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.
Never Too Late
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It doesn't really matter
And it's never too late to change it
It's never too late to change it
Did you take a look? Any sort of look?
I'm sure you would remember
'Cause it wouldn't need much explaining
The world is in a mess, and finished more or less
It doesn't really matter
And it's never too late to change it
It's never too late to change it
It's never too late for changing
Never too late for changing
Now this old sea dog's gonna get away 'cross the water
This old sea-dog is waving you bye-bye
But I don't think God thought we'd get out of order
This old sea-dog is waving you bye-bye
But now it's getting late, too late to hesitate
I can't wait any longer
So there's no use in you complaining
''cause it's never too late for changing
Did you take a look? Any sort of look?
I'm sure you would remember
'Cause it wouldn't need much explaining
'Cause it's never too late for changing
I've told you once or twice it could be paradise
So listen when I'm talking to you
Shouldn't take much explaining
The world is gonna need some changes
Never too late to change it, never too late for changing
Never too late to change it, never too late for changing
Now this old sea dog's gonna get away 'cross the water
This old sea-dog is waving you bye-bye
But I don't think God thought we'd get out of order
This old sea-dog is waving you bye-bye
The song "Never Too Late" by Status Quo talks about the state of the world, which is considered to be in chaos and irreversible. However, the lyrics suggest that it's never too late to change it and make it a better place. The lines "now it’s getting late, too late to hesitate, I can’t wait any longer" imply that time is running out, and there is a sense of urgency to make a positive change. The song appears to be a call to action, with the singer urging the listener to take a look and make a change in the world. The repetition of the phrase "never too late for changing" emphasizes the idea that there is still time to fix the world's problems.
Towards the end of the song, the lines "this old sea dog's gonna get away 'cross the water, this old sea-dog is waving you bye-bye" suggest that the singer is moving away from the chaos, but the message of change remains the same. Even if the singer is leaving, they are still urging the listener to make positive changes to the world.
Overall, the song "Never Too Late" delivers a positive message of hope and encourages the listener to take action, despite the chaos in the world. It tells us that it is never too late to make a positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
The world is in a mess, it's finished more or less
The state of the world is chaotic and it seems like it's almost beyond repair.
It doesn't really matter
The current state of the world is not an excuse to remain idle, it's time to take action.
And it's never too late to change it
Despite the seemingly bleak state of things, there is still hope for redemption, and there's still time to make things right.
It's never too late to change it
Repetition to reinforce the fact that change is always possible and never too late.
Did you take a look? Any sort of look?
Have you paid attention to the reality around you or have you turned a blind eye to it?
I'm sure you would remember
If you had actually taken a good look at things, you would have remembered clearly.
'Cause it wouldn't need much explaining
The urgency and need for change is so evident and clear that it doesn't require any further explanation.
'Cause it's never too late for changing
Re-emphasizing the fact that there is always an opportunity for change.
But now it's getting late, too late to hesitate
The time for action is now, and hesitation would only make things worse.
I can't wait any longer
Procrastination is not an option, change needs to happen now.
So there's no use in you complaining
Complaining about the current state of the world will not bring the change that's needed, action is what's required.
''cause it's never too late for changing
Reiteration of the fact that it's never too late to make a difference.
I've told you once or twice it could be paradise
The potential for a better world is there, and that message has been communicated before.
So listen when I'm talking to you
Pay attention to the message being conveyed here, it's a call to action.
Shouldn't take much explaining
The need for action is obvious and doesn't require extensive detail to be understood.
The world is gonna need some changes
The state of the world right now is not sustainable and will require significant changes.
Never too late to change it, never too late for changing
Repetition to reinforce the fact that it's never too late to make a difference.
Now this old sea dog's gonna get away 'cross the water
A metaphor for leaving behind the current state of mess and chaos to seek something better.
This old sea-dog is waving you bye-bye
The message of change is being conveyed, and those who don't take action will be left behind.
But I don't think God thought we'd get out of order
There is a belief that order and harmony was meant to be the natural state of the world, and the current state of chaos is not in line with that belief.
This old sea-dog is waving you bye-bye
Reiteration of the fact that those who don't take action will be left behind in the chaos.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BERNARD FROST, FRANCIS ROSSI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dorocha
Very relevant song for 2020. Deserves to be better known. The world really does need changing and it’s Never Too Late.
Martin Walthert
Status Quo für immer! 🎸🇨🇭
RobW581
Those lyrics,especially the chorus were very true back in 1981,and in my opinion ever more so true now in 2013.Just listen to the lyrics and chorus very carefully.
Peter Lyall
I'm sorry to hear of loss of your Dad, I lost my own dad way back in in dec 1978 from liver cancer. bloody alfall losing someyou love. I know the pain of losing a lovedone. It was Quo's songs that got me through the pain & the hurt of someone like my dad. Sta Quo songs do that you know they really lift your spriets there songs are grea being getting Qou albums since 1974 when on the leval came out album. So I say to you Cheers cheers may you live a 1000 years all the best for you & forever
The Minuteman
Such an underrated band
Sarah Green
Dad was massive Quo fan, Love and miss him loads, Between us we had 18 albums, Done well I thinks.
Paw X Paw
I have this album on vinyl but no cover.. I forgot I have this record as it shares another album cover with another record album in it.. Haven't heard this song for years.. Thanks for posting. I haven't been able to get this song out of my head for days since hearing it again... Hoping that listening to it fully again will do the trick..
Enrique Schmitt
Love Quo FF amazing album.
oso lopes
Music Mamma Rock le of the best rock and roll.
oso lopes
Recordando las tocadas en el Carrusel, Rumba, Comité 28.