They began as a rock and roll freakbeat band called The Spectres. By 1967, with very little commercial success, they discovered psychedelia and changed their name to Traffic (later Traffic Jam, to avoid confusion with Steve Winwood's Traffic.) At this time the line-up also included organist Roy Lynes and drummer John Coghlan. Late in 1967 they recruited second guitarist Rick Parfitt and became The Status Quo, scoring Top 10 singles with Pictures Of Matchstick Men and Ice in The Sun. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" remains the only Top 40 hit single the group has ever charted in the United States. They have never achieved the same level of success there, that they have enjoyed in their home country.
After their second album Spare Parts they decided to change into a heavy boogie rock band. During the seventies they became one of the UK's leading rock bands, gaining a faithful following due to their excellent live gigs. They showed a great amount of energy during this decade and in the early 80s. They and are best known for songs from this era such as Paper Plane (1972), Caroline (1973), Down Down (1975), John Fogerty's Rockin' All Over The World (1977) and Whatever You Want (1979). Down Down topped the UK charts in January 1975 (their only British No. 1 single to date).
Lynes left in 1971, to be replaced initially by guest keyboard players on album, including Jimmy Horowitz and John Parker, and later on a more permanent basis on record and stage by ex-The Herd and Judas Jump member Andy Bown, though as he was contracted as a solo artist with EMI, he was not credited as a full-time member until 1982. Coghlan left in late 1981, to be replaced by Pete Kircher from 1960s band Honeybus. This short-lived lineup played its last gig in 1984 at the Milton Keynes Bowl, and reformed briefly to open the Live Aid charity event at Wembley in July 1985.
That year Rossi recorded and released two solo singles with longtime writing partner Bernie Frost. Parfitt was also working on a solo album which is still unreleased, although some tracks have been re-recorded by Status Quo and released as 'B' sides. Bass player John Edwards and drummer Jeff Rich, both ex-Judie Tzuke Band and Climax Blues Band, assisted Parfitt in the studio.
In the summer of 1985 Rossi, Parfitt and Bown, along with Edwards and Rich started work on a new album. Lancaster, who was living in Australia at the time, took out a legal injunction to stop the band using the Status Quo name on any records. The injunction was lifted after a court hearing in January 1986. Lancaster had had increasing musical differences with the group, notably during the sessions for the 1983 album Back to Back over two tracks which became hit singles for the group around that time. He had written Ol' Rag Blues, but was angered when the producers chose to release a version with Rossi singing lead vocal in preference to the one sung by himself, and he objected to Marguerita Time, which he thought unduly corny and too pop-oriented for them. He remained in Australia, forming a band called Party Boys, who had no success in Britain.
The commercially successful In The Army Now album was released in 1986, and the band continues to this day with the revised personnel. Rich left in 2000 and was replaced by Matthew Letley. Andrew Bown took a year off at the same time for family reasons and was replaced on stage by Paul Hirsh, formerly of Voyager.
According to Songfacts.com, Quo's 29th studio album, Quid Pro Quo, was released in a deluxe format exclusively at Tesco on 30 May 2011. The regular edition was released elsewhere a week later on 7th June. The LP debuted at #10 in the UK charts, the band's best chart placing for an original album since Don't Stop peaked at #2 in 1996.
Although Quo still release new material every few years, recent years have seen them release a series of greatest hits compilations and covers albums. One of the band's most recent original albums, Heavy Traffic, shows a return to classic form not seen since the late 1970s.
Status Quo have often been characterized, perhaps unfairly, as producing very simple songs, always in the same format: 4/4 rhythm, three chord structure. However, the recordings from their first decade demonstrate a diversity in musical style and complexity to rival most of the late 60s UK bands, and several of their singles and album tracks from later show considerable subtlety, not least the mainly acoustic 1979 single Living On An Island, and the 1980 album track, later a single, Rock'n'Roll, which is ironically one of the least rock'n'roll-like songs they have ever recorded.
They have a loyal group of fans in the United Kingdom, where they have enjoyed more hits than any other group in rock and roll history (over 60 as of mid-2005), as well as a big following in Europe, notably in The Netherlands.
In September 2005 a contestant on the long-running BBC television quiz programme Mastermind chose Status Quo as his specialist subject. That same year they took part in the long running ITV soap opera Coronation Street in a storyline which involved them being sued by the layabout Les Battersby.
In December 2005 it was announced that Parfitt was undergoing tests for throat cancer. All subsequent dates of the UK tour were cancelled as a result. However on 20th December it was further announced that the growths found in Parfitt's throat were benign and had been removed.
Quo have even been the subject of a Doctoral Thesis, purporting to demonstrate that their music composition skills could be favourably compared to the likes of the classical music composers, such as Beethoven!
In Autumn 2008 German techno legend Scooter released new single Jump that rock together with Status Quo.
