The First Chapter 1994 1995 1996 1997
The Second Chapter 1998 1999 2000 2001
The Third Chapter 2002 2003 2004
1994
February
The
first Scooter single "Vallée De Larmes" is released. Scooter
is intended
as only a project at first. The single, however, goes to number 8 in the
German Dance charts.
April
First
live appearance in the Hamburg "Palladium". Programme: "Vallée
De Larmes",
"Cosmos" (B-side) and a (still) instrumental Techno track where H.P.
spontaneously
appears as M.C. during the show. "Hyper Hyper" is born and Scooter
change from a
project to a band. Members: H.P., Ferris and Rick. Jens Thele works in the
background and becomes manager.
May
"Hyper Hyper" is released. Scooter hope for a small clubhit...
August
After
approx. 50,000 copies sold, without an entry in the charts, Scooter stop the
distribution of "Hyper Hyper". They release the original, together
with a remix,
three weeks later. The "Raving Society" reacts euphorically and Scooter
become stars
overnight.
The single reaches #2 in the German single charts. In Germany alone 700,000
copies
are sold - Platinum.
March
The first Album "...And The Beat Goes On" is released.
The
third single "Move Your Ass!" is released. H.P.'s distinctive shout
style is
established as a trademark. The single goes in at number 13 in the German singles
charts and becomes the highest new entry in the history of the singles charts.
The single climbs to number 23in the British charts and number 3 in Germany.
Scooter make their international breakthrough.
"Hyper Hyper" reaches number 1 in the Israeli charts.
Scooter
play in Scotland and Ireland; on March 16th 8,000 fans sing Happy Birthday
to H.P. in the King's Hall in Belfast.
In
spring and summer "Friends" (Germany: no. 3) and "Endless Summer"
(Germany: no. 5) are released.
June
At
the beginning of summer Sooter play at the Rantarock-Festival in Vaasa/Finland.
This becomes a tradition in the next years. Since then Scooter play at this
festival
every year, except once.
August
Rick
moves from Hanover to Hamburg. From now on Rick's studio is used as Scooter's
own studio.
First track: "Back In The U.K. ".
December
Scooter
break the British Top 20 with "Back In The U.K. " - #18! In Germany
the
track reaches #5.
As a tribute to the massive fanbase in Ireland, the single is released under
the
title "Back In Ireland" there.
February
The
Album "Our Happy Hardcore" is released, with an extra CD with
photos, videos and information about Scooter.
It is the first extra CD published by a German band.
"Let Me Be Your Valentine" is released.
June
With
"Rebel Yell" a Techno band covers a rock song for the first time.
The track,
probably the first rock song in musical history without a single trace of a
guitar,
reaches number 8 in the German charts.
It lasts three days and nights and nearly drives the almost 100 (!) extras and
the
crew crazy.
"Happy Hardcore Clips" is released - the band's first video compilation.
At
the Midem in Cannes the group are presented the "Dance d'Or" music
award for
"Move your Ass".
September
With
"I'm Raving" Scooter reach a turning point. Whilst the tempo of their
previous songs is between 160 and 190 beats per minute (BPM), "I'm Raving"
has
only 138 BPM.
Progressive House influences can also be heard in a Scooter song for the first
time.
The risky move proves worth while: "I'm Raving" reaches number 4 in
Germany,
also going "gold".
There's
no stopping Scooter in their creative streak and in the same year the
Album "Wicked!" is released.
December
"Break It Up" becomes the first Techno ballad in history.
April
On
their track "Fire" Scooter become the first dance band to use a metal
guitar riff.
The single enters the charts at number 6 on April 8th. Four weeks later it goes
gold
with 250,000 copies sold.
The
band get to know Axel Coon, a Techno DJ with years of experience from Hamburg,
from a demo tape Jens is given at a party. Axel is taken on as studio assistant
because Rick now has too much to do being solely responsible for the Scooter
recording
studio.
Studio 2 is set up as part of this.
Axel quickly learns how to use the technology and produces his first demos.
August
The Album "Age of Love" is released.
September / October
The
video to "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 organised indoor arena tour.
After
the tour Scooter release "No Fate". At this point the band realise
they have no
more energy left mentally and urgently need a creative break.
1998
January
The
Album "Rough And Tough And Dangerous - The Singles 94-98" is released,
as the first look back on Scooter's career.
May
During
the production of the single "How Much Is The Fish?" Ferris leaves
the band
and starts a solo career.
Since
Axel has now changed from assistant to co-producer in the team, the choice
of successor is not difficult: Axel says yes and is immediately "promoted"
to
member.
With this new line-up we enter the "Second Chapter" of Scooter.
"How Much Is The Fish" goes from nowhere to number 3 in the German charts.
July
The
Album "No Time To Chill" is released, the first Album produced with
the new team.
Reaching number 4 it is the highest-placed Scooter album to date in the German
charts.
"No Time To Chill" is also a real hit outside Germany.
September
Scooter
play in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 17.000 in Moscow;
in St. Petersburg 10.000 fans have a party in the ice rink.
