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.
Lakky Lady
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She is big, fat and lazy but I want you all to know
That I love her and I need that woman so
She is my little lady and I'm glad that you all know
When she wakes in the morning and her figure tells no lies
My eyesight is broken when the light shines on her tights
But I love her and I need that woman so
And I love her and I need that woman so
Oh well how can I tell you what I'd do if she should go
Ah well she is so lazy, how she moves I'll never know
She was so different eleven years ago
But I love her and I need that woman so
She's a big lakky lady but I love that woman so
The lyrics to Status Quo's song "Lakky Lady" tell the story of a man who deeply loves and needs his overweight and lethargic partner. The song expresses his devotion and commitment to her despite her physical appearance and her lack of motivation. He professes his love for her and how he cannot function without her, sharing how her presence brightens up his life. The imagery used in the song is quite vivid, particularly when the singer describes the light shining on her tights, and how her figure tells no lies. The song is a fun and intriguing look at unconventional love, and how love can transcend physical appearances and societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah well, I've got a woman and I love, love her so
I am content in a relationship with a woman who I adore
She is big, fat and lazy but I want you all to know
Although she may not be physically perfect, I still cherish her
That I love her and I need that woman so
I depend on her emotionally and am deeply in love with her
She is my little lady and I'm glad that you all know
I am proud to call her mine and want others to know she means everything to me
When she wakes in the morning and her figure tells no lies
I see her as beautiful regardless of her perceived imperfections
My eyesight is broken when the light shines on her tights
I am blinded by her beauty, even if she may not fit conventional standards
But I love her and I need that woman so
My love for her surpasses any superficial standards of beauty
Oh how can I tell you what I'd do if she should go
I cannot begin to imagine my life without her and the thought scares me
Ah well she is so lazy, how she moves I'll never know
She may be slow or unmotivated, but it doesn't change my love for her.
She was so different eleven years ago
As time has passed, she has changed, but my love for her remains constant
But I love her and I need that woman so
My dependency on her and love for her has only grown over time
She's a big lakky lady but I love that woman so
I adore her despite her imperfections and am proud to have her as my partner
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANCIS DOMINIC MICHAEL NICOLA ROSSI, RICHARD JOHN PARFITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Duffin
This to me was the greatest 'Quo' ever and Lacky Lady is beyond Wonderful. Possibly their greatest use of acoustic guitars in all their career. It's a such a well produced song; very cheeky and a bit uncomplimentary perhaps towards someone, but this was the naughty, cheeky side of Quo at the time. Well done Francis and Rick for composing such a great and delightful Song. 100% a favourite if not my own personal favourite of all their Songs. Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon is and always will be a massively significant album for Quo
Selectorken
Great Quo song! One of my faves.
status quo-all
https://www.facebook.com/groups/489354311102647/
Dean Stanley
Should have been a hit single
Andreas Servo
Great Song Ever !!!
Andre Harrold
Genius at work!
barnabarin ludocratique
Riff on acoustic guitar sounds like Lady in Black, by Uriah Heep.
Matej Živčic
Excuse me, what mean "lakky"?
Thomas Jarvis
First song i heard when i was 9 and followed them until marguerita time like nuff lost interest
Gary Wood
Same here