On 1 February 2016, it was officially announced that Status Quo, in addition to the spring and summer dates already scheduled, would tour Europe starting in October. The final dates would take place in the UK towards the end of the year, after which the group would retire from playing 'electric' tours.
On 28 October 2016, Rick Parfitt permanently retired from live performances after suffering a heart attack earlier the same year. On 24 December 2017, he died in hospital in Marbella, Spain as a result of severe infection, after suffering an injury to his shoulder. Parfitt's funeral was held at Woking Crematorium on 19 January 2017. Irish guitarist Richie Malone, who had substituted for Parfitt during some 2016 live shows, took his place on rhythm guitar.
Nothin' Yet
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't face the world, point your head to the ground
Things going wrong make you feel quite insane
But don't worry boy, life will be sweet one day
We made enough mistakes
But you know we've got what it takes
We ain't got nothin', we ain't got nothin' yet
One day you're up and the next day you're down
You can't face the world, point your head to the ground
Things going wrong make you feel quite insane
But don't worry boy, life will be sweet one day
We made enough mistakes
But you know we've got what it takes
We ain't got nothin', we ain't got nothin' yet
We ain't got nothin' yet
We made enough mistakes, ah
But you know we've got what it takes
We ain't got nothin', we ain't got nothin' yet
We ain't got nothin' yet
The lyrics of Status Quo's song "Nothin' Yet" speak to the ups and downs of life and the challenges that one may face. The song begins by acknowledging the fluctuating nature of life, where one day you may be on top of the world and the next day you may feel defeated. The line "You can't face the world, point your head to the ground" suggests a sense of resignation and feeling overwhelmed by the difficulties faced.
Despite the hardships, there is a message of hope embedded in the lyrics. The line "But don't worry boy, life will be sweet one day" offers reassurance that despite the current struggles, there is the belief that things will eventually improve. This reflects a resilient attitude and the band's ability to look toward the future with optimism.
The repeated chorus emphasizes the idea that mistakes have been made, but there is confidence in the band's ability to overcome challenges. The line "We ain't got nothin', we ain't got nothin' yet" acknowledges the current lack of success or achievements, yet there is conviction in their potential. The repetition of these lines underscores a sense of determination and the refusal to give up, despite setbacks.
Overall, "Nothin' Yet" encapsulates the universal experience of facing obstacles and setbacks in life, but it also conveys a message of perseverance and the belief that success will eventually come.
Line by Line Meaning
One day you're up and the next day you're down
Life is filled with ups and downs, where one moment you may be happy and the next you may be sad
You can't face the world, point your head to the ground
Sometimes life gets overwhelming and it's difficult to face the challenges, causing you to feel defeated
Things going wrong make you feel quite insane
When everything seems to be going wrong, it can make you feel frustrated and overwhelmed
But don't worry boy, life will be sweet one day
Despite the hardships, there is hope for a brighter future and better days
We made enough mistakes
We have made plenty of errors and experienced failures
But you know we've got what it takes
Despite our mistakes, we have the necessary qualities and abilities to succeed
We ain't got nothin', we ain't got nothin' yet
Currently, we have nothing tangible or significant to show for our efforts
We made enough mistakes
We have made plenty of errors and experienced failures
But you know we've got what it takes
Despite our mistakes, we have the necessary qualities and abilities to succeed
We ain't got nothin', we ain't got nothin' yet
Currently, we have nothing tangible or significant to show for our efforts
We made enough mistakes, ah
We have made plenty of errors and experienced failures
But you know we've got what it takes
Despite our mistakes, we have the necessary qualities and abilities to succeed
We ain't got nothin', we ain't got nothin' yet
Currently, we have nothing tangible or significant to show for our efforts
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Michael Esposito, Peppy Castro, Ralph Scala, Ronald Gilbert, EMIL THIELHELM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@professorrenatosouzacontad2044
Black night is a long way from home...Thanks Spectres!
@enelramrockas4035
Los maestros de la Inglaterra: Spectres-Status Quo Un estilo clásico de rock soy su fan no. 1 también coleccionó su música.
@michaelcoulter1725
They sound pretty badass to me
@23rdjune
Wow! A couple of those photos I've never seen before!
@MTdaBlacking
Thank you 5SF!
@colincarroll7954
Changing their name to Traffic Jam after this Blues Magoos cover. Harrison aka Parfitt joined after the third name change Status Quo. Firstly as a support for Pictures of Matchstick Men. He played on every performance bar the single. Though he did on the album.
@freemandiaz5123
Rodney on the Roq sent me here but the internet hadn't been invented yet.
@gkprivate433
rough version. very cool
@geenesmern6830
Music used to be so cool!
@joezavacky720
I totally agree. The crap that passes today for music is a crime.