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.
Fine Fine Fine
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Til I messed with you
I sure do sitting here
And feeling all the pain
I just can't sleep now
'Cause I'm hoping that you'll keep
Another heartache for my heart again
How to read from the good book
My papa taught me
How to win and lose a game
They went down smiling
'cause they left me all they had
Plus another heartache for my heart again
[Chorus:]
But now it's fine, fine, fine
'Cause you're with me all the time
There to care and share the things I do
And now it's fine, fine, fine
'Cause you're with me all the time
Everywhere and even nowhere too
I use to make the late nights
On a cheap weekend
But all the women there were
Just a crying shame
I heard them saying
That they didn't think I'd stop
For another heartache for my heart again
[Chorus]
But now it's fine, fine, fine
'Cause you're with me all the time
There to care and share the things I do
And now it's fine, fine, fine
'Cause you're with me all the time
Everywhere and even nowhere too
In Status Quo's song Fine Fine Fine, the singer expresses how he had never experienced heartache until he became involved with the person he is addressing. Despite this, he is still in love with this person and hopes they won't leave him with another heartache. The singer references the lessons his parents taught him, but despite their wisdom, he is still managing to accumulate more heartaches. The chorus repeats the refrain that everything is now "fine, fine, fine" because the person he loves is with him all the time, through thick and thin.
The lyrics of Fine Fine Fine seem to be a reflection of the ups and downs of love and heartache. Despite the singer's initial inability to handle heartbreak, he still continues to pursue relationships and experiences new heartaches. In the end, he realizes that having someone he loves by his side makes everything okay, even when things aren't going perfectly.
Line by Line Meaning
I never knew of heartache
I was once naïve and innocent of the pain that comes with love.
'Til I messed with you
Until I fell in love with you.
I sure do sitting here
Now that you're gone, I'm left with nothing but heartache and pain.
And feeling all the pain
I can't escape the hurt you've caused me.
I just can't sleep now
My mind is restless and I can't find peace.
'Cause I'm hoping that you'll keep
I'm desperate for your love and hope that you'll come back to me.
Another heartache for my heart again
I know I'll risk heartache again if it means being with you.
My mama taught me
My mother instilled values in me.
How to read from the good book
She taught me the importance of faith and spirituality.
My papa taught me
My father taught me important life lessons.
How to win and lose a game
He taught me that there are victories and defeats in life, and how to handle both.
They went down smiling
My parents passed away content with what they had achieved in life.
'cause they left me all they had
My parents gave me everything they had, both materially and in terms of life lessons.
Plus another heartache for my heart again
Apart from their teachings, my parents also passed on a tendency for heartbreak that I can't seem to escape.
[Chorus:] But now it's fine, fine, fine
Despite everything, I'm now content with my life.
'Cause you're with me all the time
Because you love and support me.
There to care and share the things I do
You're my partner in everything I do.
And now it's fine, fine, fine
Things have turned out better than I expected.
Everywhere and even nowhere too
You're always by my side, no matter where I am or how I'm feeling.
I use to make the late nights
I used to go out and have fun.
On a cheap weekend
During a low-cost outing.
But all the women there were
But the women I met there were
Just a crying shame
Not worth my time and effort, in the end.
I heard them saying
I overheard them gossiping.
That they didn't think I'd stop
They didn't believe I could change my ways.
For another heartache for my heart again
But I'm willing to risk heartbreak again for the chance at love with you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANCIS DOMINIC MICHAEL NICOLA ROSSI, ROBERT KEITH YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J.L. Hennig
I always loved this tune. A beautiful melodic guitar solo from Francis Rossi.
Wayne Millward
A hidden gem of a song that gets your toe tapping in time. It sounds a little country and western in parts. From the album quo produced by the band themselves which is really good!! 👍👍👍👌👌👌😍😍😍🤞🤞🤞✌️✌️✌️.
klaus thiel
was a big QUO FAN until they became too commercial. ,,QUO; dogs on two heads on the level hello piledriver BLUE FOR YOU were great stuff AND A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY FAN OF BOOGYSHUFFLE ROCK N ROLL HARD -BLUESROCK AND SOME SERIOUS HEAVINESS for a angry,gutsy proud strong young man. and thats exactly what they meant to me. i learnt a lot about songwriting and harmonie vocals from quo. they are part of my life.
drummanx1
i enjoyed this album in the seventies. can't compare this with rap.
Oscar G.
Can't compare Status Quo with anything, anyone, anybody, any band. It would be disrespectful.
victor58010
What the fuck is rap, its only shouting your hatred to a drum beat, not even worth calling " music".
So fuck you, and fuck off.
HotTub Removal
Yep! It's awesome fun music 👍👍😎😎
Benoit Vanhees
Now this is fine fine fine ! It really is ! No, really ! It's even called this way !
Barbara Pollock
12 bar in the quo style ..mmmm !! goes down smoothl with a few beers and some whisky chasers...fkn bril... oooh i.m gettin old
Ol Lag
seul titre que j'aime vraiment.....