Status Quo (band)

Status Quo
Background information
Also known as The Quo, Quo, The Spectres, Traffic, Traffic Jam, The Status Quo
Origin London, England
Genres Rock, hard rock, boogie rock, psychedelic rock, blues rock
Years active 1967–present
Labels Fourth Chord, Sanctuary, Eagle, Polydor, Vertigo, Pye
Website www.statusquo.co.uk
Members
Francis Rossi
Rick Parfitt
Andy Bown
John "Rhino" Edwards
Matt Letley
Past members
Alan Lancaster
John Coghlan
Jess Jaworski
Roy Lynes
Pete Kircher
Jeff Rich

Status Quo,[1] also known as The Quo or just Quo, are an English rock band whose music is characterized by their distinctive brand of boogie rock.[2]

The group's origins were in "The Spectres" founded by schoolboys Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster in 1962.[3] After a number of lineup changes, the band became "The Status Quo" in late 1967, finally settling on the name "Status Quo" in 1969. They have recorded over 60 chart hits in the UK, more than any other rock group.[4] 22 of these have reached the UK Top Ten.[5]

Contents

Formation

The origins of Status Quo were in the rock and roll freakbeat band "The Spectres" formed in 1962.[3] Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster met at Sedgehill Comprehensive School, Catford, and were members of the same orchestra. Rossi and Lancaster played their first gig at the Samuel Jones Sports Club in Dulwich, London. In 1963 they added drummer John Coghlan.[6] They began writing their own material and after a year met Rick Parfitt who was playing with a cabaret band called The Highlights. By the end of 1965 Rossi and Parfitt, who had become close friends, made a commitment to continue working together. On 18 July 1966 The Spectres signed a five-year deal with Piccadilly Records, releasing two singles that year, "I (Who Have Nothing)" and "Hurdy Gurdy Man" (written by Alan Lancaster), and one the next year called "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet" (a song originally recorded by New York psychedelic band The Blues Magoos).[6] All three singles failed to make an impact on the charts.[3]

Early years

By 1967, the group had discovered psychedelia and changed their name to Traffic (later amended to Traffic Jam, to avoid confusion with Steve Winwood's Traffic).[3] At this time the line-up also included organist Roy Lynes. They released another single "Almost But Not Quite There" which was also a flop. In late 1967 the band became The Status Quo, and in January 1968 they released the psychedelic-flavoured "Pictures of Matchstick Men".[3] Rick Parfitt was invited to join the band just as the song hit the UK Singles Chart, reaching Number 7. "Matchstick Men" also became their only Top 40 hit single in the United States.[6] Though the follow-up was the unsuccessful single, "Black Veils of Melancholy", they had a hit again the same year with the poppy, Marty Wilde penned "Ice in the Sun", which climbed to Number 8.[3] Although the group's albums have been released in the United States throughout their career, they have never achieved the same level of success and fame there that they have enjoyed in their home country.[6] After the breakthrough, the band management hired Bob Young as a roadie and tour manager. Over the years Young became one of the most important songwriting partners for Status Quo.

After their second album Spare Parts failed to impact commercially, the band, disillusioned with their musical direction, abandoned pop psychedelia and Carnaby Street fashions in favour of a hard rock/boogie sound, faded denims and T-shirts, an image which was to become their trademark throughout the 1970s.[3] Lynes left the band in 1971, to be replaced (in the studio) by guests including keyboard player Jimmy Horowitz and Tom Parker. By 1976, ex-The Herd, Judas Jump member and Peter Frampton Band member Andy Bown was brought in to cover keyboards — although as he was contracted as a solo artist with EMI he was not credited as a full-time member until 1982.

Success

After two well-received but relatively poor selling albums in 1970 and 1971, their major breakthrough came when they signed with the heavy rock and progressive label Vertigo.[6] Their first album for Vertigo, Piledriver was released in 1972, and heralded an even heavier, self-produced sound.[3] This album was essentially the stylistic template for each album they released up until Blue for You in 1976.[6] During this period, and throughout the rest of the 1970s, they became one of the UK's leading rock bands, gaining a faithful following due to their relentless touring and energetic live gigs. Quo's more popular songs from this era include "Paper Plane" (1972), "Caroline" (1973), "Down Down" (1975), "Rain" (1976), "Rockin' All Over the World" (1977) and "Whatever You Want" (1979). "Down Down" topped the UK Singles Chart in January 1975, becoming their only UK number one single to date.[7] In 1976, they signed a pioneering sponsorship deal with Levi's.[3] Quo have now sold in excess of 120 million records worldwide.[8]

Changes in line-up

From 1977 onwards, the band's sound became more polished as they began to employ outside producers. These included Pip Williams, Roger Glover, who was the first outside producer to work with Quo since Pye's John Schroeder in the early 1970s and produced "Wild Side of Life" and its B-side "All Through The Night" in 1976; and John Eden.

