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.
Mortified
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got to keep your underwear dry
Rooted to the spot here
Never ever never say die
Ticket's in my passport
Passport's on the bedroom floor
Money's in my sneakers
Sneakers's what I'm looking for
Can't get in, I can't get in
I can't get in, my key's inside
I can't break in, I can't break in
I can't break in, I'm mortified, oh-oh
Got to find a spare part
Got to keep it spinning round
Think I'm getting cold feet
Think I'll take it lying down
Mummy's in the bath tub
Daddy's losing money at darts
Need a can of wotsname
Reaches all the other parts
Got to keep your nose clean
Got to keep your underwear dry
Rooted to the spot here
Never ever never say die
I can't get in, I can't get in
I can't get in, my key's inside
Can't break in, I can't break in
I can't break in, I'm mortified, oh-oh
Can't get in, I can't get in
I can't get in, my key's inside
I can't break in, I can't break in
I can't break in, I'm mortified, oh-oh
I can't get in, I can't get in
I can't get in, my key's inside
I can't break in, I can't break in
I can't break in, I'm mortified, oh-oh
The song "Mortified" by Status Quo captures the feeling of being stuck in a moment or situation, unable to move forward or make progress. The first verse sets the tone for this, with the idea of keeping one's nose clean and underwear dry, emphasizing the need to play it safe and avoid making mistakes. The singer finds themselves stuck in place, rooted to the spot, and feeling unable to change their circumstances. They have a ticket in their passport and money in their sneakers, but are unable to access either, leaving them feeling frustrated and powerless.
The second verse adds more details to the scene, with references to the singer's parents and their own sense of apprehension. They need a spare part to keep things going, but are unsure if they can handle the situation. The use of the phrase "I'll take it lying down" suggests a sense of defeat, as if the singer is resigned to their fate. However, the repeated chorus and the use of the word "mortified" give the song a sense of urgency and tension, as if the situation is escalating and becoming more intense.
Overall, "Mortified" is a song about the struggle to overcome challenges and obstacles, and the frustration and helplessness that can come with feeling stuck. It captures the feeling of being trapped in a moment, unable to change or move forward, and the need to find a way out of that situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Got to keep your nose clean
You need to stay out of trouble and avoid doing anything that could get you in trouble.
Got to keep your underwear dry
You need to stay clean and avoid getting yourself in messy situations.
Rooted to the spot here
Feeling stuck and unable to move or progress.
Never ever never say die
Don't give up or lose hope. Keep fighting and pushing forward.
Ticket's in my passport
I have my ticket and everything I need to travel.
Passport's on the bedroom floor
My passport is carelessly left on the floor of my bedroom.
Money's in my sneakers
I'm hiding my money in my sneakers for safekeeping.
Sneakers's what I'm looking for
I'm searching for my sneakers, which have my money hidden inside.
Can't get in, I can't get in
I'm locked out and unable to gain entry.
I can't get in, my key's inside
I left my key inside and now I can't get back in.
I can't break in, I can't break in
I don't have the ability to force my way back in.
I'm mortified, oh-oh
Feeling embarrassed, ashamed, and powerless in this situation.
Got to find a spare part
I need to fix something and find a replacement part.
Got to keep it spinning round
I need to keep things moving and continue functioning despite setbacks.
Think I'm getting cold feet
I'm starting to feel unsure and hesitant about something.
Think I'll take it lying down
I'm accepting defeat and giving up without a fight.
Mummy's in the bath tub
My mother is relaxing in the bathtub.
Daddy's losing money at darts
My father is gambling and not having very good luck.
Need a can of wotsname
I need a can of something, but I can't remember what it's called.
Reaches all the other parts
This mysterious product is an all-purpose solution that can fix multiple problems.
Contributed by Vivian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jaime Alvarado
on Rain
great song ,,, !!!!!!!