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.
Claudie
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I forget all the words I once knew
I could look back
But I can't waste the time
Did it matter
They sometimes didn't rhyme
It's so long since I sang songs for you
It's so long since you smile just for me
Now your smile's just an old use to be
Does it matter
That I can take the time
Would you rather
I write you one more line
Can my songs once again be for you
Claudie made a fool out of me
Made me find another place to be
I've been living alone
In a house that wasn't my home
With Claudie is the place I want to be
When I left did you think of me crying
Did you care that I felt I was dying
I pretended
That I don't give a damn
All along
I've know what I really am
I'm a fool little Claudie just for you
Claudie made a fool out of me
Made me find another place to be
I've been living alone
In a house that wasn't my home
With Claudie is the place I want to be
The song “Claudie” by Status Quo is a heart-wrenching ballad that speaks about love, regret, and longing. The song begins with the singer admitting that it has been a long time since he sang songs for his lost love, Claudie. He laments that he has forgotten the words to the old songs once sung to her. He reflects on the fact that the lyrics of the songs he wrote for her were not always perfect or rhymed, but he sang from his heart. He wonders if it matters now.
The singer then speaks directly to Claudie, asking if she remembers the good times they shared when she used to smile just for him. He notes that her smile is now just an old memory. He asks if he can once again write songs for her, hoping to rekindle the lost love. The singer reveals that Claudie had made a fool out of him in the past, causing him to find another place to be. He confesses that he has been living alone in a house that wasn't his home. And the only place he wants to be is with Claudie.
The overall theme of the song is love and regret for what could have been. The song signifies that true love never dies and is always worth fighting for. The lyrics convey a message that it is never too late to go back and fix what went wrong if one's heart is pure.
Line by Line Meaning
It's so long since I sang songs to you
It has been a very long time since I last sang songs to you.
I forget all the words I once knew
I can't remember the lyrics to the songs I used to sing for you.
I could look back
I could try to remember the past.
But I can't waste the time
However, I don't want to waste my time dwelling on the past.
Did it matter
Did it make a difference?
They sometimes didn't rhyme
The lyrics of the songs I used to sing for you didn't always follow a rhyming pattern.
It's so long since I sang songs for you
It has been such a long time since I last sang songs dedicated to you.
It's so long since you smile just for me
It has also been a very long time since I last saw you smile at me.
Now your smile's just an old use to be
Your smile is now just a fond memory from the past.
Does it matter
Is it important?
That I can take the time
That I have the chance to take some time and write you a new song.
Would you rather
Do you prefer?
I write you one more line
Me writing you another line for a new song.
Can my songs once again be for you
Can I dedicate my new songs to you again?
Claudie made a fool out of me
Claudie tricked and humiliated me.
Made me find another place to be
This experience led me to leave and search for a new place to belong.
I've been living alone
Since then, I have been living all by myself.
In a house that wasn't my home
In a place that didn't feel like home.
With Claudie is the place I want to be
I want to be with Claudie again, despite what she did to me.
When I left did you think of me crying
When I left, did you ever think that I was crying?
Did you care that I felt I was dying
Did you ever care that I felt like I was dying inside?
I pretended
I acted as if I didn't care.
That I don't give a damn
That I didn't care at all.
All along
All this time.
I've know what I really am
I have always known who I really am deep down.
I'm a fool little Claudie just for you
I am a foolish person who still longs for Claudie.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANCIS DOMINIC MICHAEL NICOLA ROSSI, ROBERT KEITH YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alan Strom
Marguerita Time is a horrible piece of an abomination. It is revolting and not a QUO song.
Bernie Frost and Francis should've recorded it and other crap songs on their own music project, not on QUO albums.
Tieu you don't know the chord progressions used in Country Rock or the melodies that Claudie is laden with.
If you ask Francis he would say, that, YES it is a Country Rock song and also in his TOP 10 fave QUO songs.
I can debate this topic until the next ICE AGE.
There are also 2 songs on the WHATEVER YOU WANT album with very strong Country Rock sounds.
It's an unmistakable and unavoidable truth.
Wildside of Life was originally a Country song which QUO turned into a DISCO ROCK SONG and they also recorded a ROCK version which is on the Bonus Tracks on the re-released BLUE FOR YOU album.
