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.
Breaking Away
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna check it out every day
Me and my wife gonna need every penny
'Cause we're throwing it all away
But I'm changing my tune
And I'm breaking away
And we're lazing away the day
Hot wax jacked-up on the television
And forgetting about the pay
But I'm changing my tune
And I'm breaking away
Breaking away
Four rockers rollin'
With a poet in the wings
Waiting to blow his heart away
Beanos with the road-crew
Postcards to the wife
Stating the menu of the day
Flying through 'til breakfast
Sleeping on the plane
Looking a good deal
Better than we'll ever feel again
Is it really worth it?
Could it all be real?
Am I just living out a dream?
Sitting in a hotel
Falling of the stage
Tuning in to Wonga Queen
Old men in boys' clothes
Has gone beyond a joke
Skin me another
And pass along the Wiskey and the Coke
Me and my friends are hating everybody
Who was telling us what to say
Heads down rockin' on up and down the country only
Living from day to day
And I'm changing my tune
And I'm breaking away
Breaking away
The song "Breaking Away" by Status Quo is about a group of rockers who are living the life they want to live, but also questioning if it's really worth it. The lyrics describe the life of the band members, who are making money but also spending it all, and how they are enjoying their rock and roll lifestyle but also feeling trapped by it. They are living day to day and not really considering the consequences of their actions, until one of them starts to change their tune and break away from the status quo.
The first verse describes how the band members and their wives are throwing away the money they make and how the singer is changing his tune and breaking away. The second verse talks about how the band members are lazy and just watch TV all day, not caring about getting paid. The third verse describes the band's life on the road, from the postcards they send home to the hotels they stay in, and how they are questioning if it's all worth it. The final verse talks about how the band members are fed up with people trying to tell them what to do and how they are breaking away from society's expectations.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the rock and roll lifestyle and the pressure to conform to society's expectations. It raises questions about whether the fame and fortune is worth it and whether it's possible to break away from the status quo.
Line by Line Meaning
Me and my friends gonna make a pile of money
My friends and I are planning to make a lot of money.
Gonna check it out every day
We will check the progress of our business every day.
Me and my wife gonna need every penny
My wife and I will need all the money we make.
'Cause we're throwing it all away
Because we are going to spend it all.
But I'm changing my tune
However, I am changing my mind.
And I'm breaking away
And I am breaking free from my old ways.
Me and my friends we're rugged little rockers
My friends and I are free-spirited rockers.
And we're lazing away the day
We are idle and just passing the day without worry.
Hot wax jacked-up on the television
We are watching TV with the volume turned up and are loving every moment of it.
And forgetting about the pay
We are not thinking about the money we earn.
Four rockers rollin'
Four of us, all rock musicians, are moving and traveling together.
With a poet in the wings
We have a poet among us, waiting in the wings.
Waiting to blow his heart away
This poet is waiting for a chance to share his feelings and emotions with us.
Beanos with the road-crew
We are having fun with our road-crew buddies, playing music and partying.
Postcards to the wife
We send postcards to our wives to share our experiences and the menu of the day.
Stating the menu of the day
We share with them what we had for the day's meals.
Flying through 'til breakfast
We are flying to our next destination until it's time for breakfast.
Sleeping on the plane
While traveling, we sleep on the plane.
Looking a good deal
We seem like we got a good deal and are content with our lives.
Better than we'll ever feel again
We feel like we've hit a peak and might never feel that good again.
Is it really worth it?
We are doubting the worth of all this fame, money and touring.
Could it all be real?
We wonder if our lifestyle and fame is genuine and true.
Am I just living out a dream?
We question whether we are waking up to reality or just living in a dream world.
Sitting in a hotel
We are sitting in our hotel room, contemplating life.
Falling off the stage
We have fallen while performing on stage from exhaustion, and we are struggling to keep going.
Tuning in to Wonga Queen
We are listening to the radio station Wonga Queen, seeking some comfort.
Old men in boys' clothes
Our rockstar appearances cause us to seem like old men trying to look young and cool.
Has gone beyond a joke
This has stopped being funny or amusing.
Skin me another
We ask for another drink or drug to make us feel better.
And pass along the Wiskey and the Coke
We share the alcohol and coke among us, trying to loosen up.
Me and my friends are hating everybody
My friends and I are growing bitter and resentful towards everyone telling us what to do.
Who was telling us what to say
We don't want anyone dictating our words or lifestyle.
Heads down rockin' on up and down the country only
We just focus on playing music and touring our country, seeking some solace.
Living from day to day
We are just living without a certain goal or aim, taking life as it comes.
Breaking away
Finally, we decide to break away from our old lifestyle and make a bold new start.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fred Schellert
What a wonderful piece of Rock'n Roll. Will stand the test of time.
Hallgeir Hellan
Fantastic tune written by Rick.
Hallgeir Hellan
Wake up! Great tune by the mighty men from Quo.
Dean Evans
The last true epic Quo album
Moby Whale
Zo goed dit
Colin Gage
Great song,great album as well after 2 poor albums
Hans Op het Veld
and finaly....... :-(
Paul jones
I think the awful Pip Williams had worked out what a Quo guitar should sound like as the Rocking all over the world album sounded awful.