"Lovedrive" is the sixth studio album by the German rock band Scorpions, released in 1979. The album marked a significant development in the band's musical style, combining hard rock material with melodic ballads, an approach that would become a recurring feature of their subsequent releases.
"Lovedrive" was the band's first album to be issued by Harvest Records in Europe and Mercury Records in the United States and Canada following their departure from RCA Records. It became the band's first major commercial success in the United States, reaching number 55 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 28 May 1986. It also became the first Scorpions album to chart in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 36.
In 2007, "Lovedrive" was ranked number 25 on IGN's list of the top 25 metal albums.
The album was the first Scorpions release to feature lead guitarist Matthias Jabs, who replaced Uli Jon Roth after Roth's departure from the band to form Electric Sun. However, former guitarist Michael Schenker, the younger brother of rhythm guitarist Rudolf Schenker, also contributed lead guitar performances to several tracks, including "Another Piece of Meat", "Coast to Coast", "Holiday", "Loving You Sunday Morning", and "Lovedrive".
Following his departure from UFO, Michael Schenker briefly rejoined Scorpions at the beginning of the band's German tour in February 1979, leading to Matthias Jabs' temporary departure. During a tour of France in April 1979, Michael Schenker left the band again, after which Jabs returned and remained with the group.
The original album artwork was created by Storm Thorgerson of the design company Hipgnosis. The front cover depicts a man and woman seated in the back of a car, with the woman's partially exposed breast connected to the man's hand by stretched bubble gum. The rear cover features the same figures holding a photograph of the band. The artwork generated controversy in the United States following the album's release, and later editions featured an alternative cover showing a blue scorpion on a black background. The original artwork was later restored for the album's remastered editions.
In later interviews, Thorgerson described the image as a humorous concept and noted that perceptions of the artwork had changed over time. Singer Klaus Meine stated that the band had not anticipated objections to the cover in the United States and regarded it as consistent with the rock music culture of the period.
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