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.
Democracy
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From those nights in Tienanmen Square.
It's coming from the feel
That this ain't exactly real,
Or it's real, but it ain't exactly there.
From the wars against disorder,
From the sirens night and day,
From the fires of the homeless,
From the ashes of the gay,
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It's coming through a crack in the wall,
On a visionary flood of alcohol,
From the staggering account
Of the Sermon on the Mount
Which I don't pretend to understand at all.
It's coming from the silence
On the dock of the bay,
From the brave, the bold, the battered
Heart of Chevrolet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It's coming from the sorrow in the street,
The holy places where the races meet,
From the homicidal bitching
That goes down in every kitchen
To determine who will serve and who will eat.
From the wells of disappointment
Where the women kneel to pray
For the grace of God in the desert here
And the desert far away,
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
Sail on, sail on
Oh mighty Ship of State!
To the Shores of Need
Past the Reefs of Greed
Through the Squalls of Hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on.
It's coming to America first,
The cradle of the best and of the worst.
It's here they got the range
And the machinery for change
And it's here they got the spiritual thirst.
It's here the family's broken
And it's here the lonely say
That the heart has got to open
In a fundamental way,
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It's coming from the women and the men.
Oh baby, we'll be making love again.
We'll be going d
own so deep
The river's going to weep,
And the mountain's going to shout Amen!
It's coming like the tidal flood
Beneath the lunar sway,
Imperial, mysterious,
In amorous array:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
"Democracy" by Leonard Cohen is a song that reflects on the social and political turmoil in the United States through the 1980s until the early 90s. It speaks of the injustices and difficulties the American people experienced in a world that was changing rapidly. The song starts with Cohen describing how democracy is "coming" to the United States, and he does so in each succeeding verse by presenting different facets of American life.
In the first verse, he talks about how democracy is coming to the United States from the aftermath of the Tienanmen Square protests in China, which was taking place at the time. He then reflects on the state of disorder in the world with the siren's call through the night, the fires of the homeless, and the ashes of the LGBT community. Even though it appears that democracy is not present, it is "coming" to America.
In the second verse, he speaks about how alcohol plays a part in this cultural shift in America, with the Sermon on the Mount providing the vision for the future. The docks and brave people, battered hearts of Chevrolet, and the collective silence speak of the hope, desperation and resilience of the American people.
Leonard Cohen, known for his powerful lyrics, released this song on his album "The Future" in 1992, with the help of co-producers and musicians like Anjani Thomas, Sharon Robinson, and Steve Lindsey.
Line by Line Meaning
It's coming through a hole in the air,
Democracy is spreading through the airwaves from the memories of the Tienanmen Square protests.
From those nights in Tienanmen Square.
The protests for democracy in Tienanmen Square are the source of this spreading message.
It's coming from the feel
The feeling that something isn't quite right is a catalyst for this enlightenment.
That this ain't exactly real,
The reality of the world isn't what it seems.
Or it's real, but it ain't exactly there.
Despite its existence, democracy is still elusive.
From the wars against disorder,
The chaos and anarchy in the world
From the sirens night and day,
The constant sound of alarms and warning in the world
From the fires of the homeless,
The burning hopelessness of the fate of the homeless
From the ashes of the gay,
After the oppression and bigotry, the spirit of the LGBTQ community still burns strongly
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
Democracy will come to the United States eventually.
It's coming through a crack in the wall,
Democracy is finding a way to make its way through the obstacles to manifest.
On a visionary flood of alcohol,
Intoxication is sometimes necessary to escape from the mundane and free the mind.
From the staggering account
From the Bible's parable, which can be overwhelming and difficult to comprehend completely.
Of the Sermon on the Mount
The famous sermon preached by Jesus on a mountaintop, urging for humility, mercy, and peace.
Which I don't pretend to understand at all.
The meaning of the sermon is difficult to decipher for some.
It's coming from the silence
The revelations of democracy is silent and subtle.
On the dock of the bay,
Even in places of rest and peace, democracy can find a way to manifest.
From the brave, the bold, the battered
Democracy comes from the resilience of those who have been oppressed and those who have suffered.
Heart of Chevrolet:
A symbol of American industry and ingenuity.
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
Democracy will come to the United States eventually.
It's coming from the sorrow in the street,
The pain and anguish of the injustices in the world are the fuel for democracy's manifestation.
The holy places where the races meet,
Where people of different races interact peacefully.
From the homicidal bitching
From the petty fights and arguments
That goes down in every kitchen
That occur in every household.
To determine who will serve and who will eat.
The disagreements over the distribution of resources and power.
From the wells of disappointment
From the depths of disappointment and despair
Where the women kneel to pray
Where women pray for better days
For the grace of God in the desert here
For the mercy of a divine force in the harsh world
And the desert far away,
And in faraway lands where life is equally harsh.
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
Democracy will come to the United States eventually.
Sail on, sail on
Keep pushing and moving forward
Oh mighty Ship of State!
Oh, powerful United States government
To the Shores of Need
To the places that require aid and support
Past the Reefs of Greed
Beyond the obstacles of selfishness and materialism.
Through the Squalls of Hate
Through the storms of animosity and bigotry
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on.
Keep moving forward no matter what.
It's coming to America first,
America will be one of the first countries to receive democracy.
The cradle of the best and of the worst.
America is the birthplace of both the greatest accomplishments and most regrettable moments in human history.
It's here they got the range
Here, they possess the ability
And the machinery for change
And the tools necessary for transformation and progress
And it's here they got the spiritual thirst.
A hunger for enlightenment and inner peace.
It's here the family's broken
American families are often torn apart for various reasons.
And it's here the lonely say
Lonely people seek meaning in life.
That the heart has got to open
The heart must learn to be receptive to change and connection.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Leonard Cohen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ronald
Beautiful song.
Ronald
Can't believe Quo covered this, weird but really cool in a way.
Paul Devine
Music to my ears