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.
Pennsylvania Blues Tonight
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where nobody looks the same and everybody's slow
Nothing seems to matter, yet somebody seems to care
Even though it's clearer now, there's something in the air
Oh, oh, what can I say?
Oh, oh, what can I say?
Taken lots of sweety things and looked towards the sky
Teacher seems to pass us by and only is it then
We can stop and listen and I know we'll be there when
Oh, oh, what can I say?
Oh, oh, what can I say?
Funny money in paradise
Under cover is very nice
Maybe baby it seems alright
Jeffrey Lynne and George H tonight
Double vision and out of sight
Pennsylvania Blues tonight
Pennsylvania Blues alright
Thinking 'bout a miracle a free and easy way
Seven lonely travelers all bring it into play
Nothing seems to matter and nobody seems to care
Even though it's clearer now, there's something in the air
Oh, oh, what can I say?
Oh, oh, what can I say?
Funny money in paradise
Under cover is very nice
Maybe baby it seems alright
Jeffrey Lynne and George H tonight
Double vision and out of sight
Pennsylvania Blues tonight
Pennsylvania Blues alright
It doesn't mean a thing
Not anything at all
It's something good to sing
Pennsylvania Blues tonight
Pennsylvania Blues alright
The lyrics of Status Quo's "Pennsylvania Blues Tonight" seem to reflect a desire to escape from the mundane everyday life. The singer longs for a place where he can be himself, free from judgment of others, where people move at a slower pace and where he can feel like he's part of something bigger than himself. The song also touches on the idea of friendship, with lines like "laughed until the morning came, just me, my friend and I."
The chorus, "Oh, oh, what can I say?" seems to capture the feeling of being at a loss for words to describe the desired place or feeling, but that it's just something that has to be experienced. The inclusion of names such as Jeffrey Lynne and George H is likely referring to Jeff Lynne and George Harrison, two members of the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, which was active at the time the song was released.
The lyrics also mention "funny money in paradise" and "undercover," which could be a nod to drug use or the idea of escaping reality through altered states of mind. The song ends with the lyrics "It doesn't mean a thing, not anything at all. It's something good to sing. Pennsylvania Blues tonight, Pennsylvania Blues alright," which could suggest that the desire to escape and be free is just a temporary feeling that can be expressed through music.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me to another place, a place that I can go
I want to escape to a different world where I can exist
Where nobody looks the same and everybody's slow
I want to leave behind a world full of appearances and speed
Nothing seems to matter, yet somebody seems to care
The world appears meaningless, yet there is still hope and care for others
Even though it's clearer now, there's something in the air
Despite seeming clearer, there is still an unexplainable feeling in the environment
Taken lots of sweety things and looked towards the sky
Indulging in pleasure and looking towards a limitless sky
Laughed until the morning came, just me, my friend and I
Shared endless laughter with a close friend until daybreak
Teacher seems to pass us by and only is it then
Our instructor overlooks us until we finally stop to listen
We can stop and listen and I know we'll be there when
We have the opportunity to stop and listen, and I feel confident about our future
Funny money in paradise
Incongruous wealth in a seemingly perfect world
Under cover is very nice
Being hidden carries advantages
Maybe baby it seems alright
Despite doubts, everything appears alright
Jeffrey Lynne and George H tonight
Names of people perhaps representing an ideal night
Double vision and out of sight
Visual distortion and disappearance from sight
Pennsylvania Blues tonight
Feeling down in Pennsylvania tonight
Pennsylvania Blues alright
Feeling down in Pennsylvania is okay
Thinking 'bout a miracle a free and easy way
Imagining a miraculous and effortless solution
Seven lonely travelers all bring it into play
A group of solitary explorers that all bring something special
It doesn't mean a thing
Nothing has significance
Not anything at all
Absolutely nothing at all
It's something good to sing
Despite meaninglessness, it's still a good tune to sing
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sean Murphy
Oh man I love that chorus
Ronald
Fantastic song, very good album. It's very original, and criminally underrated.
caniorderapizza
Heard this song once on a radio. Love it since. Status Quo rocks!
Алексей Праведников
Любимая песня со времён школы. Браво
Сергей Шумаков
Супер!!!!
Joe Ritchie
Love the tablas
skintrade
Reminds me a bit of 'Jealousy' from 1982