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.
You Can Never Tell
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle
And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell
See'est la vie, say the old folk, it goes to show you never can tell
They furnished off an apartment with two rooms by themselves
The coolerator was crammed with TV dinners and ginger ale
But when Pierre found work the little money coming worked out well
They had a hi-fi phono, boy did they let it blast
Seven hundred little records, all rockin' rhythm and jazz
But when the sun went down, the rapid tempo of the music fell
See'est la vie say the old folk, it goes to show you never can tell
They bought a souped up jittny, was a cherry red fifty three
They drove it down to Orleans to celebrate their anniversary
It was there where Pierre was wedded to the lovely Mademoiselle
See'est la vie say the old folk, it goes to show you never can tell
It was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished them well
You could see that Pierre did truly love the Mademoiselle
And now the young Monsieur and Madame have rung the chapel bell
See'est la vie say the old folk, it goes to show you never can tell
The song "You Can Never Tell" by Status Quo tells the story of young love, as a teenage couple gets married and starts their life together. Despite the doubts and skepticism of the older generation, the couple is happy and makes the best of what they have. The lyrics emphasize the message that life is full of surprises and you never know what the future holds.
The first verse describes a wedding between a young couple, Pierre and Mademoiselle. The old folks at the ceremony wish them well, recognizing the love between them. The second verse tells of their humble living situation, with only two rooms and budget meals, but they are content with what they have. When Pierre finds work, their situation improves. The third verse describes their love of music, with a hi-fi system and countless records blasting rock and jazz. However, they also know how to slow down and enjoy each other's company. The fourth and final verse tells of their celebration of their anniversary, driving a souped-up car and staying true to the love that brought them together.
Through these lyrics, Status Quo speaks to the idea that love can conquer all and that happiness can be found in even the simplest things in life. Despite the disapproval of others, the couple is determined to make the most of their lives together and proves that anything is possible with love.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished them well
An adolescent union that elderly people congratulated
You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle
It was evident that Pierre genuinely loved the girl
And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell
The newlywed gentleman and lady rang the bell in the church
See'est la vie, say the old folk, it goes to show you never can tell
Such is life, as stated by senior citizens, demonstrating unpredictability
They furnished off an apartment with two rooms by themselves
They decorated a small apartment consisting of two chambers independently
The coolerator was crammed with TV dinners and ginger ale
The refrigerator was packed with frozen meals and non-alcoholic beverages
But when Pierre found work the little money coming worked out well
However, when Pierre acquired employment, their meager income became satisfactory
They had a hi-fi phono, boy did they let it blast
They owned a powerful record player, and they played it at high volume
Seven hundred little records, all rockin' rhythm and jazz
They possessed seven hundred small discs, all containing lively genres of music
But when the sun went down, the rapid tempo of the music fell
Nevertheless, as darkness fell, the fast rhythm in the music diminished
See'est la vie say the old folk, it goes to show you never can tell
Such is life, as stated by senior citizens, demonstrating unpredictability
They bought a souped up jittny, was a cherry red fifty three
They obtained an upgraded automobile, which was a red 1953 model
They drove it down to Orleans to celebrate their anniversary
They drove the car to New Orleans to commemorate their wedding anniversary
It was there where Pierre was wedded to the lovely Mademoiselle
Pierre married the beautiful lady in New Orleans
See'est la vie say the old folk, it goes to show you never can tell
Such is life, as stated by senior citizens, demonstrating unpredictability
It was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished them well
An adolescent union that elderly people congratulated
You could see that Pierre did truly love the Mademoiselle
It was evident that Pierre genuinely loved the girl
And now the young Monsieur and Madame have rung the chapel bell
The newlywed gentleman and lady rang the bell in the church
See'est la vie say the old folk, it goes to show you never can tell
Such is life, as stated by senior citizens, demonstrating unpredictability
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Pankhurst
Full respect paid to Chuck Berry's two-chord masterpiece...
Wackie Mackie
Great rendition of a great song..
status quo-all
https://www.facebook.com/groups/489354311102647/
jim quinn
Great interpretation of the great rock classic ...don't mess too much with the original
Зина Олч
Очень красивая мелодичная!!!! 👍👍👍❤❤❤🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺
status quo-all
https://www.facebook.com/groups/489354311102647/
Зина Олч
Нравиться!!!🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Elvis Presley
@Зина Олч автор Чак Берри ( 1964 ) Классная танцевалочка . Прекрасная аранжировка группы Статус Кво
William Hole
Absolutely stunning !
xabi1966
Fantástica versión.