Then
it is on to Kazakhstan where the band play in front of 3.500 fans in Almaty
at the foot of the Himalayas.
Scooter are voted the most successful act of the year by viewers of MTV Russia.
December
To
say thank you to the fans there is a limited edition of their successful Album
"No Time To Chill", released in July, containing remixes and videos.
January / February
The
"No Time To Chill" tour becomes Scooter's online debut: Scooter become
one of
the very first bands to document their complete tour in an online tour diary.
This idea is so successful that the hosting server at "edel records"
is sometimes
completely down.
April
The
band celebrate their fifth anniversary. No other German Techno or Dance act
has
been so consistent and successful as the trio from Hamburg.
In
the summer "Faster Harder Sooter" is released. The song sums up the
band's
attitude to life: go faster... "Faster Harder Sooter" reaches number
7 in Germany.
September
The
Album "Back To The Heavyweight Jam" is released.
In a "back to the roots" move, extended tracks replace the usual song
structures.
The band turns to current club trends. "Back To The Heavyweight Jam"
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 are the first western band to play concerts in Dnepropetrovsk
and Kharkiv. In Kiev a total of 25.000 people come the Olympic Stadium to see
Scooter.
The long journeys inside the country are tackled with a Yak-40 chartered from
the
Ukranian vice president.
December
The
single version of "Fuck The Millennium" is one of the most-played
songs at the
New Year's Eve parties in 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.
May
The
new single "I'm Your Pusher" is released followed by the Album "Sheffield"
- another new direction for Scooter. From 6/8 rhythms on "Don't Gimme The
Funk" to
"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 released, reminding
us of the
(New Wave) roots of H.P. and Rick.
September / October
Scooter
are awarded a "Comet", in the Most Successful Dance Act category,
at the
2000 VIVA Comet Awards.
The "Sheffield Tour 2000" becomes a success despite organisational
difficulties.
Scooter appear as a more mature but not yet restrained
selfmade act we can still expect more from in the future...
March
Under
the pseudonym Guess Who! a club vinyl is published of their 21st single
"Posse (I Need You On The Floor)", to be released in May.
The vinyl contains two special club mixes of "Posse" without H.P.'s
vocals.
The track is a real rave cracker and gets high entries in all relevant Dance
charts.
April
Scooter
shoot the video for "Posse (I Need You On The Floor)" at the
Fredericia dance festival in Denmark.
As well as Scooter's celebrated live performance the video also contains footage
from the trip and backstage in Denmark.
June
Scooter
are simply reaching back to their roots without dragging up excess baggage
from the past.
The Album “We Bring The Noise” is released,is indeed reminiscent
of the good
old days of techno when partying was all that mattered and nobody cared whether
they
were dancing to a trance, techno or electro groove.
The theme of their chart stormer “Aiii Shot The DJ” is yet again
party, party, party.
Brilliant piano parts are reminiscent of the old Happy Hardcore days, H.P.’s
vocal
parts sound fresher and more enthusiastic than ever.
“Aiii Shot The DJ” is a club smash par excellence as can be seen
in the charts
(Media Control #27). Perhaps not least due to the exciting guest appearance
by
German comedy star Helge Schneider.
December
However,
if you think the boys are now going to take things easy after these successes,
you are very wrong. The beginning of December saw a brand new track from the
Scooter
soundsmiths which rang in the festive season with innovative beats and catchy
hooks.
“Ramp! (The Logical Song!)”, guaranteed to fill the dance floors
with its driving
electronic rhythms, really got the Christmas parties going.
2002
January
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.
The successful trio also toured more than 20 German cities
presenting a spectacular stage show for their fans.
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.
March
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.
May
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.
November
The
Album "24 Carat Gold" is released.
The album have all Scooter singles collected on one CD for the first time.
February
“Weekend!”
is released, yet another single with tremendous potential
that will match up to the number 1 hit “Nessaja”.
Scooter
pick up the highest award in the German music industry
for the single "Nessaja": the "Echo 2003".
March
The
Album “The Stadium Techno Experience”
is released
(31 March 2003, number 7 in the charts).
It has a huge number
of potential hits with many exciting new tracks.
May
The
new single "The Night" is released.
"The Night" is the last number to feature the HPV (high pitched voice)
effect and
also reaches the Top Ten in Germany.
August
The
single "Maria (I Like It Loud)" is released
in collaboration with hardcore producer
Marc Acardipane and his MC Dick Rules.
The
chorus becomes a battle cry for many fans at Scooter concerts.
The single makes number 4 in the top five of the charts.
November
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.
December
The
new Single "Jigga Jigga!" is released
and reaches number 10 in the charts.
Scooter thus record their sixth successive Top-Ten hit in Germany.
The
"10th Anniversary" party on 4 December at
the Markthalle in Hamburg is cancelled.
Frontman
H.P. Baxxter has suffered a comminuted fracture
to his shoulder during a promotional appearance and
he has to undergo an operation.
January
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".
February
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"
March
H.P.
Baxxter, Rick Jordan and Jay Frog started on the national qualifiers for the
European Song Contest and ended
up as second best.
October
The new Single "Shake That!" is released.