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.
GREEN
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Help a poor man fill a little dream
Give me pennies, I'll take anything
Now listen while I play my green tambourine
Watch the jingle-jangles start to chime
Reflections of the music that was mine
When I toss a coin you'll hear it sing
Rub-a-dub before I walk away
Anytime you want, I'll gladly play
Money feeds my music machine
Now listen while I play my green tambourine
Listen while I play my green tambourine
The song "Green" by Status Quo is a commentary on the destructive impact that human greed and industrialization can have on the environment. The first stanza sets the scene for the song with the singer describing a moment of natural beauty - the northern lights - before abruptly hitting the ground. The mention of the sky turning weird and the sun going down could be interpreted as an ominous warning of what is to come.
The lyrics then delve into a contrast between the beauty of nature and the destruction wrought by human actions. The repeated chorus of "Green, green, keep it clean / Stick all your money up your money machine / Green green perfect scene / Oh it's very very nice here / But I wouldn't want to live here" highlights this contrast. The singer acknowledges that the scene is perfect but ultimately not sustainable due to the greed and disregard for the environment. The second stanza talks about the destruction of the countryside, with "blazing red" and "frozen breath" alluding to the pollution and industrialization that have taken over. The reference to the ground turning white and the sky turning brown suggests the loss of natural beauty and a world turned upside down due to human actions.
Overall, the song is a warning against the continued destruction of the planet through industrialization and human greed. The repetition of the chorus and the imagery of nature turning on itself provide a striking commentary on the impact of these actions.
Line by Line Meaning
So then the sky turned weird
The sky looked strange, like something unusual was happening.
And the sun went down
The sun set, signaling the end of the day.
But it weren't two hours 'fore it came around
But it didn't take long before everything returned to normal.
It was a midnight feast
It was a spectacular and magical experience.
Such a sheer delight
It was an absolutely wonderful experience.
I saw the northern lights then I hit the ground
I witnessed the beautiful natural phenomenon of the northern lights and was in awe.
Green, green, keep it clean
Green is a symbol of nature and cleanliness, so we should strive to keep it that way.
Stick all your money up your money machine
Don't be obsessed with making money and material possessions.
Green green perfect scene
When nature is healthy and thriving, it creates a perfect and beautiful environment.
Oh it's very very nice here
The current location or situation is pleasant and enjoyable.
But I wouldn't want to live here
Despite its current pleasantness, the place or situation is not ideal for long-term living.
You got your blazing red
The world is full of passion and energy.
You got your frozen breath
The environment can also be harsh and unforgiving.
Watch the countryside just bleed to death
People are slowly destroying the environment and natural beauty of the world.
And then the ground turns white
The arrival of winter turns everything white and barren.
And the sky turns brown
The polluted environment creates a brown, unhealthy looking sky.
And the whole damn world looks upside down
The destruction and pollution of the natural world has turned everything into chaos and disorder.
Brown brown dead end town
The town is uninviting, lacking opportunity and growth.
Just like a-living in a hole in the ground
Living in the town is like being trapped or confined.
Brown brown upside down
The town is turned on its head, in a state of disarray and confusion.
Well it isn't very nice here
The current location or situation is not pleasant or enjoyable.
And I wouldn't want to live here
Despite its current unfavorable state, the place or situation is not ideal for long-term living.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: PAUL LEKA, SHELLY PINZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Burke
I love the riff on this song!!!
RYAN ALBUQUERQUE
Status quo create and come up with music thats exeptional in every way
h0neyymel
Yasss I have been searching for this forever it is my fave SQ song!!! Tysmmmm
Beatrice Peter
Doesn't matter " Who's singing" ,except it ' s The Qqqqqqou under a Red Sky,I walk every day under
hudlmaniac
Who is that singing. It doesn't sound like Rossi or Parfitt to me.
claire quofan
Rick is singing :-)
h0neyymel
hudlmaniac it’s Rick singing :D