RALF SCHEEPERS is one of the greatest voices in metal.The founder member of GAMMA RAY almost placed himself as frontman of JUDAS PRIEST, but what can I say that he did not say himself in this story??????????
This is the entire story about how I got into music , how I started to love Heavy Metal and how I got to the state where I am now:
When I was about 9 or 10 years old I always sung along with songs in the radio when my mum used to listen to a German Schlager radio programm. In school I listened to bands like Sweet or Bay city rollers hahaha...
I started to listen to Heavy Metal in late 1978 when I first heard the live album Tokyo Tapes from the Scorpions. Then I heard Unleashed in the East from Priest and it totally knocked me out !!
After visting many Heavy Metal concerts and headbanging to bands like for instance: Maiden, Accept , Priest, Saxon etc. etc.... this heavy stuff really got into my blood !! I started to get in trouble in school as I kept on singing during the lessons ...... so I decided to team up with musical friends just form a fun school band. (The funny thing is that Klaus our drummer from Primal Fear was doing this with me..... so we met very early). After that I joined another hobby band where I used to play the guitar (rythm guitar but not really good hehehehe) and where I shared the vocal abilities with another guy. But this was no real heavy metal stuff so I looked out for a band who was playing my kind of thing. So I joined a band from Stuttgart called Beast of Prey. They really forced me to push my way of singing as I had to compete against those fucking loud Marshall and Hiwatt amplifiers !! So it happened one day that Beast of Prey gave a concert in a school hall. As a surprise the musicians from Tyran Pace have visited the gig ! This was somehow a great honour for me in those days as I heard them playing a long time before and they were really good !! They somehow have gotten a similar style like Priest and covered the song The Sinner as well. So after the show of that band called Beast of Prey they came up to me and asked me if I wanted to join Tyran Pace !! This was like a dream come true to me when I was just 18 years old. I got an offer from a german band called Helloween as they heard the second album of Tyran Pace and liked it very much but I didnt join in as they were coming from Hamburg which is in the North of Germany and I am coming from the South. And of course I didnt wanna leave my friends in Tyran Pace. Some years later they had huge success with the album Keeper of the seven keys Part 1 with Michael Kiske as vocalist !! So of course in the end I regreted it that I didnt join Helloween.... but thats the way it goes......
After recording 3 albums with Tyran Pace and collecting many experience in playing live or recording in the studio we had some bloodseeking so called managers which got us in such a bad situation moneywise that we just had to quit Tyran Pace. The guitarplayer Oli Kaufmann and me joined a cover band 150 miles away from our homes where we coverd songs from GunsnRoses to John Miles ... somehow we were musical prostitutes but we had to do it to pay back money to courtfighting assholemanagers, T-shirt companies, banks etc etc... Then Kai Hansen called me up to sing a demo for a band in Hamburg when Helloween was recording the Keepers Part 2 album. So we got to know each other personally and he very much liked the way how I sing. Some years later Kai left Helloween but wanted to continue in making music so we teamed up and formed Gamma Ray. We recorded 3 studio albums, 1 live album and 2 live videos. We did 3 videoclips as well.
With Gammay Ray I somehow really stepped into the heavy metal scene of the whole world. We were touring around Europe, I got over to Japan for the frist time in my life. It was just another great moment to perform in the same concert hall where Judas Priest recorded their live album Unleashed in the East in the famous Koseinenkin Hall!!!
After being together for 5 years the guys from G-Ray wanted me to move up to Hamburg. I said okay if you offer me the chance that I can live up there (I mean having a flat and something to eat means to get money) I will come. But nothing happend ! No offers !! So I didnt move. On the other hand I found out that Kai wanted to sing on his own again as he did in the early Helloween days. He sang a song of the 3rd G-Ray album Insanity and Genius. Then Dirk the second guitarist wanted to sing his song on his own............. so I really thought ... these guys dont really want to have a vocalist. We went separate ways.......
