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.
What To Do
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I found her and I lost her in a way.
She told me of a life, of a great life
Of a fun life but a dumb life in a way
We took off to a somewhere, it was fun there
All along there but we left there in a way.
I didn't know just what to do
I didn't know just what to do, to do
We started talkin easy 'bout the sleazy
And the easy things that people do
I told her of a life, of a strange one
Pre-arranged one that I dreamt of anyway
I didn't know just what to do
I didn't know just what to do
I didn't know just what to do, to do
I found her in a nowhere, and I lost her
And I found her and I lost her in a way
I told her of a life, of a strange one
Pre-arranged one that I dreamt of anyway
I didn't know just what to do
I didn't know just what to do
I didn't know just what to do, to do
The lyrics of Status Quo's song "What To Do" seem to tell a story of a relationship that starts out without direction and ultimately ends up in the same way. The singer of the song seems to have been wandering aimlessly and finds a woman in this same state. They decide to go somewhere together, presumably to escape their mundane lives, and for a while, it's fun. However, eventually, they leave this place and seemingly return to their previous way of life.
Throughout the song, there is an underlying sense of confusion and uncertainty. The singer doesn't seem to know what to do or how to proceed with this woman, and their conversations are focused on topics that some might deem as "sleazy" or "strange." It's possible that this confusion and uncertainty in the relationship are what ultimately lead to its demise.
The repetition of the chorus, "I didn't know just what to do," further emphasizes the sense of confusion and indecisiveness that the singer is experiencing. It's as if they're stuck in a cycle of not knowing how to move forward or make things work.
Overall, "What To Do" is a poignant reflection on the struggles of relationships and the uncertainty that often comes with them.
Line by Line Meaning
I found her in a nowhere and I lost her
I came across her by chance but then she slipped away from me.
And I found her and I lost her in a way.
Even when I thought I had found her again, I ultimately lost her a different way.
She told me of a life, of a great life
She described to me a life that was full and exciting.
Of a fun life but a dumb life in a way
But it was also a life that lacked substance or intelligence in some sense.
We took off to a somewhere, it was fun there
We went on a trip somewhere that was enjoyable.
All along there but we left there in a way.
But eventually we had to leave that place behind.
We started talkin easy 'bout the sleazy
Our conversation turned to casual discussion about risque topics.
And the easy things that people do
And the simple, mindless activities that many people engage in.
I told her of a life, of a strange one
I shared with her an unusual life that I had imagined.
Pre-arranged one that I dreamt of anyway
A life that I had envisioned beforehand, even though it may not be realistic.
I didn't know just what to do
I was unsure of how to proceed or what actions to take.
I didn't know just what to do
Again, I was uncertain and confused about how to proceed.
I didn't know just what to do, to do
Once more, I was at a loss for what steps to take next.
I found her in a nowhere, and I lost her
I rediscovered her in an unexpected place but then lost her again.
And I found her and I lost her in a way
Even though we may have reconnected, it didn't last long and we became separated once again.
I told her of a life, of a strange one
I again shared with her my vision of a unique and unconventional life.
Pre-arranged one that I dreamt of anyway
A life that I had envisioned in my mind beforehand, regardless of whether or not it was grounded in reality.
I didn't know just what to do
Once again, I was uncertain and perplexed about what actions to take next.
I didn't know just what to do
I was still at a loss for what steps to take in order to navigate the situation.
I didn't know just what to do, to do
It became clear that I had no idea how to proceed, and was stuck at a standstill.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANCIS ROSSI, BOB YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ruiseart Alcorn
Great song from a great band!!!
Ian Mart
Quo at their best
Tony Richmond
The REAL Quo.................
J.L. Hennig
Another of my favorite guitar songs to practice to, thank you Mr. Rossi. Wish I could be in a band that plays only 1970's Quo.
Anja Westphal
wish I could one day see a band that plays this, would totally go to the concerts :D
I was on the Status Quo Tour 2019, but it was the first time I saw them.. because I'm only 23 years now..
J.L. Hennig
@Anja Westphal I first heard those songs as a teenager in the 1970s, if you ask me, the 2019 version isn't Quo anymore. I really think they should have called it a day after Rick Parfitt's passing.
There are some good and some not so good tribute bands around today. Their original drummer, John Coghlan, also does a lot of old stuff with his current band, John Coghlan's Quo, maybe you like them.
Anja Westphal
@J.L. Hennig thank you for the Tip, I'm gonna listen to John's Stuff.. but I live in Germany, here are not as many Coverbands as in the UK/USA I think 😄 anyway.. I'll always listen to Rock n Roll, it's never gonna be dead!
J.L. Hennig
@Anja Westphal Ich wohne auch in Deutschland. Stimmt, die Coverbandszene macht hier nicht so viel her. Die Status Quo-Tributebands, von denen ich gehört habe, spielen typischerweise das ganze Programm, auch die neueren Sachen (neu heißt für mich ab '77.) Ich habe auch mal bei einer vorgespielt, aber die haben mich nicht genommen, wahrscheinlich weil ich es mit den neueren Songs nicht so hatte. Zu solchen Leuten sage ich einfach, "stay where the pepper grows". Später habe ich dann eine Band gefunden mehr in Richtung Blues Rock, aber momentan kann man ja eh nur zu Hause spielen, und zur Zeit mag ich sogar am liebsten noch ältere Sachen, so bis zu den 50er Jahren, die Ursprünge des Rock'n'Roll. Grüße aus NRW, Joe
Anja Westphal
@J.L. Hennig Achso cool :D
Ja, und meine Band spielt auch nur Cover aber alles quer beet, worauf alle grad so lust haben.. natürlich nur Rock aber halt alles was Live gut ankommt, Bon Jovi, GNR, Metallica etc.. wir kommen aus Norddeutschland und hier ist ja wahrscheinlich noch weniger los als in NRW :D aber das wird schon noch wieder alles.. nur nicht den Mut verlieren! Rock on!
Campbell Mccreedy
When they were kings