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.
Break The Rules
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pulled a low down lady with a long black honky-tonk car
I asked no questions, I got no lies
A one off winner, I didn't want any ties
And I knew it wasn't right
Well, everybody has to sometimes break the rules
Took me down on the highway doing too many miles an hour
And by the way she motored thought we might have made the Eiffel Tower
I knew she'd done it so many times before
But I was off of the floor
But everybody has to sometimes break the rules
I woke up next morning feeling kind of up and down
'Cos I did not know if I was in or out of the town
Then I saw the face from the night before
My purse was empty lying there on the floor
But like I told you before
That, everybody has to sometimes break the rules
I spend a low down evening sitting high on a honky-tonk stool
And I spent my money like a low down honky-tonk fool
But everybody has to sometimes break the rules
Well, everybody has to sometimes break the rules
Yes, everybody has to sometimes break the rules
The lyrics to Status Quo's "Break The Rules" describe the story of a man who spends an evening in a honky-tonk bar, where he meets a woman with a black car. They end up going on a wild ride together, breaking the rules in the process. The singer doesn't ask questions and doesn't want any ties, knowing what they're doing isn't right. Though they go too fast, they eventually arrive at her home.
In the morning, the singer wakes up not knowing if he's still in town or not. He realizes his money is gone and assumes the woman from the previous night took it. Despite this, the singer acknowledges that sometimes, a person needs to break the rules.
The song seems to be advocating for living life on the edge and breaking the rules, as long as it's done with the understanding that there may be consequences. The lyrics also touch on the theme of regret but ultimately show that it's better to take risks and deal with the consequences, rather than living life in fear and regretting missed opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
Spent a long, long evening in a low down honky-tonk bar
I spent a long time at a bar known for its unsavory reputation
Pulled a low down lady with a long black honky-tonk car
I found a woman who was also looking for trouble, and had a flashy car to match
I asked no questions, I got no lies
I didn't want to know any details about her or her past
A one off winner, I didn't want any ties
I knew it was just a one-time thing and didn't want any attachments
And I knew it wasn't right
I was aware that my actions were not morally correct
Well, everybody has to sometimes break the rules
I justified my behavior by believing that everyone needs to bend the rules sometimes
Took me down on the highway doing too many miles an hour
She drove me recklessly on the highway, speeding
And by the way she motored thought we might have made the Eiffel Tower
Her driving was so wild that it felt like we were in Paris and climbing the Eiffel Tower
She stopped the motor by her own front door
She parked the car outside her own house
I knew she'd done it so many times before
I suspected that she had a lot of experience with this kind of behavior
But I was off of the floor
I was happy and enjoying myself despite any potential danger
I woke up next morning feeling kind of up and down
The next day I woke up feeling both excited and nervous
'Cos I did not know if I was in or out of the town
I was unsure if I was still in the same town or if we had gone somewhere else
Then I saw the face from the night before
I recognized her face from the previous night
My purse was empty lying there on the floor
I realized that my money was gone and my wallet had been taken
That everybody has to sometimes break the rules
I still believed that sometimes it was necessary to break the rules
I spend a low down evening sitting high on a honky-tonk stool
I spent another night at the same type of rowdy bar
And I spent my money like a low down honky-tonk fool
I spent my money carelessly on drinks, just like everyone else there
Well, everybody has to sometimes break the rules
The song emphasizes the idea that breaking the rules is sometimes acceptable, especially in certain situations or environments.
Yes, everybody has to sometimes break the rules
The chorus is repeated to further drive home the message that breaking rules is a part of life and can even be enjoyable.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: CHARLES LANCASTER ALAN, FRANCIS DOMINIC MICHAEL NICOLA ROSSI, RICHARD JOHN PARFITT, JOHN COGHLAN, ROBERT KEITH YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Declan Quaile
Heard Quo for the first time on the radio in '74. This was the song and I have loved their groove since
Bluesky
Whatever you think of this..Isn't it a wonderful recording..So much space and attitude..Great groove and attitude..Real tight as well..
fred apps
Quo were always unfairly knocked they were a lot of fun and good musicians
Steve Tivey
A great 'shuffle-boogie' song. It trundles along in a pleasant fashion. You don't have to be going at 100 miles an hour all of the time
Ian Crockert
The best Quo single ever.
cantdrivefiftyfive
Love the harmonica, the honky tonk piano and the boogie beat
J.L. Hennig
One of Rossi's best solos for sure.
Kevin James
Bought this album when I was 14!! Wore it out ! Frame Rossi great country inspired solo
Bryn Stevenson-Davies
R.I.P. Alan Lancaster, sadly missed but never forgotten.
Andre Mazurok
Great sound