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.
No Problems
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thinking something 'long the lines of whiskey and rye
Rolling to the left, rolling to my right
Well, anybody out there wanna help me?
Looking at a picture of the trouble and strife
Even got a picture of the Queen
Getting back to thinking 'bout the secrets of life
Walking round in circles, oh I must have walked a mile
Trying to imagine I was putting on my style
Rolling to the left, rolling to my right
Can't you see I'm going along the wrong lines?
Searching for the person with a shoulder to cry on
Calling out to almost anyone
Have you got a secondary bed I could lie on
You'd better watch your step or you'll be first in line
Baby, baby, baby
What the hell on earth is wrong with you?
Baby, baby, baby
What the hell am I supposed to do?
Baby, baby, baby
What the hell on earth is wrong with you?
Baby, baby, baby
What the hell am I supposed to do?
Cutting back to visions taken from the silver screen
Believing I was someone I had never been
Rolling to my left, rolling to my right
Surprised the motion picture is in black and white
Sitting here alone is how it's gonna be
Will my lucky star ever shine on me?
I guess it's not a problem
That's the way it's meant to be
Oh, it's never been a problem
It's never been a problem to me
Baby, baby, baby
What the hell on earth is wrong with you?
Baby, baby, baby
What the hell am I supposed to do?
Baby, baby, baby
What the hell on earth is wrong with you?
Baby, baby, baby
What the hell am I supposed to do?
Woh, oh, oh, baby, baby, baby
What the hell on earth is wrong with you?
Baby, baby, baby
What the hell am I supposed to do?
Woh, oh, oh, baby, baby, baby
In Status Quo's song "No Problems," the singer is sitting on a corner, watching the world go by, and pondering over whiskey and rye. He feels lost and is searching for a way out. He is looking at pictures of his trouble and strife, even those of the Queen, but cannot shake the feeling of never finding another. He is wandering around in circles, trying to find his style, but going along the wrong lines. The singer is searching for someone to lean on, asking for anyone's secondary bed to lie on.
The song explores the struggles of life and the search for happiness. The singer is lost, and none of his efforts seem to be helping him out. He is cutting back to the visions taken from the silver screen, believing he was someone he had never been. The motion picture he is living in is black and white, and he feels like he is alone in this world. Yet, he acknowledges the way he is, and it's always been that way. It's never been a problem for him since that's who he is. The song's ending doesn't give the listener a resolution, but it acknowledges that it's okay to accept oneself and that things are the way they are meant to be.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting on a corner watching half the world go by
I am sitting at a street corner watching the world go by.
Thinking something 'long the lines of whiskey and rye
I am contemplating about drinking whiskey and rye.
Rolling to the left, rolling to my right
I am shifting my body from left to right.
Well, anybody out there wanna help me?
Is there anyone who can help me?
Looking at a picture of the trouble and strife
I am looking at a picture of difficulties and struggles.
Even got a picture of the Queen
I even have a picture of the Queen.
Getting back to thinking 'bout the secrets of life
I am getting back to thinking about the mysteries of life.
Will I ever find another? No, it's just a dream
I wonder if I will ever find someone else, but I know it's just a dream.
Walking round in circles, oh I must have walked a mile
I am walking in circles, and it feels like I have walked a mile.
Trying to imagine I was putting on my style
I am attempting to imagine myself putting on my fashion style.
Can't you see I'm going along the wrong lines?
Can't you see I am going down the wrong path?
Searching for the person with a shoulder to cry on
I am searching for someone who can comfort me when I cry.
Calling out to almost anyone
I am calling out to almost anyone who can hear me.
Have you got a secondary bed I could lie on
Do you have an extra bed where I can lie on?
You'd better watch your step or you'll be first in line
You should be careful, or you'll find yourself in the same situation as me.
Baby, baby, baby
What the hell on earth is wrong with you?
Baby, baby, baby, what is wrong with you?
Baby, baby, baby
What the hell am I supposed to do?
Baby, baby, baby, what am I supposed to do?
Cutting back to visions taken from the silver screen
I am reminiscing about memories from movies.
Believing I was someone I had never been
I thought I could be someone who I have never been before.
Rolling to my left, rolling to my right
I am shifting my body from left to right.
Surprised the motion picture is in black and white
I am amazed that the movie is in black and white.
Sitting here alone is how it's gonna be
I am going to be sitting here alone.
Will my lucky star ever shine on me?
I wonder if my luck will ever change.
I guess it's not a problem
I assume there is no issue.
That's the way it's meant to be
That's how it is supposed to be.
Oh, it's never been a problem
Oh, it has never been a problem before.
It's never been a problem to me
It has never been a problem for me.
Woh, oh, oh, baby, baby, baby
What the hell on earth is wrong with you?
Woh, oh, oh, baby, baby, baby, what is wrong with you?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANCIS DOMINIC NICHOLAS ROSSI, RICHARD JOHN PARFITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Harmony Daniels
Love it .
stephen murray
Ahh the 90s quo lovely ….
Alan Strom
Classic Parfitt
Elisabeth Axelsson
Great Q great