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.
Almost But Not Quite There
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To cuddle up so near to me
And do the things you like me to do to you
You like it when I tickle you
We start to kiss it pleases you
It gets so hot, I just don't know what to do
To take you when you're feelin' good
It makes me feel all of ten feet tall
So I just try to give to you
All that I can to satisfy you
I don't like to leave you girl
Almost but not quite there
So I just try to give to you
All that I can to satisfy you
I don't like to leave you girl
Almost but not quite there
Now when I finally get to you
I'm gonna put my love to you
And then I'll see just how good you are
So I've got to have you here with me
To cuddle up so near to me
And do the things you like me to do to you
So I just try to give to you
All that I can to satisfy you
I don't like to leave you girl
Almost but not quite there
The lyrics of Status Quo's song Almost But Not Quite There are about a person who desires physical intimacy with their partner. The song opens with the persona expressing their wish to have their partner close, to cuddle and do things that please them. It appears as if the partner likes to be tickled and kissed, and the physical contact gets them excited. The persona mentions that loving their partner makes them feel confident and tall, indicating the importance of the relationship in their life.
The lyrics convey that the persona tries their best to satisfy their partner's desires but falls short of reaching the goal every time. They do not like to leave their partner unsatisfied, so they keep trying harder. Towards the end of the song, the persona speaks of their determination to make it happen and is hopeful that they will achieve physical intimacy with their partner.
The song is an ode to the physical aspect of a romantic relationship, but it also portrays the value of trying to make one's partner happy. The lyrics show a sense of playfulness and chemistry, but the desperate tone of the song suggests that the persona is struggling to achieve their goal, which could be interpreted as a reflection of their insecurities and doubts about their physical abilities.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to have you here with me
I desire your presence by my side
To cuddle up so near to me
To embrace and hold close in physical intimacy
And do the things you like me to do to you
To engage in actions that provide you pleasure and satisfaction
You like it when I tickle you
You enjoy playful physical gestures like tickling
We start to kiss it pleases you
Physical expressions of affection and passion bring you joy
It gets so hot, I just don't know what to do
Intense feelings of passion and arousal leave me overwhelmed
To take you when you're feelin' good
To engage in sexual activity when you are in a positive emotional state
To love you like I know I should
To express my love for you in the way I believe is right
It makes me feel all of ten feet tall
Being able to love you in the right way boosts my confidence and self-esteem
So I just try to give to you
I make an effort to provide you with pleasure and satisfaction
All that I can to satisfy you
I am willing to exert myself to make sure you are fulfilled and content
I don't like to leave you girl
I am reluctant to depart from your company
Almost but not quite there
Despite my efforts, I have not fully achieved my goal of satisfying your desires
Now when I finally get to you
In the future, when we are physically together
I'm gonna put my love to you
I will express my affection for you in a physical manner
And then I'll see just how good you are
Through our physical interactions, I will be able to truly appreciate and understand your pleasures and desires
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL (GB) ROSSI, PATRICK BARLOW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jaime Alvarado
on Rain
great song ,,, !!!!!!!