1977's Rockin' All Over the World's title track, a minor hit for its writer John Fogerty (formerly of Creedence Clearwater Revival) became one of Status Quo's most enduring anthems.[3] Sales remained high in the UK throughout the 1980s, but tensions within the band saw founding member John Coghlan leaving the band late in 1981.[6] His replacement was Pete Kircher from the 1960s pop band Honeybus.[6] This line-up played its last full-length gig in 1984 at the Milton Keynes Bowl, although the band were contracted to record more albums. Status Quo's final appearance with the Kircher line-up opened the Live Aid charity event at Wembley in July 1985.

That year, Rossi recorded and released two solo singles with long-time writing partner Bernie Frost. Parfitt also recorded a solo album, Recorded Delivery, with bass player John "Rhino" Edwards and drummer Jeff Rich. The album remains unreleased, although some tracks were reworked and released sporadically as Status Quo B-sides until 1987.

In mid-1985, Rossi, Parfitt and Bown, along with Edwards and Rich, started work on a new Status Quo album. Lancaster, who by this time had more or less settled in Australia, took out a legal injunction to stop the band from using the Status Quo name on any records, citing his increasing musical differences with the group, notably during the sessions for the 1983 album Back to Back. The specific dispute concerned two tracks which became hit singles for the group around that time. Lancaster had written the track "Ol' Rag Blues", but was angered when the producers chose to release a version with Rossi singing the lead vocal in preference to the one sung by himself. The injunction also prevented the release of a single, "Naughty Girl", for which a catalogue number was issued by Vertigo.

An out-of-court settlement was made in January 1986, enabling the new Status Quo to continue recording the In The Army Now album, of which "Naughty Girl" was reworked as "Dreamin'". Lancaster remained in Australia, and in 1986 joined an Australian super group, The Party Boys, which featured Angry Anderson of Rose Tattoo, John Brewster of The Angels and Kevin Borich, but achieved little success outside Australia. Lancaster left Status Quo formally in 1987.

The late 1980s and 1990s

On 12 July 1986 they played at Queen's Live at Wembley '86 concert. Furthermore, the band supported Queen at Knebworth and an assortment of Queen's European shows.[3] The commercially successful In the Army Now album was released in 1986, the single of the same name becoming one of the band's biggest selling UK singles, reaching number 2.[3] The following album, Ain't Complaining, released in 1988, was less successful but did produce the hit single "Burning Bridges" which got to number 5. This was later re-recorded (with new lyrics) in April 1994 with Manchester United F.C. as "Come on You Reds" which would have given the band their second UK Number 1, but the single was released as 'by Manchester United'.

The early-to-mid-1990s saw falling album sales for the band. To promote the release of the "Rock 'Til You Drop" album (1991), Quo performed four arena gigs across the UK in the space of a single day, earning them a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The 1994 Quo album "Thirsty Work" included a cover of the Demis Roussos song "Restless" revealing an alternative and lighter sound to the band.[3] Don't Stop (1996), and Famous in the Last Century (2000) consisted almost entirely of cover versions, (with the only exception being the title track to the latter). The former brought some chart success for Quo with covers of Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" and The Beach Boys' "Fun, Fun, Fun". The band became involved in an acrimonious dispute with Radio 1 after the station refused to include the "Fun Fun Fun" single on the radio station's playlist.[3]

In 1993, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt attracted a crowd of over 25,000 when they performed the annual Blackpool Illuminations lights switch on.

Parfitt underwent quadruple by-pass surgery in 1997 but was able to make a full recovery and returned with a performance at the Norwich City Football Club ground three months later. Status Quo also returned to Australia in 1997, completing their first tour there since 1978. A greatest hits compilation, 'Whatever You Want – The Very Best of Status Quo' was also released, achieving silver sales in the UK that year. In 1999, Quo toured Germany, Holland and Switzerland. Dubbed the 'Last Night of the Proms', the band were backed by a full orchestra during the concerts.

