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.
Bye Bye Johnny
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And put her little boy aboard a Greyhound Bus
Leaving Louisiana for the Golden West
Down came the tears from her happiness
Her own little son name 'o Johnny B. Goode
Was gonna made some motion pictures out in Hollywood
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Good bye Johnny B. Goode
She remembered taking money out from the gathering crop
And buying Johnny's guitar at a broker shop
As long as he would play it by the railroad side
And wouldn't get in trouble he was satisfied
But never thought that there would come a day like this
When she would have to give her son a goodbye kiss
Going
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Bye bye Johnny
Good bye Johnny B. Goode
She finally got the letter she was dreaming of
Johnny wrote and told her he had felt in love
As soon as he was married he would bring her back
And build a mension for 'em by the railroad track
So every time they heard the locomotive roar
They'd be a' standin', a' wavin' by the kitchen door
Howling
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Bye bye Johnny
Good bye Johnny B. Goode
The song "Bye Bye Johnny" by Status Quo is an emotional tale about a mother who sends her son Johnny from Louisiana to Hollywood to fulfill his dreams of making it big in the motion picture industry. The first verse describes the mother's sacrifice in drawing out all her money from the Southern Trust and putting her son on a Greyhound bus to the Golden West. The tears that she sheds are not of sadness but of happiness for her son's bright future. Johnny has always harbored the ambition of starring in motion pictures, and his mother supports him by buying his first guitar from a broker shop and urging him to play it by the railroad side without getting into trouble.
The second verse revolves around the memories of Johnny's childhood and how he used to play the guitar by the railroad side. The mother never thought that there would come a day when she would have to say goodbye to her son, but her heart swells with pride for the man that he has become. The final verse describes how Johnny writes to his mother to tell her that he has fallen in love and plans to come back and build a mansion for them by the railroad track. Every time they hear the train roar, they will know that Johnny is coming home. The song is a poignant reflection of a mother's love and the bittersweet longing for her son.
Line by Line Meaning
She drew out all her money out of the Southern Trust
She withdrew all the money from her account at the Southern Trust bank.
And put her little boy aboard a Greyhound Bus
She sent her young son on the Greyhound Bus to travel from Louisiana to the West Coast.
Leaving Louisiana for the Golden West
She left the state of Louisiana for the West Coast looking for greener pastures.
Down came the tears from her happiness
She cried tears of joy and sadness seeing her son leave for a new adventure.
Her own little son name 'o Johnny B. Goode
Her son's name was Johnny B. Goode.
Was gonna made some motion pictures out in Hollywood
Johnny was going to make movies in Hollywood.
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Saying goodbye multiple times.
Good bye Johnny B. Goode
Saying goodbye to Johnny B. Goode.
She remembered taking money out from the gathering crop
She recalled taking money from the crops she harvested to buy Johnny a guitar.
And buying Johnny's guitar at a broker shop
She purchased Johnny's guitar from a broker shop.
As long as he would play it by the railroad side
She only agreed to buy the guitar if Johnny promised to play it by the railroad side and not get into trouble.
And wouldn't get in trouble he was satisfied
Johnny was satisfied as long as he could play his guitar by the railroad without getting into trouble.
But never thought that there would come a day like this
She never imagined a day would come where she had to say goodbye to her son as he heads off to pursue his dreams.
When she would have to give her son a goodbye kiss
She had to kiss her son goodbye before he left to pursue his dreams.
Going
Leaving.
She finally got the letter she was dreaming of
She received a letter from Johnny that she had been eagerly waiting for.
Johnny wrote and told her he had felt in love
Johnny wrote to her telling her that he had fallen in love with someone.
As soon as he was married he would bring her back
As soon as Johnny got married, he promised to bring his mother back to the West Coast.
And build a mension for 'em by the railroad track
Johnny promised to build them a mansion by the railroad track.
So every time they heard the locomotive roar
They will hear the loud sound of the locomotive train sounds.
They'd be a' standin', a' wavin' by the kitchen door
They would be standing and waving at the kitchen door every time the train passes by.
Howling
Making noise.
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Leandro Machado
I saw them live back in early 2000’s in Australia with my bro Ben Collins , Sabina and legendary guitarist from Dragon Rob Taylor, they blew my mind , I didn’t even knew who they were back then , it was unreal , man they were so good and so much stage presence I had never forgot that concert ever since as one of the best ever .
Australia 🇦🇺
Christophe Mounier
Powerful finale with an upbeat tempo to a brilliant album !!
Un final survitamné mené à un train d'enfer pour ce brillant album !!
Corvus Corax
One of the best albums EVER!!
Edgar Manzano
Una letra sana y bien ejecutada Por este grupo que es de primera su tecnica y estilo.
Isabel Brattkull
Quo is really on the level. Pure rock'n'roll!
Mark Jones
Just the greatest Quo era!
J McL
that's rock n roll
Michael70
Quo on top form.... forever.
Joe Kauffman
R.I.P Alan Lancaster, brilliant cover, to me, I’ve always prefer this to the original
Valeriy Blinov
Super Beautiful!!!!