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.
Forty Five Hundred Times
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm in time but somebody's missing
Maybe I can find a hand for my hand
If I find a well for my wishing
Be my friend, be my friend
It gets lonely on a table for two
Laughing on your own can be no fun
Remind you that you're really with no-one
Be my friend, be my friend
Take me over like a thing from the past
Lots of people wishing they'd been there
No-one knowing just how long it would last
But I'm sitting still here in my chair
Be my friend, be my friend
Forty-five hundred times I told you how much I care
Forty-five hundred times I told you how much I care
Problems halved are the problems that we can share
White lies in our eyes, together not really there
Forty-five hundred times I told you you can lean on me
Forty-five hundred times I told you you can lean on me
Though it's taken a long time for you to see
Where we're at is the right place for us to be
I sure want to stay here, it sure feels fine
I feel I could be here a long long time
Now that I've made it, I don't want to fade it
Now that I've made it with you
We came a long way, a slow way too
Up from the down way and back to you
Now that I've made it I don't want to fade it
Now that I've made it with you
"Forty Five Hundred Times" by Status Quo is a song about loneliness and the desire for companionship. The singer is alone and searching for someone to connect with. They are tired of being alone, and even when surrounded by people, they still feel lonely. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been trying to find someone to connect with for a long time. They have been searching for a friend to share their problems with, someone who they can lean on.
The repetition of the phrase "Forty-Five Hundred Times" suggests that the singer has been attempting to communicate their feelings to someone for a long time, but hasn't found the right person yet. They feel as though they have said "I care" so many times that it has lost its meaning. The lyrics describe a longing for a genuine connection with someone. They want to find someone to share their life with, to sit with them in silence, to laugh with them, and to be their friend.
The overall tone of the song is melancholic yet hopeful. Despite repeated failures to connect with someone, the singer continues to search, hoping that one day they will find their true companion. The upbeat tempo and rhythm of the song serve to highlight the singer's resilience and determination to keep searching for a friend to share their life with.
Line by Line Meaning
There's nobody on the end of my line
I am alone and have no one to talk to on the phone
I'm in time but somebody's missing
I am punctual, but I don't have someone to share this time with
Maybe I can find a hand for my hand
Perhaps I can find someone to hold hands with
If I find a well for my wishing
If I find something to wish for, maybe it will come true
Be my friend, be my friend
Please be my friend and keep me company
It gets lonely on a table for two
Even if there is a table for two, it feels lonely without anyone to share it with
Laughing on your own can be no fun
It's not enjoyable to laugh by yourself
Even people that are talking to you
Even if someone is talking to me, I still feel lonely without anyone close to me
Remind you that you're really with no-one
It reminds me that I am truly alone
Take me over like a thing from the past
Take me back to a time that is long gone
Lots of people wishing they'd been there
Many people wish they could have been a part of that time
No-one knowing just how long it would last
Nobody knew how long that time would last
But I'm sitting still here in my chair
However, I am still sitting here alone in my chair
Forty-five hundred times I told you how much I care
I have told you many times how much I care, specifically 4500 times
Problems halved are the problems that we can share
Sharing problems make them easier to deal with
White lies in our eyes, together not really there
Although we are physically together, we might not truly be present emotionally
Forty-five hundred times I told you you can lean on me
I have also told you many times that you can count on me for support
Though it's taken a long time for you to see
It may have taken you a while to realize that I am here for you
Where we're at is the right place for us to be
This is where we belong and where we should stay
I sure want to stay here, it sure feels fine
I definitely want to stay here because it feels great
I feel I could be here a long long time
I think I could stay here for a very long time
Now that I've made it, I don't want to fade it
Now that we have gotten through struggles and are in a good place, I want to maintain it
We came a long way, a slow way too
We have come a long way and it was not an easy journey
Up from the down way and back to you
We have overcome obstacles and are now together
Now that I've made it with you
Now that we have both made it through together
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: RICHARD JOHN PARFITT, FRANCIS ROSSI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alanstrom2221
ALAN CHARLES LANCASTER otherwise known as NUFF, has passed away in Sydney, his home for 45 years.
