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.
Calling
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never been to California but I wanted to
I thought it was dreams in my head
I've never been a moaner
But I'll get to Arizona if it kills me to
I wish I could fly from my bed
And it's calling me over
Let's talk it over
I'm calling, calling, crawling, crawling
Rolling me over
And it's rolling me home
I'm glad all over
It's calling, calling, I'm crawling my way home
I wrote a little letter
But it didn't make it better, I was aiming to
But you read it wrong, what I said
Hold on, it doesn't matter
What was written in the letter and I'm telling you
It's not just some dream in my head
And it's calling me over
And it's calling me home
Let's talk it over
I'm calling, calling, crawling, crawling
Rolling me over
And it's rolling me home
I'm glad all over
It's calling, calling, I'm crawling my way home
I could always go along without you
You know I could do it alone and I would
'Cause I'm a prima donna, gonna go ahead
I'm gonna, gonna get my own way if I can
And it keeps calling me over
And it's calling me home
Let's talk it over
I'm calling, calling, crawling, crawling
Rolling me over
And it's rolling me home
I'm glad all over
It's calling, calling, I'm crawling, crawling
In "Calling" by Status Quo, the singer talks about their desire to travel and explore different places. They mention never having been a loner, but feeling a pull towards California and Arizona. Despite never having been there, they have dreams and aspirations of visiting these states. The singer talks about wanting to fly from their bed and follow this calling. The chorus repeats the phrase "calling me over" and "calling me home," emphasizing the pull they feel towards these places.
The second verse begins with the singer writing a letter, perhaps to a loved one or friend, which didn't have the desired effect. They mention the letter being misinterpreted, but stress that the feelings in the letter were not just a dream. The chorus repeats from the first verse, highlighting the singer's desire to follow their dreams and the pull they feel towards California and Arizona.
In the bridge, the singer asserts their independence and confidence, stating that they could go on this journey alone if necessary. They describe themselves as a "prima donna" and determined to get their way. The chorus repeats once more, with the singer still feeling the pull of their dreams and the desire to explore new places.
Overall, "Calling" is a song about chasing our aspirations and following the pull we feel towards certain places or experiences. It's about being willing to take risks and step out of our comfort zones to explore the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
I've never been a loner
I'm someone who enjoys being social and being around people, not isolating myself
Never been to California but I wanted to
I have never had the chance to visit California, but I have always wanted to
I thought it was dreams in my head
I used to think it was just a dream or fantasy in my imagination, but now I realize it's real and can happen
I've never been a moaner
I'm not someone who complains and whines easily
But I'll get to Arizona if it kills me to
I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get to Arizona, even if it's a difficult or dangerous journey
I wish I could fly from my bed
I wish I could magically transport myself to Arizona without having to physically travel there
And it's calling me over
I feel a strong pull or desire to go to Arizona
And it's calling me home
I feel like Arizona is where I belong and where I want to be
Let's talk it over
I want to discuss this desire to go to Arizona with someone else
I'm calling, calling, crawling, crawling
I'm actively trying to make my way to Arizona, even if it's a slow and difficult process
Rolling me over
My desire to go to Arizona is overwhelming and all-consuming, like a wave rolling me over
And it's rolling me home
Going to Arizona feels like going home to me
I'm glad all over
The idea of going to Arizona makes me very happy and excited
I wrote a little letter
I tried to communicate my feelings about Arizona in a letter
But it didn't make it better, I was aiming to
Unfortunately, the letter did not make me feel any better or help me resolve my desire to go to Arizona
But you read it wrong, what I said
The person who received my letter misunderstood what I was trying to say
Hold on, it doesn't matter
I realize that the misunderstanding in the letter is not important and doesn't change my desire to go to Arizona
What was written in the letter and I'm telling you
The words in the letter are not the most important thing, what matters is my strong desire to go to Arizona
It's not just some dream in my head
Again, I want to emphasize that my desire to go to Arizona is not just a fantasy or imaginary, it's something real and important to me
I could always go along without you
I don't necessarily need someone else to go to Arizona with me, I could go alone if I had to
You know I could do it alone and I would
I'm determined and confident in my ability to make the trip to Arizona by myself if necessary
'Cause I'm a prima donna, gonna go ahead
I have confidence in myself and my abilities, and I'm going to do what I want regardless of what others might think or say
I'm gonna, gonna get my own way if I can
I'm determined to make my way to Arizona and will do whatever it takes to make it happen
It's calling, calling, I'm crawling my way home
Again, my desire to go to Arizona is so strong that it feels like I'm crawling my way home, and I won't be satisfied until I've made it there
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BERNARD JOHN FROST, FRANCIS ROSSI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kevin david loeza
great song QUO FOR EVER
Tomyelectronic
This is just "run of the mill" Quo. Sorry...but as a hard follower i had to quit with Quo during those days. For years i didn't know what they were doing. Didn't bought or heard the records back then. It's cool to hear it decades later - but it still hasn't grown to me. Greetings from germany.