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.
Railroad
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Railroad she's really leaving me this time
Leaving on the midnight train
Leaving never gonna come back again
I'm living alone
A place of my own
A bed a chair and one back door
With the words to my song
And now she ain't around no more
It was something she said
As she laid on my bed
Six or seven hours ago
I guess I was wrong
I really didn't think she would go
Railroad she left me standing on a line
Railroad she's really leaving me this time
Leaving on the midnight train
Leaving never gonna come back again
Her face was always smiling
Guess she was always laughing at me
I said her face was always smiling
Guess she was always laughing at me
If I'd realized
I'd be less surprised
To find that she was laughing at me
"Railroad" by Status Quo is a song about heartbreak and abandonment. The singer has been left alone after his significant other, called Railroad, has decided to leave him for good. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Railroad she left me standing on a line" as a metaphor for how the singer feels - stranded and helpless. The use of "Railroad" as a name for the person who has left emphasises how the singer feels powerless in the situation, as if he has been hit by a train.
The verses, however, reveal a bit more about the situation. The singer is living alone and realises that something went wrong with the relationship. He remembers a conversation they had six or seven hours prior that led to her decision to leave. He reflects on how he didn't think she would actually go and how foolish he feels in hindsight. The bridge reveals that the singer feels as though Railroad may have been laughing at him behind his back the whole time.
Overall, the lyrics of the song paint a picture of betrayal and hurt. The use of the name "Railroad" emphasises the force and power that the singer feels was used against him. The metaphor of standing on a line increases the sense of helplessness and finality.
Line by Line Meaning
Railroad she left me standing on a line
She left me stranded and abandoned, and I'm not sure what to do next.
Railroad she's really leaving me this time
This is the final departure from my life, and she won't be coming back.
Leaving on the midnight train
She's departing under the shroud of darkness and secrecy.
Leaving never gonna come back again
It's clear that she's not going to return anytime soon, if ever.
I'm living alone, A place of my own, A bed a chair and one back door
I'm living by myself in a small, cramped place with just the bare essentials.
Something went wrong, With the words to my song, And now she ain't around no more
I must have said something that upset her, and now she's gone and won't talk to me.
It was something she said, As she laid on my bed, Six or seven hours ago
She said something that must have hurt me deeply, perhaps in bed before she left.
I guess I was wrong, I really didn't think she would go
I didn't anticipate that she would actually leave me, despite the warning signs.
Her face was always smiling, Guess she was always laughing at me
I thought she was happy and content, but maybe she was laughing at me the whole time.
If I'd realized, I'd be less surprised, To find that she was laughing at me
If I had been more aware of her true feelings and thoughts, I wouldn't be as shocked to find out she was laughing at me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRANCIS DOMINIC MICHAEL NICOLA ROSSI, ROBERT KEITH YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Random MEGA crap short videos
This album still gives me goose bumps when turned full volume. Loved these 4 back in the day and Bob of course.
Francis Volunteer
Quo must be the most underrated band ever, so many great records , and they can play them all live, which is rare these days, I was blessed to meet them in early nineties, astounding talent. Rock on.
David Monaghan
This would have to be one of the best tunes I have ever heard.
Justine Hamer
My late dad sang this he was a blues musician
Giankarlo Torriani
Amazing band, pure real rock and roll.
status quo-all
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Broncycolon 70
When they were unique.....one of the best Albums in Rockhistory.....
status quo-all
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Robi Rock
Been jammin' to Quo classics for 50+ years - still as exciting now as when I first discovered them.
Amanda Fitzpatrick
love it 🎸🎸