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.
THINKING OF YOU
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Light in the night time and dark in the day
Running for something and waiting for nothing
Looking at people and hiding away
Asking a question when I know the answer
Hanging around when I just wanna play
I'm thinking of you again
Don't know what to do again
But I'm thinking of you
Tell me what you're doing then
I'll know that it's you
Don't wanna be blue again
So I'm thinking of you
Into a new day and out on the highway
Cut in the fast lane and going so slow
Talking 'bout old days and walking in new ways
Watching those tv reality shows
Sitting in silence with standing room only
Moving in closer and ready to go
I'm thinking of you again
I'm thinking of you
Don't know what to do again
But I'm thinking of you
Tell me what you're doing then
I'm thinking of you
Where are we going
We're on a roll
You'll see me coming
I'm coming through
Up in the morning and down in the evening
Light in the night time and dark in the day
Asking a question when I know the answer
Hanging around when I just wanna play
I'm thinking of you again
I'm thinking of you
Don't know what to do again
But I'm thinking of you
Tell me what you're doing then
I'll know that it's you again
Don't wanna be blue again
So I'm thinking of you
The lyrics of Status Quo's "Thinking of You" depict a sense of confusion and indecisiveness. The first verse starts off by describing the contrast between day and night and how the persona is torn between running towards something and waiting for nothing. They are conflicted about approaching people and instead choose to hide away. The idea of asking a question to which they already know the answer portrays a sense of self-doubt and uncertainty. The "hanging around when I just wanna play" line implies that the persona feels stuck and cannot make up their mind about what they want to do.
The second verse talks about moving forward while looking back, which is an unsolvable conflict. The comparison between "talking about old days and walking in new ways" reflects the internal struggle of moving on from the past while desperately clinging onto familiar things. The "tv reality shows" line depicts a sense of distraction and a longing for an escape. The last line of the second verse, "moving in closer and ready to go," suggests that the persona is making some kind of progress, but again, the internal conflict keeps them from moving forward confidently.
Overall, the lyrics convey the feeling of uncertainty and the constant battle between what to do and what not to do. The repetition of "thinking of you" in the chorus suggests that the persona is seeking stability and guidance, possibly from a person or an idea.
Line by Line Meaning
Up in the morning and down in the evening
Everyday life; starting the day and ending the day
Light in the night time and dark in the day
The contrast and different emotions of day and night
Running for something and waiting for nothing
The daily struggle to achieve and the feeling of pointlessness
Looking at people and hiding away
Social anxiety and shyness
Asking a question when I know the answer
Going through the motions of communication, despite already knowing the outcome
Hanging around when I just wanna play
Feeling indecisive and stuck, not taking action
I'm thinking of you again
Repetitive thoughts about someone
Don't know what to do again
Uncertainty and confusion about how to handle the situation
But I'm thinking of you
Despite the lack of clarity, thoughts remain on the person
Tell me what you're doing then
Desperate desire for communication and interaction
I'll know that it's you
Implying the person is on their mind often
Don't wanna be blue again
The person's presence makes them happy
Into a new day and out on the highway
Life going on and moving forward
Cut in the fast lane and going so slow
Feeling held back in life despite the urge to move forward
Talking 'bout old days and walking in new ways
Reflecting on the past while navigating the present
Watching those tv reality shows
A distraction from reality, yet still consumed by it
Sitting in silence with standing room only
Anxiety and discomfort in social situations
Moving in closer and ready to go
Feeling on the brink of doing something, despite reservations
Where are we going
Questioning the direction of life
We're on a roll
Despite uncertainty, still moving forward in life
You'll see me coming
Feeling confident in oneself
I'm coming through
Moving forward with purpose and determination
Contributed by Michael S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alejandro Martinez
Simplemente los amos del rock, por siempre STATUS QUO
javier rodriguez
buenisima cancion hace tiempo que no la escuchaba
Beatrice Peter
Awww ,not again : "Up in the morning ,...down in the evening ", thinking of my boyfriend in the Far East...
What are you going to do ," Up in the morning " ...
Tell me ...
Jake Godfrey
Which album is this from?