Status Quo is a British rock band (London, England) with strong boogie line… Read Full Bio ↴Status Quo is a British rock band (London, England) with strong boogie line. The group was founded by bassist Alan Lancaster and guitarist Francis Rossi in 1962.

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.

Face Without a Soul
Status Quo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She's a face without a soul
This lady's heart is gold
She's a face without a soul
This lady's heart is gold

Though her hands are cool they'll burn
You may kiss her but you'll have to take your turn
In her life you're just another bird in the sky

When she says you must be ready to fly
Ready to fly, up and fly away

She's a face without a soul
This lady's heart is gold
She's a face without a soul
This lady's heart is gold

This lady has no love
Herself, perhaps, is who she puts above
Everything, and of course, everyone
Knows this lady thinks she's number one
Number one, yes the only one

She's a face without a soul
This lady's heart is gold
She's a face without a soul
This lady's heart is gold

She's gonna fall on her face someday
Find other men for her games to play
I'm gonna make sure everyone knows
What she is trying to do

She's a face without a soul

This lady's heart is gold
She's a face without a soul

Overall Meaning

The song "Face Without a Soul" by Status Quo paints a picture of a complex and intriguing woman. On one hand, she is described as having a heart of gold, but on the other, she is portrayed as a woman without a soul who has no love for anyone else. The song's lyrics showcase the dichotomy of her character, and the singer warns that she is not to be trusted.

The opening lines, "She's a face without a soul, this lady's heart is gold," immediately establish the contrasting nature of this woman. It's almost as if the singer is questioning how someone can have such a kind heart yet be so devoid of a soul. As the lyrics continue, we learn that although she may be charming and beautiful, she is ultimately self-centered and manipulative. The line "Though her hands are cool they'll burn" implies that she is cold and calculating, and that her true intentions may not be immediately evident.

In the chorus, the lyrics repeat the phrases "She's a face without a soul" and "This lady's heart is gold," emphasizing the juxtaposition between her internal and external personas. The second verse reveals that the woman is more concerned with herself than anyone else. The line "Herself, perhaps, is who she puts above everything, and of course, everyone" shows that she is not capable of truly loving anyone but herself.

The song's final verse is a warning to anyone who may be under the woman's spell. The singer predicts that she will eventually fall and that others should not be fooled by her facade. Overall, "Face Without a Soul" is a cautionary tale about trusting those who may appear kind and loving but who are ultimately selfish and manipulative.

Line by Line Meaning

She's a face without a soul
This woman appears emotionless and lacks the ability to empathize with others.

This lady's heart is gold
Despite her cold exterior, this woman has a kind and generous heart.

Though her hands are cool they'll burn
Although she may seem distant and unapproachable, she has the power to hurt those who try to get close to her.

You may kiss her but you'll have to take your turn
She is in control of her romantic relationships and expects men to wait for their turn with her.

In her life you're just another bird in the sky
You hold very little importance in her life and are easily replaceable.

When she says you must be ready to fly
She expects her partners to be independent and not rely on her for emotional support.

This lady has no love
She is incapable of truly loving someone else.

Herself, perhaps, is who she puts above
She prioritizes herself above all others.

Everything, and of course, everyone
She values material possessions and the attention of others more than genuine human connection.

Knows this lady thinks she's number one
She has an inflated sense of self-importance and believes she is superior to others.

Number one, yes the only one
She believes that she is the only person who matters in her own life.

She's gonna fall on her face someday
Her selfish and manipulative behavior will eventually lead to her downfall.

Find other men for her games to play
She will move on from one relationship to the next, using men for her own entertainment.

I'm gonna make sure everyone knows
The singer plans to expose her true nature to those around her.

What she is trying to do
The singer wants to reveal her manipulative and selfish intentions to others.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANCIS DOMINIC MICHAEL NICOLA ROSSI, RICHARD JOHN PARFITT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS