Status quo

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Status quo
Status quo in 2005
Status quo in 2005
General information
Genre (s) Rock , hard rock
founding 1962/1965
Website www.statusquo.co.uk
Founding members
Francis Rossi
Vocals, guitar
Rick Parfitt († 2016)
Vocals, electric bass
Alan Lancaster (until 1985)
John Coghlan (until 1981)
Roy Lynes (until 1970)
Current occupation
Francis Rossi
Vocals, keyboards, guitar, harmonica
Andy Bown (touring band since 1976, official member since 1982)
Vocals, bass, guitar
John 'Rhino' Edwards (since 1986)
Drums
Leon Cave (since 2013)
Rhythm guitar
Richie Malone (since 2016)
former members
Drums
Pete Kircher (1982–1985)
Drums
Jeff Rich (1986-2000)
Drums
Matt Letley (2000-2013)
Unofficial members and songwriters
harmonica
Bob Young (1969–1980 and since 2002)
singing
Bernie Frost (1978-1999)
Keyboard (live)
Paul Hirsh (2000-2001)

Status Quo is a British band that was founded in 1962/1965 and is one of the most successful and long-lived rock groups . In total, the band has released 33 studio albums , several live albums and more than 100 singles to date . The most famous pieces include What You're Proposing , Down Down and Whatever You Want . Status Quo are also successful with cover versions of other artists. Her versions of Rockin 'All Over the World and In the Army Now are probably better known than the original versions. The first hit parade came in 1968 with Pictures of Matchstick Men . According to their own statements, the band has sold more than 118 million records worldwide over the years.

history

Founding years (1962 to 1966)

Status Quo emerged from a London school band around Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster , which was founded at the beginning of 1962 as The Scorpions . Frequent line-up changes had to be accepted in the first few months. The band name was also changed to The Specters . The year 1962 was mentioned in various sources and for a long time by the band itself as the year of foundation. Finally, they officially celebrated their twentieth birthday in 1982 with the album 1 + 9 + 8 + 2 (the cross sum is 20). By 1964 a permanent line-up was formed, which included Rossi and Lancaster as well as drummer John Coghlan and a little later keyboardist Roy Lynes . The band was managed by Pat Barlow , a London gas fitter. This also made a rehearsal room available to the musicians.

In 1965, the band and Rick Parfitt met at Butlin's Minehead , a vacation club where the Specters and the Highlights performed. Parfitt was on tour with twin sisters Jean and Gloria Harrison. The trio was called The Highlights and performed with a mixture of music and cabaret . The band and Parfitt became friends and stayed in contact after the engagement ended. This was the very beginning of the status quo. The Specters took every opportunity to perform - whether in smaller clubs, as the opening act for well-known groups such as the Hollies or at one of the many pop and beat evenings. Otherwise, the band members worked part-time (Rossi, for example, mowed lawn). Unsatisfied with the situation, The Specters continued to work on their big goal: a record deal.

In July 1966, the contacts of Barlow finally enabled a partial success: The Specters received a recording contract for five years with "Piccadilly Records" (a subsidiary label of Pye Records ). In 1966 two unsuccessful singles were released, I (Who Have Nothing) and Hurdy Gurdy Man (which was the only one to appear in Germany ). The third single (We Ain't Got) Nothing Yet in February 1967 also flopped. After these low blows, the group was at a crossroads. Manager Pat Barlow decided to give it a try under a new name. The band decided to rename themselves " Traffic ". Since Steve Winwood founded a formation of the same name at that time , the band name was changed to "Traffic Jam" a short time later. Under this name, another single Almost But Not Quite There was released in June 1967 , which, although not in the hit parades, attracted attention on the BBC . Due to the possibly offensive text (it contained sexual desires of a woman), the station banned the radio broadcast of the single.

First successes as "The Status Quo" (1967 to 1971)

Francis Rossi (vocals / guitar)

Rick Parfitt, who had returned to London in 1967 after the end of his engagement with "The Highlights", stayed in constant contact with the band, especially through his friend Francis Rossi. At times he worked as an employee without knowing exactly what to do with his life. Since the hoped-for success did not materialize despite a record deal, Pat Barlow suggested the band to add a second guitarist to the band. The choice fell on Rick Parfitt, who immediately accepted the offer. After the radio boycott of the new single by the BBC and also because of the friction with Steve Winwood, considerations were made to change the band name again. After “The Muhammed Alis” was shortlisted, Barlow brought in the name “Quo Vadis”, which he accidentally discovered on the inside of a shoe. The band finally gave themselves the name "The Status Quo", which was made public shortly afterwards via a press release.

