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.
Little Miss Nothing
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But they don't realise how much I need you, so let me make it very clear
That you won't have to worry just 'cos your clothes are torn
Your windows they need cleaning and the weeds are growing high
But Little Miss Nothing I won't pass you by
You have no daddy to tell your troubles to, but don't you worry I'll share
We won't worry about the stormy weather, if you have troubles we'll share
them together
Your house is nearly falling, but I'll change all that for you
Your windows they need cleaning and the weeds are growing high
But Little Miss Nothing I won't pass you by
Now I will clean your windows, cut the weeds from high to low
I will mend your rooftops, and the taps again will flow
But Little Miss Nothing I won't let you go
The song Little Miss Nothing by Status Quo is a heartwarming tribute to a young girl who is often looked down upon by society due to her poor financial circumstances. The singer acknowledges that the people around her sneer, but he sees beyond her torn clothes and understands how much she is needed. He reassures her that she won't have to worry about her torn clothes and assures her that he won't pass her by.
The singer goes on to talk about how he knows that she has no father figure to share her troubles with, but he is willing to be there for her, to listen and to help solve her problems. He promises that they will share their troubles together, and her troubles won't seem so heavy if they face it together. The singer also mentions the sad state of her house - her windows need cleaning, weeds are growing high, and her house is nearly falling. Nevertheless, he promises to change all that for her, to clean her windows, mend her rooftop, and ensure that the taps flow in her house.
Status Quo's Little Miss Nothing is an emotional, soul-stirring song that talks about the importance of not judging a book by its cover. It highlights the need for empathy and kindness towards people who are less fortunate, and the potential impact that we can have on a person's life through small acts of kindness. Though the song was recorded many years ago, the message remains as relevant today as it was then.
Line by Line Meaning
People all around they look at you, and I have seen them sneer
People judge you based on your appearance, and I have witnessed their disrespect
But they don't realise how much I need you, so let me make it very clear
Despite their judgments, I value and depend on you, and I want to express that clearly
That you won't have to worry just 'cos your clothes are torn
Your torn clothes are not a problem for me, so you shouldn't be concerned about them
Your windows they need cleaning and the weeds are growing high
Your living conditions need improvement, with dirty windows and high weeds
But Little Miss Nothing I won't pass you by
Despite your poor living conditions, I will not ignore you or overlook your worth
You have no daddy to tell your troubles to, but don't you worry I'll share them with you
You don't have a father-figure to confide in, but I am here to listen and support you
We won't worry about the stormy weather, if you have troubles we'll share them together
We will face challenging circumstances together, and I will support you through any hardships
Your house is nearly falling, but I'll change all that for you
Your home is in disrepair, but I vow to improve its condition and make it a better place for you
Now I will clean your windows, cut the weeds from high to low
I will take tangible action to improve your living conditions, from cleaning your windows to cutting your weeds
I will mend your rooftops, and the taps again will flow
I will repair your roof and fix any plumbing issues, ensuring that your home is a safe and functional space
But Little Miss Nothing I won't let you go
Despite the challenges we may face and the work required to improve your living conditions, I will never give up on you or abandon you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANCIS DOMINIC MICHAEL NICOLA ROSSI, RICHARD JOHN PARFITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hdew77
This sounds melodic enough to have been on their first album. Not many of them left.
Jan den Hartog
People all around they look at you, and I have seen them sneer
But they don't realise how much I need you, so let me make it very clear
That you won't have to worry just 'cos your clothes are torn
Your windows they need cleaning and the weeds are growing high
But Little Miss Nothing I won't pass you by
You have no daddy to tell your troubles to, but don't you worry I'll share
them with you
We won't worry about the stormy weather, if you have troubles we'll share
them together
Your house is nearly falling, but I'll change all that for you
Your windows they need cleaning and the weeds are growing high
But Little Miss Nothing I won't pass you by
Now I will clean your windows, cut the weeds from high to low
I will mend your rooftops, and the taps again will flow
But Little Miss Nothing I won't let you go