I knew for one year already that Rob Halford left Judas Priest but I didnt do an application so far as I never thought they will ever take me. But then Edgar my former bandmate from Tyran Pace called me up and gave me the phone number from, the personal manager from Priest.. Mrs. Jayne Andrews. She said that I should send some material ..... so I did.... sending three albums of G-Ray and the live video from Japan. After one month a letter came in saying that the band (Priest) like the way I am singin so they put me one the short list............... oh my God.......... what a long short list !!! After several of promises like: I promise you right now that you will definately gonna be invited to do an audition............... it never happened !!! I didnt even have contact to one of the bandmembers......... nothing ......... just waiting............ reheasring Judas Preist songs with some friends of my hometown.................. waiting...................... singing Priest songs 2 and a half hours every second day...................waiting................ getting promises.............. waiting.................waiting for Glenn Tiptons solo album....................... promises................. waiting ............. this whole process was taking two and a half years of my precious time as I couldnt join another band ........ and there were many offers.......... but what should you do if you wait for an audition for one of the top heavy metal bands in the world ?? You cant just team up with some hungry musicians to create a new band ..............
Then another letter came in:
I am very sorry to have to inform you that we will not be holding any auditions for the position of vocalist for Judas Priest as the band have found their man. We had always intended to audition as I told you, but this singer came totally out of the blue and is everything the band were looking for, so they do not feel the need to try anyone else out.
The band send their apologies and thank you for being so patient they know its no consolation but they would like you to know that out of thousands of applicants we received your vocal abilities stood out and you were amongst the final ten who they felt had something special.
Once again, we are very sorry about this, but wish you luck for the future.
Best wishes
JAYNE ANDREWS
WOW !!! What a hammer of disappointment !!!! I had no more Gamma Ray, I had no Judas Priest , I had nothing ............... just sitting in a black hole of disappointment !!!
One year later I got a phonecall from Tom Naumann the guitarist of Sinner. He asked me if I want to join them in the studio singin some lines for the choirs for their new album. I had nothing to lose and said yeah of corse........
Somehow this is funny........ I knew the members of Sinner for 15 years as were living in the same city but we never really got in touch as they were concentrating on their stuff and I on mine with Tyran Pace and Gamma Ray.
So I had a great converation with Mat (Sinner). He just told me: Hey Ralf ! You have such a great voice............ you cannot just sit around and do nothing !!! We joined forces and composed some songs.............made a demo..........sent it to Japan (JVC) as they were waiting for some material from me anyway.......... and........... here we go............. had another contract.
Thats the way how Primal Fear started and I am saying it over and over again we are a real band !!! No project !!! After all these years of disappointement I am back with my new friends from my hometown !! WE ARE PRIMAL FEAR and we are about to kick ass with some agressive melodic heavy metal !!! Showing everybody that we have something to say in the world of heavy metal !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February the 22nd, 2002 here is the newest interview from Ralf- exclusive for The Steel eagle
the "story of Ralf Scheepers" that you have written for Jeff Richards ends
when you , Mat and Tom Naumann started PF...so lets take it from there...
1.what were the early days like? How did it feel for you to write music
again???
I just felt so delighted and happy to compose our own songs with all the other guys Mat, Tom and Klaus・.and when we were in the studio to record the first PF album it was like being back to the place were I belong to. Right before the microphone, live or in the studio.
2.I know that you and Mat knew each other a long time before starting PF,
were you always such a great team?????
The team thing came up after the first months when we worked together, we got to know each other more and more even as human beings we got closer and became friends・.we didn稚 know each other before really, I just knew that there is Sinner and he just knew that I was playing in that band in Hamburg and in Tyran Pace before. Of course he knew that I was preparing for the job for Priest cause that痴 why we got in touch actually. (I said earlier that we did a show together with the JP coverband)
3.What were the first songs you wrote together???
Chainbreaker, Dollars, Nine Lives, Silver & Gold
4."Primal Fear" was a great success-how did it feel for you to get such an
immediate response from the fans??
It was just overwhelming !! It was like getting reborn to the world of heavy metal alltough I never left it !! And it is the best evidence that I the fans of metal will never forget you or let you down・..
5.Would you say that the period while you waited to be called to audition
for JP was salutary for your own self improvement as a vocal????
No !!
I improved in Primal Fear actually because there was more variety and more live shows of course・.
