shake That!" entered the charts at number eight - incidentally making it their seventh Top Ten entry in succession!

Scooter are now about to bring out their fourteenth album. And "Mind The Gap" has many new features to offer: The album will be sold in three different price categories for the first time. In addition to the basic version, which just consists of the simple disc (EUR 9.99), there is also a regular version (EUR 14.99) with a booklet, bonus tracks, video, a making of, photos and interview, as well as a deluxe edition (EUR18.99). The latter contains all the features of the regular version plus a bonus CD with eleven live tracks from the "We Like It Loud Tour 2004".

2006

'Who?s Got The Last Laugh Now?' is the eleventh Scooter studio album ? another jewel in the crown of the 'Always Hardcore' kingdom.
H.P. Baxxter, Rick J. Jordan and Jay Frog have delivered another highlight in their remarkable career. If you?re counting, the score to date is 31 singles, 10 studio LPs, 3 'Best Of' collections, a live CD and DVD?and every last one of them a chart record. Number ones, top ten hits, gold and platinum awards, sold-out tours..small wonder that the threesome are laughing now.

Once again, the recipe for success is simple and yet brilliant. Nobody sounds like Scooter except Scooter themselves. They just keep on keeping on, untroubled by trends, sticking to their own very powerful guns. 100% authentic Scooter.

The limited edition of the album contains a special Scooter Fan Calendar, the band?s way of saying thankyou to their loyal fans throughout 2006. Better be quick, as this is a strictly limited offer and the calendar will not be available in the shops!

The previous album 'Mind The Gap' reached gold status and there?s no reason to think that this one won?t do the same.

Hot on the heels of the new single, it is indeed Good To Be Back!!!

2007

Lets Dance!

Thirteen years of SCOOTER success and still counting... The three gentlemen from the far north who go by the name of SCOOTER - founding members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J. Jordan and Jens Thele, now joined by Michael Simon, have turned that name into a worldwide phenomenon.

Scooter are one of a very few German acts to have shaped the musical landscape at home and abroad for more than a decade, without losing any of their energy or freshness. You either love Scooter or you hate them ? either way, their style is the antithesis of boring! Over 12 million records sold, in excess of 60 gold and platinum awards and an array of trophies speak for themselves. Lets take a closer look at this phenomenon:

Back in 1994 the worldwide party nation was celebrating rave culture in the underground as new techno clubs sprung up everywhere, whilst the charts were dominated by mindnumbing Euro dance and mainstream singles. At that time, ?Hyper Hyper? could not be considered a commercial track by any stretch of the imagination, and yet Scooter took the charts by storm, launching techno into the overground overnight. Eight years of graft with "Celebrate The Nun" and other projects and remixes were finally about to pay off. Songs like ?Move Your Ass?, "Friends", "Endless Summer" and "Back In The UK" proved beyond all doubt that Scooter were more than just another ?one hit wonder? of the early 90s. ?How Much Is The Fish??, ?Maria (I Like It Loud)?, ?Nessaja?, One (Always Hardcore)? and ?Hello! (Good To Be Back)?, to name just a few, continued the hit tradition of this remarkable formation. Many an interview begins with sheer wonder at the longevity of the band?s career, coupled with the question: ?what is the secret of the group?s success?? "Find out what you are unable to do and then go and do it!" is one of H.P.?s favourite quotes, which has become something of a mission statement for the combo. ?You can?t afford to lose your curiosity or a certain healthy naivety, otherwise you might as well pack it in on the spot. If the element of fun is gone, it doesn?t make much sense. And you need to stay credible. We do everything by ourselves in the studio and our fans respect that.? Baxxter?s fondness for unconventional methods can drive his colleagues to distraction, however. "He comes up with the maddest ideas and then we have to see how we can build a song together? is how Rick J. Jordan describes their way of working, a twinkle in his eye. "But that?s why I love him, it?s a real inspiration and you can be sure there?s something worthwhile in there, once you get used to his style." His lyrics may, at first glance, focus on whipping up the crowd into a frenzy, enacting battles with imaginary M.C.s (and winning), embracing the ?Scooter phenomenon?, but H.P. has come to delight in sprinkling literary references and hidden messages among the more apparently simplistic shouts (?Respect to the man in the icecream van?, by way of example, is a tribute to The KLF). Baxxter is Scooter?s enfant terrible, and has been the focal point of the band, in terms of sound as well as vision, over the past 13 years.

Keyboard player and sound engineer Rick J. Jordan is, in contrast, the calming influence of the team. Explaining how they work in the studio, Jordan notes "I try to sort the creative chaos and add in my own ideas into the production process?. Responsible for sound design and audio engineering, he is also the team?s ?musician? with over 30 years of experience with piano and keyboards and a knowledge of classical music theory to back it up. He has even created a virtual symphony orchestra and has enthusiastically paved the way for Scooter?s excursions into musical genres as diverse as rock, classical and Celtic folklore.

