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.
Rock 'n' Me
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I've been lookin' real hard
And I'm tryin' to find a job
But it just keeps gettin' tougher every day
But I got to do my part cause I know in my heart
I got to please my sweet baby, yeah
And I don't get suspicious
But my woman is a friend of mine
And I know that it's true that all the things that I do
Will come back to me in my sweet time
So keep on rock'n me baby
Keep on a rock'n me baby
Keep on a rock'n me baby
Keep on a rock'n me baby
I went from phoenix, arizona
All the way to tacoma
Philadelphia, atlanta, l.a.
Northern california where the girls are warm
So I could be with my sweet baby, yeah
So keep on rock'n me baby
Keep on rock'n me baby
Keep on rock'n me baby
Keep on rock'n me baby
Baby, baby, baby
Keep on rock'n
Rock'n me baby
Keep on a rock'n
Rock'n me baby
Don't get suspicious
Now don't be suspicious
Babe, you know you are a friend of mine
And you know that it's true
That all the things that I do
Are gonna come back to you in your sweet time
I went from phoenix, arizona
All the way to tacoma
Philadelphia, atlanta, l.a.
Northern california where the girls are warm
So I could hear my sweet baby say
Keep on rock'n me baby
Keep on rock'n me baby
Keep on rock'n me baby
Keep on rock'n me, rock'n me, rock'n
Baby, baby, baby
Keep on rock'n me baby
Keep on rock'n me baby
Keep on rock'n me baby
The lyrics to Status Quo’s song “Rock ‘n’ Me” speak to the struggles of finding a job and pleasing a lover, both of which are relatable topics. The singer declares that he’s been looking for a job relentlessly and is trying to do his part to support his significant other. He acknowledges that his woman is a friend of his, suggesting that he values her companionship and respects her as a person. He realizes that his actions will have consequences that will return to him in time, and therefore he should be cautious about his decisions.
The singer then lists off several cities he’s travelled to, including Philadelphia, Tacoma, Los Angeles, and Northern California. He states that he journeyed to these places to be closer to his lover, further emphasizing the importance of their relationship. In the second verse, the singer repeatedly urges someone to keep on “rockin’” him, and the song enters its catchy chorus.
Overall, “Rock ‘n’ Me” offers a blend of relatable struggle packaged in a nostalgic rock ‘n’ roll vibe. With lyrics about working hard to please a loved one, the importance of companionship, and the consequences of actions in life, the song is a testament to both the power of love and the power of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I've been lookin' real hard
I have been searching for a job with great effort
And I'm tryin' to find a job
My main focus is trying to find a job
But it just keeps gettin' tougher every day
Finding a job is becoming more difficult each day
But I got to do my part cause I know in my heart
I am responsible to work hard to support my loved ones
I got to please my sweet baby, yeah
I want to make my partner happy and fulfill their needs
Well, I ain't superstitious
I do not have irrational beliefs or practices
And I don't get suspicious
I do not doubt or question my partner's loyalty
But my woman is a friend of mine
My partner is not only my lover, but also my close friend
And I know that it's true that all the things that I do
I believe in the concept of karma and that my actions have consequences
Will come back to me in my sweet time
I will experience the effects of my actions in due time
So keep on rock'n me baby
Let's keep enjoying life together and moving forward
I went from phoenix, arizona
I have traveled extensively
All the way to tacoma
From the south to the north of the USA, I have been many places
Philadelphia, atlanta, l.a.
I have also been to the east and west coasts of the USA
Northern california where the girls are warm
I have found the people in Northern California to be friendly
So I could be with my sweet baby, yeah
I have traveled to be with my partner
Don't get suspicious
Please don't doubt my honesty or intentions
Now don't be suspicious
It's important to have trust in a relationship
Babe, you know you are a friend of mine
You not only hold a special place in my heart, but you are also my friend
And you know that it's true
You are aware of the fact that I believe in karma
That all the things that I do
My actions have consequences
Are gonna come back to you in your sweet time
You will experience the effects of my actions in due time
Keep on rock'n me baby
Let's continue to enjoy our relationship and move forward together
Baby, baby, baby
An affectionate term of endearment for my partner
Keep on rock'n
Let's keep moving forward and enjoying life together
Rock'n me baby
Enjoying time together and being happy
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: STEVE MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JimColyer
Great band!
@gerardvanleeuwen9456
Good to hear this again, still got that Quo CD (famous in the last century), full of rock/rock'n roll covers, fine by me !!
@Treviscoe
Yes, that's a good one.
@technomad1770
RIP Rick 😢.
@pernillan2737
Really cool to see SQ do this one!
@norbertenderle8092
Love This Version and Band ,the Original ist Giants ,But These Bands ist get Feeling Better Everyone Like also Fleetwood Mac,So much Memorys goes in Every Minds in the World Even These Songs plays where they Everywhere,Thanks For Upload,and Specially Stay Tuned For Steve Miller👍💪😇☘️ Tip Rick and also Tuned Francis and Others,Thank You!
@user-ji6li7ke5v
I like Steve Miller but more like SQ....... Sadly Rick is gone :(
@folginator
Not Quo’s best period, each to their own I suppose.