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.
Long Legged Linda
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you've got time to spare
Take a stroll up sunset boulevard
You'll find the whiskey there
Gliding round the tables
With wounderous natural ease
Serving two-star brandy
Is the body you have to see...all belonging to
Long-legged linda
She sure was worth the flight
Long-legged linda is playing the whiskey
Tonight
Oh don't boogie-woogie with linda
'tho she dances like a dream
She acts like she's a thousand
But she's barely sweet sixten
She re-arranged my brain-cells
And took control of me
So if I miss my plain to jacksonville
You can guess where I'll still be...i'll be diggin'
Long-legged linda
She sure was worth the flight
Long-legged linda is playing the whiskey
Tonight
She re-arranged my brain-cells
And took control of me
So if I miss my plain to jacksonville
You can guess where I'll still be...i'll be diggin'
Long-legged linda
She sure was worth the flight
Long-legged linda is playing the whiskey
Tonight
Long-legged linda
She sure was worth the flight
Long-legged linda is playing the whiskey
Tonight
Long-legged linda
Long-legged linda
Long-legged linda
Long-legged .....
The song "Long Legged Linda" by Status Quo is a homage to a waitress at the Whiskey A Go Go club, located on the famous Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. The lead singer describes the experience of being served by Linda, who moves around the tables effortlessly, serving brandy and attracting the attention of all around her. The lyrics paint a picture of a young, beautiful and confident Linda, whose long legs and attractive features make her irresistible to all who come in contact with her.
Although Linda is only sixteen years old, she exudes a maturity beyond her years, re-arranging the singer's brain-cells and taking control of him. The singer is so enraptured by her that he is willing to miss his flight to Jacksonville just to spend more time with her. The song is a celebration of Linda's beauty and the effect she has on everyone around her.
In many ways, "Long Legged Linda" is a tribute to the glamour and excitement of Hollywood in the 1970s. The Whiskey A Go Go club was one of the most famous venues in the city, hosting performances by many iconic rock bands such as The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and The Who. By singing about Linda and her charms, Status Quo pays tribute to the vibrant and exciting scene that was happening in Los Angeles at the time.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, if you're ever in los angeles
If you ever find yourself in Los Angeles
And you've got time to spare
And if you happen to have some extra time
Take a stroll up sunset boulevard
Go for a walk on Sunset Boulevard
You'll find the whiskey there
There's a place called the Whiskey you'll come across
Gliding round the tables
Waitresses will be walking elegantly around the tables
With wounderous natural ease
They will do so effortlessly
Serving two-star brandy
Providing mediocre brandy
Is the body you have to see...all belonging to Long-legged Linda
The person serving drinks that you absolutely must see is Long-legged Linda
She sure was worth the flight
Linda was definitely worth the cost and effort to get there
Long-legged linda is playing the whiskey
The performer at the Whiskey that night is Long-legged Linda
Oh don't boogie-woogie with linda
Don't dance with Linda
'tho she dances like a dream
Although she dances fantastically
She acts like she's a thousand
She acts like she's much older
But she's barely sweet sixten
But in reality she's only sixteen years old
She re-arranged my brain-cells
She completely changed the way I think
And took control of me
And had complete power over me
So if I miss my plain to jacksonville
If I miss my flight to Jacksonville
You can guess where I'll still be...i'll be diggin'
It's safe to assume where I will still be- at the Whiskey enjoying Long-legged Linda's performance
Long-legged linda
The performer Long-legged Linda
Long-legged linda
The performer Long-legged Linda
Long-legged linda
The performer Long-legged Linda
Long-legged .....
The incomplete line is a repetition of the previous line to emphasize the performer's name
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREW STEVEN BOWN, ANDY BOWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@impact1
killer song by the ultimate Quo line up. nothing comes close to these 4 guys.
@codyburns2660
there is 5 of them there
@pezzyy99
@Cody Burns Yeah, Andy Bown was with them since 1976!
@davidmoyasanchez7455
in fact, Andrew Bown is the composer!
@ELONut
I remember this album ''If You Cant Stand The Heat'' being slated back in the day, but IMO this was one of the very best Quo albums, They tried to stretch their sound and loved loved the brass sections and Female backing
@ColtraneTaylor
I slated it when I first heard it too and that was just the previous decade.
@hamishanderson6738
I like this & the album & you
gotta love Again & Again!
@nwjh1957
Great clip - great song, from the masters of high energy rock 'n' roll. Because it's mimed to the recorded sound track, Rossi can afford to chew, as his vocals are done ahead of time! Rather less well known Quo song, perhaps because of the 'orchestral' support. But one of the great rock classics.
@impact1
fantastic song from THE band ! thanks for posting :)
@strawforest007
Superb from the Quo. I've not heard this one before! The opening 3 seconds on this video is from 'What's Going On' by Taste, whom Quo have admitted their admiration for the late, great Rory Gallagher. Great stuff!