The third founder member of the band, Jens Thele, is more in the background, taking care of the group?s business affairs. As the mastermind and managing director of KONTOR Records, he introduces Scooter to the international market and brings his visionary expertise in marketing and concepts on board. It did not take the newest member, Michael Simon, long to spot this: "When Jens joins us in the studio towards the end of the production phase, his input is absolutely invaluable, both in terms of his A&R talent and his years of Djing. He can add that extra special something, an unexpected idea or suggestion how to improve a track. You really notice that music is an important part of his life.?
Michael has come in to replace Jay Frog, who left the band halfway through 2006. One of Hamburg?s most renowned house DJs, Michael is no stranger to the group, nor to their faithful followers. Back in 1997 he went on tour as support act for Scooter with his "Shahin & Simon" project, and he has remixed Scooter tracks, as well as releasing productions on Kontor Records. With a diverse musical background, covering house, techno and hardtrance on the one hand, plus HipHop and R´n´B on the other, it did not take long for him to find his way into the Scooter project, proving to be a born programmer of beats. His boundless enthusiasm for what?s going down in the clubs means he can always bring the newest sounds into the studio.

Live and Direct

Scooter?s working ethic is marked by clear synergy and impressive results. Beyond this, what also makes Scooter what it is, is their live performance. The live show is probably the area of operations in which they truly demolish any preconceptions or clichés about dance music. The stage show is a potent cocktail of punk, rock´n´roll and quite deliberate delusions of grandeur. "We believe in the bigger picture, spectacular stage sets and theatrical effects. I think we would really miss the fireworks and lightning flashes if we didn?t use them? admits Jordan. "Even our warm-up backstage has become something of an institution in its own right, I wouldn?t swap it for anything.." A souped up 3000 watt "ghettoblaster", a full-on sound system backstage, various trance- and house mixes, not forgetting one or two long drinks, all go to make the Scooter pre-show ritual what it is. In the hour before the curtain goes up, Scooter focus all their energy on this point in the day. "On the afternoon before a show, i often get engulfed by a sense of lethargy, as if I could never get up on stage ever again. Ten minutes before the show starts, I?ll be running round in circles, that?s how nervous I get. I mean, you never really know ? is it going to work or not? Then, when it begins, you just give it your absolute all. I guess that?s my own personal rhythm.? A true ?night owl?, if Baxxter is asked to do an interview before midday, then that counts as the middle of the night for him. "I love the mix of studio work and playing live, it?s certainly never dull. In fact, it?s always exciting.?
33 singles, 15 albums and no end in sight. Just how do Scooter manage to keep coming up with new ideas, re-inventing themselves after so many years of single and album releases? It?s a question which pops up time and time again. The answer? Simple. Hard work! "The closing phase of an album production can often lead to us spending over 12 hours a day in the studio. A song needs time to develop, ideas need time to mature? Michael points out. He has quickly come to learn that other engagements such as festivals or promotional dates can interrupt the creative flow. "If you have been out of the studio for a while, on tour, doing interviews, or even just on holiday, you can easily get the feeling that you have to start from scratch, as if you?ve forgotten everything you?ve learned", H.P. Baxxter observes. These are the common hurdles in the production process. "Of course, at the same time, it?s a chance to develop artistically, to try out new things.?
The band?s penchant for quoting other musical sources is, on occasion, a bone of contention. Whereas sampling is an accepted phenomenon in Hip-Hop, the use of song fragments or samples in techno and dance music is still frowned upon by some. Not that this has unduly concerned Scooter. They have stuck to their guns and have never been afraid to dip into other styles or musical currents to enhance their own creations. "Strictly speaking, classical luminaries such as Karajan, Callas and Pavarotti all base their art on interpretations of existing works, without having surrendered anything of their brilliance or individuality? notes Rick, with a hint of irony. "Sometimes that?s what makes our songs so special ? the confrontation of new and old."

The new album ?THE ULTIMATE AURAL ORGASM? is scheduled for release on February 9th.
Thanks to a new studio and fresh reserves of energy, the trio have picked up where ?Mind The Gap? and ?The Stadium Techno Experience? left off. The result is another milestone in the band?s history, whilst the album title is sure to rub up one or two people the wrong way. Not entirely accidently, it would seem. ?We love a good English pun? H.P. explains, ?and the phonetic similarity between "aural" and "oral" just grabbed us. As we were running out of superlatives to describe our sound, we figured that this could be a perfect fit.? The album title says it all. With playful effortlessness, songs such as "Lass uns Tanzen", "The United Vibe" or "Scarborough Affair" blend H.P. Baxxter?s inimitable lyrics with crunchy electro beats, spacious trance sequences and unusual chorus hooks. The musical concept of the album allows for metal riffs and ancient drums on "Does the Fish Have Chips?" and "Imaginary Battle", all the way to Wagner references on "East Sands Anthem". Nicely rounded off with "The Shit that Killed Elvis" ? a collaboration with Jimmy Pop, figurehead of the American fun-rock-band "The Bloodhound Gang", who co-wrote the song. Thirteen years on, and SCOOTER are as loud as ever. A little wiser, perhaps, but ready to rock for their fans everywhere!

Let?s dance! Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.