On this day in 1961, the communist East German state began building the Berlin Wall with the approval of the Soviet government. The Moscow Music Peace Festival also took place today in 1989.
Today, in 2020, you can pre-order a unique deluxe boxset to themed around ‘Wind Of Change’, the song which became the soundtrack to the end of the Cold War. This deluxe package is hand numbered and limited to 2020 units.
Klaus Meine was inspired to write the song after his experience of playing the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989.
Today he told MetalTalk: “When we came on stage in the Lenin Stadium and started the show with ‘Blackout’, all the Red Army soldiers, who function as security, threw their hats and jackets in the air, turned to us and became part of the crowd.
“The world was changing right in front of our eyes … It was unbelievable!
Meine believes that the reach of the song and sentiment behind it still applies in many ways today.
He continued: “In times of COVID-19 and all the wild conspiracy theories in these extremely trying times, ‘Wind of Change’ is like a hug, a good friend from a time when the hope for a peaceful world seemed to be fulfilled.
“The dream of peace lives on in this song.”
The box set includes an 84-page hardcover book written by Dr. Edgar Klüsener, former editor-in-chief of Metal Hammer and close confidant of the band.
Klüsener interviewed Klaus Meine exclusively for the book and he writes about the genesis and impact of the song.
The book also contains several pages of photographs from band photographer Didi Zill and from Klaus Meine‘s private archive, as well as the handwritten lyrics for ‘Wind of Change’ by Klaus Meine.
The centerpiece of the box set, however, is a handcrafted unique piece of the Berlin Wall customised with the red ‘Wind of Change’ star.
A worldwide retail version of the box will be available in an altered form in November 2020, 30 years after the release of the album ‘Crazy World’, with an 84-page book, vocal and piano arrangement and Vinyl and CD.
Here is the 2003 Moscow live version.
Deluxe box set includes:
• 12″ LP & CD
• 84-pages hardcover book with story written by Dr. Edgar Klüsener
• Rare und exclusive photographs by Didi Zill, band photographer during that period
• Interview with Klaus Meine
• Material from Klaus Meine’s private archive
• Vocal and piano arrangement
• Handcrafted unique piece of the Berlin Wall customized with the red ‘Wind of Change’ star and a handwritten lyric by Klaus Meine.
Tracklisting
CD
1. Wind of Change (Crazy World Version)
2. Wind of Change (Scorpions & Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Version)
3. Ветер перемен (Russian Version)
4. Viento de Cambio (Spanish Version)
5. Wind of Change (Unreleased Demo Version by Klaus Meine)
LP
A
1. Wind of Change (Crazy World Version)
2. Wind of Change (Scorpions & Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Version)
B
1. Ветер перемен (Russian Version)
2. Viento de Cambio (Spanish Version)
3. Wind of Change (Unreleased Demo Version by Klaus Meine)