6."jaws of death" was slightly different from "Primal fear" -some people
claimed that it was weaker, others-myself included-find it as a
great continuance- what is your opinion???
It was the period when we changed the line up and Stefan came into the band because we needed a second guitar player. And of course he is a songwriter, too and left his marks. For me it was like you say an evolution. We had a wider variety on Jaws of death which is also very good.
7.after "jaws of death" was released you have toured intensively all over
the world-what can you tell me about that period???
The band grew together more and more, it always helps a lot to perform live to find each other playingwise・..for the first time we played in South America (Brasil) and it was a great experience there !! The people scream and shout every single vocal line of the albums and that is very unique for South America.
8.Nuclear fire found PF as an established and respected band, but it did
make a change in the known PF sound, what can you tell me about that??
Again there was a change of the line up and Henny joined the band. We focused more and more to get more aggressive and even heavier than before. We always compose all songs together so our final aim is to satisfy ourselves first. We know how to play metal and that is the reason why we do not disappoint ourselves ! Of course in the end it is our final aim to deliver the goods to our fans and thanx god they love it !!
9.Your vocal performance is better than ever before on Nuclear fire- how did
it feel for you to have achieved such a sound???
Well how does it feel when you scream your ass off each and every day ? It痴 just great and you can really feel how the voice is getting stronger day by day. Mat is giving me a good time in the studio and he really knows how to lift me higher and higher !! (So does the wine)
10.Did the great success of NF affect you in any way???/
Yes, I walk around in the streets and all the kids scream: Oh look here he is !!! And I always try to flee but they are catching me all the time・. kidding・. LOL .
No it痴 just great and very satisfying to sell so good all around the world and it is the greatest reward that you can get as musician to stand on that stage and hear the fans sing your songs.
11.Most of the female fans-and not only-wondered why the radical look
change-can you tell me why did u decide for it???
Compared to many other musicians who have to deal with the loss of hair I decided not to wear a wig, so I just cut the last strings off・ but you know what ? They are getting thicker again !!! Some people even like it more like that・so do I !
12.Last year, Pf played for the first time in the US at Metal meltdown and
after that at Metalfest...how was that????
It was such a great experience to get in touch with the metalheads over there !! We really felt comfortable on stage because they gave us a great time. The band played their asses off and we got the reaction we wanted from the crowd !!
13.Black sun seem to already have great reviews,what is your opinion?Is it
the best album PF to date??
For me it definitely is〆ou know we are always looking ahead and not back. We are growing together more and more as a great team and we wrote some great songs. It痴 the best work of each and every member of PF on the Black Sun album.
14.Now,to get a little more personal...is there any major difference between
Ralf Scheepers today and Ralf Scheepers in 1997????
Yes, you already mentioned it・. I cut my hair ! But serious: I was in a black hole in 1997 after the rejection of that british band, but now the best thing came out what could have happened. Primal Fear was born and we are making the sound of our lives with some great friends and musicians・.
15.what will the year 2002 be for Primal fear? are you going to play
festival, tour worldwide?
Of course we'd like to play as often as possible on every festival but we did a lot of festivals last year and it became tradition to let the bands perform in a two year regular cycle. We will definitely go on tour in Europe and South America in the fall of 2002.
16.what are you doing when you are not touring/recording/writing music???
Watching Formula 1, going to the gym, watching soccer, going to the cinema・njoying life.
17.what are you listening to nowadays???
Oh my god what a hard question, I listened to our new album for two months now every day・.when I find some time I listen to other metal bands and of course to the radio・TV..
When we were in Texas we always watched VH1 behind the music and that was really interesting. There were some great new bands as well like for instance 鼎reed・or 哲ickelback・lt;/font>
18.How do you feel when you see that the Metal commando is growing by the
day and that the number of the PF fans worldwide is growing by the day????
It makes me very proud and it is the best thing what could have happened to Primal Fear to have such a great organisation of the Fan Club !! Thank you very much for your support we all hope that we will meet some days to have some drinks and a good time !!!
19.A final word......
Thank you to each and every commando and Primal Fear fan in the world !! We won稚 let you down because we love heavy metal as you do !!
Ralf Scheepers