Rich left in 2000 and was replaced by Matt Letley. Andrew Bown also took a year off at the same time following the death of his wife, and was temporarily replaced on stage by Paul Hirsh, formerly of Voyager.

The 2000s

In recent years, Status Quo have retained their loyal fan base in the United Kingdom, as well as their big followings in Scandinavia and mainland Europe, most notably in the Netherlands.

In November 2000, the band played a gig at Grandchester in the outback in Australia, performing on a carriage of Australia's Orient Express, the Great South Pacific Express.

In September 2005, a contestant on the long-running BBC television quiz programme Mastermind chose Status Quo as his specialist subject. That same year Rossi and Parfitt made cameo appearances in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street in a storyline which involved them being sued by the notorious layabout Les Battersby, and performing live at his wedding as compensation.

In December 2005, it was announced that Parfitt had been taken ill and was undergoing tests for throat cancer. All subsequent dates of the UK tour were cancelled as a result. However, the growths in Parfitt's throat were later found to be benign and were successfully removed. In May 2006, a fully recovered Parfitt and the band returned to the NEC Birmingham to play the show that they had postponed in December. This was their 40th show at the venue, and was recorded for a DVD, entitled "Just Doin' It".

On the 1 July 2007, they performed in front of 63,000 people at the newly built Wembley Stadium as part of the Concert for Diana. They also appeared on the TV program Tiswas Reunited, in which the band got the usual greeting of custard pies and buckets of water whilst playing the song, "Gerdundula".

Their twenty-eighth studio album, In Search of the Fourth Chord, was released on the band's own Fourth Chord label in September 2007 in the UK, and on Edel Records in the rest of Europe. Produced by veteran producer Pip Williams, who had worked with Quo in the studio since 1977, the album was only moderately successful.

In 2008, they teamed up with German techno group Scooter to record a jumpstyle version of their 1979 single "Whatever You Want" entitled "Jump That Rock (Whatever You Want)".[9] In December 2008, they released their 75th single and first Christmas single, entitled "It's Christmas Time", which peaked at No. 40 in the UK Singles Chart.[10]

In August 2009, Status Quo returned to Northern Ireland to play in Carrickfergus. Other acts included Imelda May, Simon McBride, and Jools Holland.[11]

Status Quo played at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival on 28 June,[12] and at the separately held Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza in August 2009.[13]

Quo have recently seen a rise in popularity, seen most notably after their performance at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival on the Pyramid stage. The Sunday afternoon performance drew a record crowd of 80,000 people. Additionally, Status Quo have seen a resurgence in France, where their recent tours have seen them performing in larger venues; while, in March 2010, they undertook a five-date tour of Australia, which was also well received.

The 2010s

Rossi and Parfitt were awarded the OBE in the New Year Honours 2010 for their services to music. Their long-standing work for charities includes The Prince's Trust, British Heart Foundation and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.

Classic Rock magazine reported on 17 March 2010 that the band has patched up their relationship with Alan Lancaster, and are discussing the possibility of a collaboration in the future.[14] The article stated "While the band are back on friendly terms with Alan, it's unlikely we'll see any future reunion, with Quo continuing as normal and Lancaster busy with charity events and overseeing the activities of his son's band The Presence".[14]

On 20 September 2010, Status Quo was honoured with a plaque commemorating their first gig at the Welcome Inn in Well Hall Road, Eltham, where the band first performed in 1967.

On 26 September 2010, a new version of "In the Army Now" was released through Universal / UMC. All profits from this updated and lyrically reworked version will be donated equally to the British Forces Foundation and Help For Heroes charities.[15]

The release of the band's complete BBC television and radio recordings has been announced. A box set of sessions, live concerts and TV appearances was released on 25 October 2010, titled Live at the BBC.

Their twenty ninth studio album, Quid Pro Quo, was released in a deluxe format exclusively at Tesco on 30 May 2011. The regular edition will be released elsewhere on 7 June. The album charted at number 10 in the UK charts.

Excerpt from "Pictures of Matchstick Men" [16] drives the beat of a Target Corporation TV spot Summer 2011.

December 2011 will see Status Quo undertake their first all arenas UK winter tour. Quo will also perform their first ever gig at the O2 arena in London. The tour is dubbed 'Quofest' and will see Roy Wood and Kim Wilde as support for all shows.