ACCIDENT PRONE is also a DISCO song, yes, listen to the Drum beat and that's what constitutes the type/genre of music it is.
There are others, though I couldn't be bothered typing them all.
There's nothing QUO couldn't do, which is ironic considering what their name means in Latin.
The critics can go and get...................
I love this band with so much passion and intensity, they are the most honest band of all time.
Alan Strom
Oh man, come on, seriously, the Psych Era was amazing, brilliant, fantastic and far out.
At Paradise Flats, you won't come back, no, you won't come back.
Sunny Cellophane Skies.
When My Mind Is Not Live
In My Chair
"Auntie Nellie" - Lancaster, 1969
"Black Veils of Melancholy" - Rossi, 1968 (Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo)
"Daughter" - Lancaster, 1969 (Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon)
"Down the Dustpipe" - Groszmann, 1970
"Elizabeth Dreams" - Wilde/Scott, 1968 (Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo)
"Everything" - Rossi/Parfitt, 1970 (Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon)
"Face Without a Soul" - Rossi/Parfitt, 1969 (Spare Parts)
"Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Café" - K. Young, 1968 (Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo)
"Gerdundula" - Manston/James, 1970
"Green Tambourine" - Leka/Pinz, 1968 (Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo)
"Ice in the Sun" - Wilde/Scott, 1968 (Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo)
"In My Chair" - Rossi/B. Young, 1970
"Is It Really Me / Gotta Go Home" - Lancaster, 1970 (Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon)
"Junior's Wailing" - White/Pugh, 1970 (Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon)
"Lakky Lady" - Rossi/Parfitt, 1970 (Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon)
"Lazy Poker Blues" - Green/Adams), 1970 (Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon)
"Little Miss Nothing" - Rossi/Parfitt, 1969 (Spare Parts)
"Make Me Stay a Bit Longer" - Rossi/Parfitt, 1969
"Mr. Mind Detector" - A. King, 1969 (Spare Parts)
"Need Your Love" - Rossi/B. Young, 1970 (Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon)
"Nothing at All" - Lancaster/Lynes/B. Young, 1969 (Spare Parts)
"Paradise Flat" - Wilde/Scott, 1968 (Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo)
"Pictures of Matchstick Men" - Rossi, 1968 (Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo)
"Poor Old Man" - Rossi/Parfitt, 1969 (Spare Parts)
"Sheila" - Roe, 1968 (Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo)
"Shy Fly" - Rossi/B. Young, 1970 (Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon)
"So Ends Another Life" - Lancaster, 1969 (Spare Parts)
"Spicks and Specks" - Gibb, 1968 (Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo)
"Spinning Wheel Blues" - Rossi/B. Young, 1970 (Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon)
"Sunny Cellophane Skies" - Lancaster, 1968 (Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo)
"Technicolour Dreams" - A. King, 1968 (Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo)
"The Clown" - Lancaster/B. Young/Nixon, 1969 (Spare Parts)
"The Price of Love" - D. Everly/P. Everly, 1969
"To Be Free" - Lynes, 1968
"When I Awake" - Lancaster/B. Young, 1969 (Spare Parts)
This proves to the doubters and detractors that these are songs by great musicians who are very talented and versatile.
Dean Stanley
Superb album all the star’s had aligned for them at this point
Uist Lewis
Still got the original vinyl, scratches and all, Priceless, probably the most valuable vinyl in the World.... to me!
Richie Spooked Horse
That "Yeah, yeah, yeah!" at 3:54 still gives me chills.
david victor valdivieso berrospi
Me trae recuerdo de mi infancia, Status Quo lo mejor
Armando Hermoza
One of their best albums! Great rock and roll in the tradition of Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones.
Funky Fonc
You have good taste Signor Hermoza ! As far as I'm concerned, I think that Chuck Berry, along with Status Quo, is underestimated.
Elvis Presley was perhaps the King of Rock, but doubtlessly Chuck Berry was the GOD OF ROCK !
May The Spirit of Rock stand by you.
Paulo Reis
Maravilhoso e verdadeiro Rock and Roll inglês ... Jamais serão esquecidos ..
Nicco Arcadia
Hard Driving power rock and roll! One of the loudest bands I ever saw at concert! My ears are still ringing!
Oscar G.
Lucky you bro!
Raymond Gill
Love the band/song/lineup/album and bassline. thank you for posting.