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.
Again and Again
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There wasn't such a thing as a rock'n roll show
You had to sit at home and listen to the radio
Then came a man with a rockin'guitar
Found himself a beat and he played it near and far
Everybody danced and sang and let the good times roll
Why don't you do it, why don't you do it again
Again again again again, again again again again
Why don't you do it, why don't you do it again
He travelled round the world in a rock-n-roll band
He stood there like a giant with a guitar in his hand
Everybody danced and sang and let the good times roll
Nobody cared about the clothes he would wear
Nobody cared about the colour of his hair
Everybody came to see and let the good times roll
Again again again again, again again again again
Why don't you do it, why don't you do it again
Again again again again, again again again again
Why don't you do it, why don't you do it again
Now we've got the rhythm in us now we've got the rock
Time didn't matter never living by the clock
Everybody came to hear him playing his rock-n-roll
Then came a line when the music didn't rhyme
He couldn't find the rhythm 'cause he couldn't find the time
But still the people came to listen to the good times roll
Again again again again, again again again again
Why don't you do it, why don't you do it again
Again again again again, again again again again
Why don't you do it, why don't you do it again
Again again again again, again again again again
Why don't you do it, why don't you do it again
Again again again again, again again again again
Why don't you do it, why don't you do it again
Why don't you do it, why don't you do it again
The lyrics of Status Quo's "Again and Again" speaks to the genesis and evolution of rock and roll music. It's a story about the rise of a rock star with an electrifying guitar who travelled across the world and played music that nobody had ever heard before. The song highlights the power of rock and roll to bring people together, to make them dance and sing, and most importantly, to let the good times roll.
The song begins by describing a time when rock and roll shows didn't exist, and people had to listen to the radio at home. But that all changed when a man with a rockin' guitar came along and started playing music that caused people to dance and sing. The lyrics suggest that this man travelled around the world with his band, playing his guitar and entertaining people everywhere. The song celebrates the emergence of a new kind of music that brought joy and excitement to people's lives.
As the song progresses, the lyrics acknowledge that the popularity of rock and roll is not guaranteed to last. The music industry is fickle and trends change. The once-great rock star struggles to find his rhythm, and people start to lose interest. But despite this, the song ends on a hopeful note, urging the listener to keep playing the music, to keep the rhythm alive, and to let the good times roll.
Overall, "Again and Again" is a song that celebrates the power of rock and roll to unite people and bring joy to their lives. It speaks to the enduring popularity of this musical genre, which has continued to evolve and inspire new generations of artists and fans.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time not so very long ago
Back in the day, there were no rock concerts like we have today
There wasn't such a thing as a rock'n roll show
Rock and roll concerts did not exist
You had to sit at home and listen to the radio
You could only listen to rock and roll music on the radio, from home
Then came a man with a rockin'guitar
A musician with a rock and roll style emerged
Found himself a beat and he played it near and far
The musician created a unique sound and played it all over the place
Everybody danced and sang and let the good times roll
People enjoyed the music and had a good time
Again again again again, again again again again
Repetition is an important element of rock and roll music
Why don't you do it, why don't you do it again
The musician wants the audience to keep dancing and having fun
He travelled round the world in a rock-n-roll band
The musician toured internationally with his rock band
He stood there like a giant with a guitar in his hand
The musician was a commanding presence on stage with his guitar
Nobody cared about the clothes he would wear
The musician's appearance was not as important as his music
Nobody cared about the colour of his hair
The musician's appearance was not as important as his music
Everybody came to see and let the good times roll
People came to have fun and enjoy the music
Now we've got the rhythm in us now we've got the rock
The audience has been influenced by the music and has absorbed its rhythm
Time didn't matter never living by the clock
People were so lost in the music they didn't care about time
Everybody came to hear him playing his rock-n-roll
People came to listen to the musician play rock and roll music
Then came a line when the music didn't rhyme
At some point, the musician lost his creative spark and the music wasn't as good
He couldn't find the rhythm 'cause he couldn't find the time
The musician had trouble keeping up with the demands of touring and creating new music
But still the people came to listen to the good times roll
Even if the music wasn't as good, people still came to have fun and enjoy the rock and roll experience
Why don't you do it, why don't you do it again
The musician wants to recapture the feeling of good times and rock and roll music
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: ANDY BOWN, JACKIE LYNTON, RICK PARFITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dr. Jones
Status Quo !!! Il n'y aura jamais mieux !
Ça c'est le most beautiful rock and roll band in the land....
Nostalgie de la belle époque d'insouciance qui rimait avec H2 ou z 1000
folginator
Just love that Rossi solo!🎸
Ivan Pedley
Superb work, as always Luke, thankyou for sharing it
Frank Neumann
Was waren das geile Zeiten...
Alex Alexon
I like Rick's vocals. Vicious!
Rachel Banks
Loved it as a kid and still do..
Mr Mitch
Golly, remember this as it was yesterday on top of the Pops 1978, i’d be 13 then and so proud as I am today of Quo
hubertgunpowder
Fantastic !! ♫
Siogo
Brillant rnr song! ❤️
John S.
Hats off to Jackie Lynton for this one 👏