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.
Keep 'em Coming
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep 'em coming
Nose to tail
Keep 'em coming
Love for sale
Alloy spokes, leather trim
Walnut dash looks good on him
Keep 'em coming
Furry dice
Keep 'em coming
Well ain't that nice
Auto sunroof, heated seat
Air conditioned naturally
About as cool as I can be
Keep 'em coming
Keep 'em coming
Cruise control
The motorway
It's the freedom that I love
And I want to sail
I want to sail
Away away away
Away away away
Keep 'em coming
Nodding dog
Keep 'em coming
I love that smog
Longer hoods, wider boots
Sell me one that loops the loop
Before we all
Go down the tubes
Keep 'em coming
Knock 'em out
Keep 'em coming
Cruise control
The motorway
It's the freedom that I love
And I want to sail
I want to sail
Away away away
Away away away
The song "Keep 'Em Coming" by Status Quo is about the love of cars, and how one takes pride in owning and showcasing their flashy cars. The lyrics suggest that the singer wants even more cars to keep coming, indicating a never-ending desire for more cars. The line "love for sale" could be interpreted as the commodification of this love for cars, and the fact that owning a good car can boost one's social status. The specific features mentioned in the lyrics, such as alloy spokes, leather trim, and walnut dash, suggest that the singer is specifically talking about luxury cars.
The chorus, "Cruise control, the motorway, it's the freedom that I love, and I want to sail away, away, away" suggests that the singer associates driving with freedom and escapism. The desire to "sail away" could also symbolize the desire to escape one's problems, with the car as the vehicle to do so. The line "keep 'em coming, nodding dog, keep 'em coming, I love that smog" could be seen as an ironic commentary on the environmental impact of cars, with the nodding dog being a nod to the kitschy decorations often found in cars.
Overall, the song captures the sentimentality behind the love for cars, and the desire to keep up with the newest and flashiest models.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep 'em coming
I want to continuously have new and exciting experiences
Nose to tail
I want one thing after another, in a steady stream
Love for sale
I am willing to buy into these experiences to feel fulfilled
Alloy spokes, leather trim
I am attracted to material possessions and luxury
Walnut dash looks good on him
I care about the appearance of things, and how it reflects on me
Twenty four valves set to sing
I crave excitement and adventure in my experiences
Furry dice
I want fun and lightheartedness in these experiences
Well ain't that nice
I appreciate the positive aspects of my experiences
Auto sunroof, heated seat
I want to be comfortable in my experiences
Air conditioned naturally
I want to feel naturally at ease in these experiences
About as cool as I can be
I am confident in the way I approach these experiences
Cruise control
I want to take it easy and relax
The motorway
The journey is just as important as the destination for me
It's the freedom that I love
I value the sense of freedom I get from these experiences
And I want to sail
I want to keep chasing new experiences
Away away away
I want to be taken to a new place, emotionally and mentally
Nodding dog
I want to have quirky, memorable experiences
I love that smog
I find beauty in things that may not be traditionally beautiful
Longer hoods, wider boots
I am drawn to big, impressive-looking things
Sell me one that loops the loop
I want experiences that make me feel exhilarated and alive
Before we all
I am aware that life is finite and want to enjoy it to the fullest
Go down the tubes
I fear losing the excitement and joy I get from these experiences
Knock 'em out
I want to be amazed and impressed by my experiences
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jaime Alvarado
on Rain
great song ,,, !!!!!!!