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.
Shine On
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I tried to rise and shine
I didn't feel so good
I prayed for extra time
And I could see a light
Breaking through the night
Shining down on me
To find myself again
''cause I was on my knees
And I was near the end
And then I saw a light
Breaking through the night
Shining down on me
Let it shine on me
Let it shine on me
Let it shine on me
Shine on, shine on, shine on, shine on
I opened up my eyes
To see the morning sun
And now the road is clear
And I am free to run
Yeah, I can see the light
It's burning so bright
Shining on down on me
Shining on down on me
And it was the light
That took me through the night
Shining down on me
Shining down on me
Let it shine on me
Let it shine
The lyrics to Status Quo's song "Shine On" portray a struggle with darkness and despair, followed by a journey towards hope and redemption. The first verse sets the tone with a sense of exhaustion and depression, with the "evening sun" going down and the singer "on his knees." He prays for "extra time" and eventually sees a light "breaking through the night," providing a glimmer of hope.
The second verse sees the singer declaring his determination to "make a stand" and find himself again. He sees the same light "breaking through the night," and this time it shines on him, providing the strength he needs to persevere. In the chorus, he implores the light to "shine on me," repeating the phrase several times to emphasize its importance.
The final verse brings things full circle, with the singer seeing the "morning sun" and feeling free to run. He is grateful for the light that helped him through the darkness, knowing that it was the key to his redemption. Overall, the song provides a message of hope and perseverance in the face of adversity, while acknowledging the struggle and pain that precedes them.
Line by Line Meaning
The evening sun went down
As the day came to a close and the sun disappeared from sight.
I tried to rise and shine
I attempted to get up and start the day with vigor and energy.
I didn't feel so good
I wasn't feeling well, physically or emotionally.
I prayed for extra time
I wished for more time to deal with my problems and find a solution.
And I could see a light
I began to see a glimpse of hope or possibility.
Breaking through the night
Overcoming the darkness or negativity that had been weighing me down.
Shining down on me
I felt the light's warmth and positivity directly on me.
I had to make a stand
I realized that I needed to take action and make a decision to change my situation.
To find myself again
I needed to rediscover who I was and what was truly important to me.
''cause I was on my knees
I was in a position of weakness and vulnerability, possibly begging for help.
And I was near the end
I felt like giving up and thought things couldn't get any worse.
Let it shine on me
I asked for the light to continue shining positivity and hope on me.
I opened up my eyes
I was able to see things more clearly and with a new perspective.
To see the morning sun
I was greeted by a new day and a fresh start.
And now the road is clear
I had a path forward with no obstacles in the way.
And I am free to run
I had the ability and motivation to move forward and achieve my goals.
It's burning so bright
The light I had seen before was still shining brightly and giving me hope.
And it was the light
The source of my newfound hope and courage was the light shining down on me.
That took me through the night
The light helped me overcome my struggles and push through the darkest moments.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANGIE APARO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jaime Alvarado
on Rain
great song ,,, !!!!!!!