Whatever You Want (song)

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“Whatever You Want”
Single by Status Quo from the album Whatever You Want
B-side	"Hard Ride"[1]
Released	September 1979
Format	7", 45rpm
Recorded	1979
Genre	Hard Rock
Length	3:48
Label	Vertigo 6059 242
Writer(s)	Andy Brown, Rick Parfitt
Status Quo singles chronology
"In My Chair" (1979) "Whatever You Want " (1979) "Living on an Island" (1979)
Audio sample
Info (help·info)

Whatever You Want is a rock song by the British rock band Status Quo. Written by Rick Parfitt and Andy Bown, it was released on the album of the same name in 1979 and has become one of the band's better-known works.

Contents 1 Composition 2 Impact 3 Instruments 4 References

[edit] Composition

The song commences with a quiet introduction, containing a guitar solo. This lasts for approximately 25 seconds, and fades out towards the end. After this, the guitar picks up once more with a D-minor riff, and 40 seconds into the piece, the familiar D-major riff of the song begins, accompanied by drums from the 56 second mark.

At 1 minute, 11 seconds, all audio pauses for approximately half a second; at this point, the lyrical portion commences. The music returns as soon as the first lyrics are heard. This pause creates a short-lived dramatic start to the song, which lasts for a total of 4 minutes.

[edit] Impact

Within the United Kingdom, the song reached 4th position in the music charts in 1979. The song has been used in advertising campaigns by popular UK retailer Argos. In 2008 the song was sampled on the jumpstyle song "1980" by Citizen, and then later that same year by German techno band Scooter on the song "Jump That Rock!" from the hit album Jumping All Over The World.

[edit] Instruments

The song is guitar oriented, like most Status Quo songs. During recording up to three guitar 'layers' were used, though it can be played with two: rhythm guitar and solo guitar. The other instruments are a bass guitar, keyboards and drums. The lyrics are multi-vocal; for instance the 'Whatever you want' part is sung entirely with two voices.

The guitar low 'E' string is tuned to a D (the song is also in the D chord). This is required to play the intro and also the low strumming after the intro. In this later part a flanger effect is used together with the ever-present overdrive/distortion effect.

[edit] References

v • d • e Status Quo Francis Rossi • Rick Parfitt • Andy Bown • John 'Rhino' Edwards • Matt Letley John Coghlan • Alan Lancaster • Pete Kircher • Jeff Rich • Roy Lynes Albums (UK) Picturesque Matchstickable Messages • Spare Parts • Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon • Dog of Two Head • Piledriver • Hello! • Quo • On the Level • Blue for You • Live • Rockin' All Over the World • If You Can't Stand the Heat • Whatever You Want • Just Supposin' • Never Too Late • 1+9+8+2 • Live at the N.E.C. • Back to Back • In the Army Now • Ain't Complaining • Perfect Remedy • Rock 'Til You Drop • Live Alive Quo • Thirsty Work • Don't Stop • Under the Influence • Famous in the Last Century • Heavy Traffic • Riffs • The Party Ain't Over Yet • In Search of the Fourth Chord • More... Hit Singles (UK) "Pictures of Matchstick Men" • "Down the Dustpipe" • "Rockin' All Over the World" • "Whatever You Want" • "In the Army Now" • "The Beginning of the End" See also Status Quo discography