Winds of Change

Very moving BBC Radio 4 documentary on Winds of Change how it came to be written, impact on people’s lives, interwoven with East Berlin and fall of Berlin Wall, and hopes of people in Soviet Union.

Checkpoint Charlie #Berlin pic.twitter.com/Gld2ArA7Ee

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) May 11, 2019

Berlin Wall #Berlin pic.twitter.com/eexeMhQhbF

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) May 11, 2019

Meant a lot to me as at Checkpoint Charlie in May, walked along a stretch of the Berlin Wall, was in East Berlin.

Also Rudolf Schenker of Scorpions a friend.

Had me in tears.

A pity BBC did not play song in full, spine chilling.

For me chilling to walk along the Berlin Wall, to visit Checkpoint Charlie.

Inspiration for Winds of Change was a peace concert in Moscow, and Perestroika under Mikhail Gorbachev.

When the Berlin Wall fell, people across Europe had hope.

Now we have a thuggish state in Russia headed by Vladimir Putin, rise of Fascism across Europe, political show trials in Spain.

Rudolf Schenker talking about his life

Make something of your life. — Rudolf Schenker

Rudolf Schenker lead guitarist and co-founder of German rock group The Scorpions talking about life, happiness and success.

As Santiago was told by the old man in The Alchemist: Follow your dreams.

If you do not follow your dreams, you will spend the rest of your life regretting it, until you eventually forget what you dreams were.

If you are are a writer you write what you have to say, a musician what you wish to play. If you try to please a publisher, a record label, follow what the market dictates, you will not be a success.

Grayson Perry in his Reith Lectures last year, made the point, do not follow fashion, style or the market, be true to yourself,a nd you are more likely to be a success.

• Scorpions Live at Brandenburg Gate
• Scorpions Wind Of Change at Royal Albert Hall
• Scorpions live in Athens
• Scorpions Unplugged Live in Athens
• Dancing in the Moonlight