In September 2011 Quo began filming their first cinematic documentary with Emmy nominated director Alan G. Parker. Provisionally entitled 'Hello Quo!', the production is planned for release in October 2012.

Band members

1962-1985


1986-present


Discography

For more details on this topic, see Status Quo discography.

Remakes and cover versions

References

  1. ^ pronounced as "state-us"
  2. ^ "Status Quo : Overview". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p20738. Retrieved 3 May 2009. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Roberts, David (1998). Guinness Rockopedia (1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd.. p. 417. ISBN 0-85112-072-5. 
  4. ^ "Status Quo hold UK singles record". BBC News. 19 September 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4259312.stm. Retrieved 14 February 2009. 
  5. ^ UK Chart Stats
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 927–929. ISBN 1-84195-017-3. 
  7. ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 164. ISBN 0-85112-250-7. 
  8. ^ "Quo Facts". Statusquo.co.uk. http://www.statusquo.co.uk/factsheet.htm. Retrieved 15 July 2011. 
  9. ^ Scooter Vs Status Quo ScooterTechno.com
  10. ^ It's Christmas Time Statusquo.co.uk
  11. ^ Gigging Northern Ireland talks to Francis Rossi of Status Quo GiggingNI.com
  12. ^ Glastonbury Festivals - Line-Up Glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
  13. ^ Virtual Festivals: virtualfestivals.com (18 November 2008). "Virtualfestivals.co.uk". Virtualfestivals.co.uk. http://www.virtualfestivals.com/latest/news/5415/-/Status-Quo-heading-for-Glastonbury-in-2009. Retrieved 15 July 2011. 
  14. ^ a b Quo Kiss And Make Up With Former Bassist — Classic Rock (magazine)
  15. ^ Army and Status Quo join forces in remake of In The Army Now — British Army Website
  16. ^ "Target choses Matchstick Men for Summer 2011 TV spot". Youtube.com. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qmmc3qXdj0. Retrieved 15 July 2011. 
  17. ^ Mugan, Chris (7 December 2002). "John Peel's comments on playing 'Down Down', in The Guardian". London. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,855214,00.html. Retrieved 24 May 2010. 

Literature

External links

Book: Status Quo (band)
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.
Status Quo
Studio albums (UK)
UK Top 20 singles
"Pictures of Matchstick Men" • "Ice in the Sun" • "Down the Dustpipe" • "Paper Plane" • "Mean Girl" • "Caroline" • "Break the Rules" • "Down Down" • "Roll Over Lay Down" • "Rain" • "Mystery Song" • "The Wild Side of Life" • "Rockin' All Over the World" • "Again and Again" • "Whatever You Want" • "Living on an Island" • "What You're Proposing" • "Lies" / "Don't Drive my Car" • "Something 'Bout You Baby I Like" • "Rock 'n' Roll" • "Dear John" • "Ol' Rag Blues" • "A Mess of Blues" • "Marguerita Time" • "Going Down Town Tonight" • "The Wanderer" • "Rollin' Home" • "Red Sky" • "In the Army Now" • "Dreamin'" • "Ain't Complaining" • "Running All Over the World" • "Burning Bridges" • "The Anniversary Waltz (Parts One and Two)" • "Come on You Reds" • "Jam Side Down" • "You'll Come 'Round" • "The Party Ain't Over Yet"
Other singles
"Black Veils of Melancholy" • "Make Me Stay a Bit Longer" • "Are You Growing Tired of My Love" • "The Price of Love" • "In My Chair" • "Tune to the Music" • "Gerdundula" • "Rockers Rollin' / Hold You Back" • "Accident Prone" • "She Don't Fool Me" • "Who Gets the Love?" • "Not at All" • "Little Dreamer" • "Can't Give You More" • "Rock 'til You Drop" • "Roadhouse Medley" • "I Didn't Mean It" • "Sherri, Don't Fail Me Now!" • "Restless" • "When You Walk in the Room" • "Fun Fun Fun" • "Don't Stop" • "All Around My Hat" • "The Way It Goes" • "Little White Lies" • "Twenty Wild Horses" • "Mony Mony" • "Old Time Rock and Roll" • "All Stand Up" • "Thinking of You" • "All That Counts Is Love" • "Beginning of the End" • "It's Christmas Time" • "Jump That Rock (Whatever You Want)"
See also
Book