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.
Blues & Rhythm
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw this picture in a magazine
With it's gold plated grovers
Such a clean machine
So I, I did my home work
And I worked like hell
As the brown eyed handsome man said
I got that blues and rhythm
Good enough to eat
Sound and vision
Hit me with the backbeat
blues and rhythm
Good enough to eat
Sound and vision
Hit me with the backbeat
Blues and rhythm
Something for my soul
My decision
Give me rock and give me roll
I started gigging in my early teens
Sewed the red leather patches
On my filthy jeans
Got my first fender tele
Got my marshall stack
Big head knock 'em dead
I know where it's at
I got that blues and rhythm
Good enough to eat
Sound and vision
Hit me with the backbeat
Blues and rhythm
Something for my soul
My decision
Give me rock and give me roll
don't anybody listen anymore
I can still hear them banging
On my bedroom door
Is it too late to tell them?
Will they understand?
Calm down, come on round
And listen to the band
we got the blues and rhythm
Good enough to eat
Sound and vision
Hit me with the backbeat
Blues and rhythm
Something for my soul
My decision
Give me rock and give me roll
jailhouse rocker
Make you tap your feet
Classic shocker
Listen to the backbeat
I got that blues and rhythm
I got that blues and rhythm
I got that blues and rhythm
We got that blues and rhythm
The song "Blues and Rhythm" by Status Quo gives an insight into the journey and experiences of a young musician. The song starts with the singer talking about coming across a picture in a magazine of a clean machine with gold-plated grovers. Being intrigued by it, he does his homework and works hard to get the necessary equipment. The singer then talks about his experiences with gigging from his early teens, highlighting how he got his first Fender Tele and Marshall stack. The song tells the story of a young artist's passion for creating music, the hard work that goes into it and the exhilaration of performing for others.
The chorus of the song, "Blues and Rhythm, good enough to eat, sound and vision, hit me with the backbeat," emphasizes the type of music the singer is inspired by and his love for the powerful, rhythmic and soulful "backbeat" sound that has been a staple of rock music from its inception. The final verse of the song is an invitation to listeners to "come on round and listen to the band", emphasizing the passion with which the singer views his work and his desire to share it with others.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw this picture in a magazine
I came across a picture of a guitar in a magazine
With its gold plated groovers
The guitar in the picture had gold-plated tuning pegs
Such a clean machine
It was a well-maintained and polished piece of musical equipment
So I, I did my homework
I researched how I could obtain this guitar
And I worked like hell
I put in a lot of effort and dedication towards my goal
As the brown eyed handsome man said
I took inspiration from Chuck Berry's lyrics in 'You Never Can Tell'
You never can tell
You never know what opportunities may arise in life
I got that blues and rhythm
I possess the ability to play and compose blues and rhythm music
Good enough to eat
It is so satisfying, it's like a delicious meal
Sound and vision
The music I create is both aurally and visually appealing
Hit me with the backbeat
I want to feel the strong and steady pulse of the music
Something for my soul
My musical expression is an outlet for my deepest emotions
My decision
I have decided that this is the type of music I want to create
Give me rock and give me roll
I want to incorporate elements of both rock and roll into my music
I started gigging in my early teens
I began performing live concerts when I was a teenager
Sewed the red leather patches on my filthy jeans
I added patches made of red leather to my ripped and dirty pair of jeans
Got my first fender tele
I obtained my first Fender Telecaster guitar
Got my marshall stack
I acquired a Marshall guitar amplifier
Big head knock 'em dead
My impressive sound and performance skills wowed audiences
I know where it's at
I know how to create and perform great music
Don't anybody listen anymore
People do not seem to appreciate live music performances as much anymore
I can still hear them banging on my bedroom door
I recall when people used to come to my room to hear me play
Is it too late to tell them?
I wonder if it's possible to reconnect with my old fans
Will they understand?
Will they appreciate the music that I create now?
Calm down, come on round and listen to the band
I invite people to attend my concerts and listen to my music
Jailhouse rocker
A song that is sure to make people dance
Make you tap your feet
The rhythm of this song will make people naturally move their feet
Classic shocker
An old favorite song that always surprises and excites people
We got that blues and rhythm
My band and I possess the collective ability to play and compose blues and rhythm music
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andrew Steven Bown, Francis Dominic Nicholas Micha Rossi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Martin Pham
my dad introduced Status Quo to me in like 2003 and i've been a giant fan ever since. the Quo fans must unite, since there are se few of us left Long live the mightey Quo
Beatrice Beatrice
There are many of us
I okay play them up in the morning and down in the evening
I D
Personally, I think it's a killer song.
RosieS XD
My dad always listens to status quo in the car. He LOVES them. Now I've got into them from him :) Thanks dad. Love this song ;)
KoasterKing 205
Listened to this back in '02 with my dad in his car. The memories...! :)
Gavan Showers
This is the track I heard on radio (720 6WF) in Perth Australia that put me back in touch with this great band in 2004 or so. A real good R&B number IMHO. Keep rocking for another 30 years please Quo, and too much harmonical is not enought!
Tim
I just found out this band and quickly added to my music list. This song is awesome!
isabel pinho
hey listen totheir hello album and on the level, the songs caroline and down down . i cant believe you havent heard about this band. then tell me what you think.... you're gonna love it
Martin Pham
and not counting the great classics (Caroline, Down Down, Rockin' all over the world and so on...), from the newer songs this is one of they're best in my view (Begining of the end and Alright were pretty good too :)
CaitlinPMac
OMG! Thats what happened to me too ;D My Dad loves Status Quo and he took me to meet them when I was four years old. How old are you???? love this song too ;) Long Live The Quo. We are the sort of people that will keep Quo and Rock'n'Roll going!