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.
All Through The Night
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All through the night, lonely day, lonely night
All alone again, I never get my way
I don't remember when it's never been the same
I know what I've been looking for
But now I know it's what I'm living for
I want you back again
All through the night, oh, all through the night
All through the night, lonely day, lonely night
Once upon a time I didn't really care
I loved so many times, but then I had my share
I got a feeling here inside
And now I know it's you that's on my mind
I want you back again
I never get my way
All through the night, oh, all through the night
All through the night, lonely day, lonely night
All through the night, oh, all through the night
All through the night, lonely day, lonely night
Baby, baby, I just can't go on
Baby, waiting, what might come along (?)
Baby, baby, I just hope that you know
Baby, holding, I won't let you go
All through the night, oh, all through the night
All through the night, oh, all through the night
All through the night, lonely day, lonely night
All through the day, lonely night, lonely day
All through the night, oh all through the night
The lyrics of Status Quo's song "All Through The Night" express a feeling of loneliness and the desire to have someone back. The repetition of "all through the night" emphasizes the prolonged duration of the loneliness and the longing for the other person's presence. The singer describes feeling alone and never getting what they want, suggesting a sense of failure or disappointment. However, they express a newfound realization that what they have been searching for is the person they want back. The lyrics suggest that the singer has had many relationships, but now that they have someone specific in mind, they cannot stop thinking about them.
The chorus "lonely day, lonely night" expresses the pain and isolation that the singer is experiencing. The lyrics indicate that they feel they cannot go on without the person they desire and are essentially "holding on" to them. The lyrics portray a deep need for the other person and a sense of desperation to have them back.
Line by Line Meaning
All through the night, oh, all through the night
Throughout the whole night, without any stop
All through the night, lonely day, lonely night
No matter whether it's day or night, the feeling of loneliness continues
All alone again, I never get my way
Being alone again, I feel like I can never accomplish what I want
I don't remember when it's never been the same
I can't recall a time when things were different from what they are now
I know what I've been looking for
I'm aware of what I've been searching for
But now I know it's what I'm living for
But now I understand that this is what gives my life meaning
I want you back again
I desire to have you back in my life
Once upon a time I didn't really care
In the past, I was indifferent about things
I loved so many times, but then I had my share
I've experienced love multiple times, but I've had enough now
I got a feeling here inside
There's a distinct emotion present within me
And now I know it's you that's on my mind
And now I realize that it's you who is constantly on my thoughts
Baby, baby, I just can't go on
Sweetheart, I just can't continue living like this
Baby, waiting, what might come along (?)
Darling, waiting for what could happen in the future
Baby, baby, I just hope that you know
Honey, I just hope that you understand
Baby, holding, I won't let you go
Dearest, holding onto you tightly, I won't ever let you leave
All through the day, lonely night, lonely day
Throughout the whole day, the feeling of loneliness continues to persist
All through the night, oh all through the night
Every night, without fail
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALAN LANCASTER, FRANCIS ROSSI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gordon Boyd
Has to be one of the best 'B' sides in the history of the 7" single - absolutely rockin', little known Quo track! Love it, LOVE IT!!
Dean Brookes
Love this track. What a tune even though it was a b-side just shows the quality of music
Lukas Marzell
The middle riff and the whole song is an testament of quos extreme good playing power, standard turning, out from all speakers...piano of andy in the back...nuffs bass is pumping...
Drums are smashing and guitars are rolling, pure frantic four quo rules
AlanJacksonSoloTribute
Great post. love this one. Cheers Mick
Alan Strom
Record companies have their heads so far up their backsides that they can't hear a HIT Single.
This would've been huge.
RickRoper
Should have been the next single instead of Wild Side of Life... Very much in Quo's early '70s period of variations on the 12-bar theme, it's different and instantly distinguishable from other songs.
Volker Nagel
Great B Side