The founding member and the backbone of STATUS QUO had been suffering from Multiple Sclerosis for many years.
Alan battled on bravely, performing at QUO's Reunion gigs in 2013 and 2014.
Even though he had MS, Alan's performance and his vocals were the strongest of the three.
My favourite member of QUO is Alan Lancaster.
I had the pleasure of having a beer and a smoke with Alan at a Sydney pub gig, in Five Dock, when he had The Lancaster Bombers and The Lancaster/Brewster Bands in the late 80's.
We had a longer chat at The Lewisham Hotel as well.
These were dirty, grungy hotels, though this didn't phase the great man of the people.
Alan was the most beautifil man, very humble, down to earth and a great guy to talk with and have a laugh.
Vale Alan ( Nuff ) Lancaster
RIP mate, you were one of the greatest Rockers of all time.
@alanstrom2221
Fastra, a little known fact about STATUS QUO is that they recorded LIVE as a unit.
That's why on many recordings you can hear them talking and even shouting to each other whilst they were recording.
Naturally, they all jammed and then rehearsed before recording LIVE.
There are many reasons that THE FRANTIC FOUR were and are the Greatest Rock Band in history.
Recording LIVE in the studio is just one of them.
Though I do love the Roy Lynes era of the mid 60's to Ma Kellys Greasy Spoon 1970 very, very much.
In fact, it's Roy's piano playing on DOWN THE DUSTPIPE in 1970 that charmed me as a 9 yr old boy.
Fastra, over the years I've heard interviews with very well known Rock Bands, whose members said individually, that " I went in on the Tuesday and put down my Bass track, then Dave came in on Thursday and put down his rhythm guitar tracks " and so on.........
Mate, I'm a Drummer and there is no way that I could play without hearing all the music played together.
I play by ear and feel.
Paul McCartney talks in an interview, about how The Beatles had code words or made up names for their music. It wasn't written down in music notation. Some was though.
Anyway, I'm digressing.
QUO recorded LIVE in the studio.
RIP Alan Lancaster
@julieglover6484
62yrs of age and still loving this. I used to say...i wonder if i'll know this when i'm 40 !!! Lol...never stop being a quo fan ❤
@onetoeinthegrave6506
same with myself I'm 65 my brother use to take me to watch quo when i was 17 years old still rocking driving my family crazy
@stephendennis5911
Heard this back in 1977 I'm now 61 February 2023
@70ad89
@@stephendennis5911
Hello is a classic Quo album but my favourite will always be Piledriver, Quo's first rock/boogie album after the psychedelic era of the late 60's.
@anthonyfernwood8093
Ditto ❤
@DeniseWalden-te8pl
Been a Quo fan for years heading for 60 in September nobody would get up and headbang at a party except my poor Dad bless him. Just reading Francis Rossis autobiography and this track came to mind great memories ❤xx
@carolebarker2195
RIP Alan and Rick. Thanks for all the great music.
@oywee928
The ULTIMATE Quo-track!!! 🔥🔥🔥
@alanstrom2221
ALAN CHARLES LANCASTER otherwise known as NUFF, has passed away in Sydney, his home for 45 years.
The founding member and the backbone of STATUS QUO had been suffering from Multiple Sclerosis for many years.
Alan battled on bravely, performing at QUO's Reunion gigs in 2013 and 2014.
Even though he had MS, Alan's performance and his vocals were the strongest of the three.
My favourite member of QUO is Alan Lancaster.
I had the pleasure of having a beer and a smoke with Alan at a Sydney pub gig, in Five Dock, when he had The Lancaster Bombers and The Lancaster/Brewster Bands in the late 80's.
We had a longer chat at The Lewisham Hotel as well.
These were dirty, grungy hotels, though this didn't phase the great man of the people.
Alan was the most beautifil man, very humble, down to earth and a great guy to talk with and have a laugh.
Vale Alan ( Nuff ) Lancaster
RIP mate, you were one of the greatest Rockers of all time.
@999billywhizz
Thank you for such a heartfelt tribute.