The next single in November 1967 fell under the decision: "Now or never". Francis Rossi was very inspired by Jimi Hendrix 's Hey Joe , and the new work should be something along those lines. The song Gentlemen Joe's Sidewalk Cafe (the original is by Kenny Young ) was recorded in the studio. The B-side of this single was the title Pictures of Matchstick Men , written by Rossi , a pseudo- psychedelic number from the beginning flower power pop era. It soon turned out that this song performed much better than the A-side and also fit perfectly into the psychedelic music trend. It rose to number 7 in the UK top ten and gave the group their only hit in the US to date. As a licensee of Pye, the single was released in the US on Cadet Records, a Chess Records label.

The following titles didn't come close to achieving this level of success. In Germany, too, it was the first title that made “The Status Quo” known and climbed to number 7 in the charts. Joe Bunce, a master upholsterer and friend of Pat Barlow, acted as co-manager and above all financier since mid / late 1967.

The year 1968 brought some minor successes for Status Quo: Another in the charts placed single ( Ice in the Sun ), concerts and performances at various television stations - including the " Beat-Club " on German television with Ice in the Sun . Their first album Picturesque Matchstickable Messages of the Status Quo was also released in 1968. In the annual poll of the "Record Mirror", "The Status Quo" was voted 12th among the most promising bands of the year.

From March 1969 the name was shortened to "Status Quo". Various musical aha experiences (including the Roadhouse Blues from the Doors ) as well as the great audience reactions when the band improvised in concerts led to a more blues and boogie-oriented variety. The Carnaby Street disguises of the psychedelic era have been mothballed. The band only appeared in the clubs and halls in normal street clothes with jeans and a T-shirt. The reason for this development was, however, that the two hit singles were not followed by any more. Status quo have become increasingly uninteresting for concert organizers of the hit tours. As a result, the collaboration with Pat Barlow was terminated. Bob Young , on the other hand, joined the band . Originally intended as a roadie , he quickly became an unofficial member of the band, as he co-wrote various pieces and also worked as a musician ( harmonica ).

At the end of 1970 the keyboardist Roy Lynes left the band, which from then on developed as a quartet a pure, guitar-driven blues rock based on a very driving boogie-woogie rhythm. With the 1971 album Dog of Two Head , the band finally found the musical formula, which they only carefully changed in the following years and which is still the basis of their songs after more than 40 years.

Breakthrough and international success (1972 to 1981)

Status Quo 1978 (Rossi, Parfitt, Lancaster - left to right)

Despite the strong increase in the number of fans, record sales initially remained unsatisfactory. The band was from Pye - label to psychedelic rock , forced because the label saw the only chance in this music to make money. However, "Status Quo" was a rock band and therefore decided to leave the label itself. In doing so, as Rick Parfitt pointed out, they were taking a huge risk, and initially they hardly earned anything. With the change to the progressive Vertigo label, commercial success soon came. With hits like Caroline , Down Down , Roll Over Lay Down and Wild Side of Life , the band established themselves in the mid-1970s, supported by incessant tours . As a band without scandals with a simple sound, they became world famous.

While Down Down was the only British number 1 in the band's history in the singles charts , this position was achieved several times in the album charts. The tours in Great Britain, continental Europe , Japan and Australia were also very successful . Despite several attempts, “Status Quo” failed to be successful in North America. Repeated changes of the US record label and numerous tours remained largely ineffective.

From today's perspective, the years 1972 to 1976 are considered the strongest phase of the band. With the album Piledriver the transition from psychedelic rock to hard rock succeeded , which culminated in 1974 with the album Quo . In the following years, boogie rock, for which the band is known to this day, dominated. The music style became more commercial overall. After the album On the Level from 1975 there were personnel changes: In 1976 keyboardist Andy Bown joined "Status Quo". Bown was active with Peter Frampton on “ The Herd ” in the 1960s and was a sought-after studio musician , including for Pink Floyd , Tim Hardin and in 1973 for the “Status Quo” album Hello! . Andy Bown only supported the band on three tracks on the 1976 album Blue for You , but then went with the band on the European part of the tour, which is documented on the 1977 album Status Quo Live . Three concerts in the Apollo Theater in Glasgow were recorded for this album . The LP Tokyo Quo , which was only released in Japan and a recording of the same tour made in Tokyo , is now a rare collector's item. It was also the band's last tour as a quartet .

From the following album Rockin 'All Over the World , Bown was involved in all recordings. It was only towards the end of the sessions, at the suggestion of Rick Parfitt, that they recorded the album's title track, Rockin 'All Over the World , a cover version of a 1975 piece by John Fogerty , which became one of the band's most famous hits. With Whatever You Want from the 1979 album of the same name, Bown wrote one of Status Quo's greatest hits together with Rick Parfitt. At about the same time, Status Quo decided to work with a producer again for the first time since 1970 . Roger Glover produced the single Wild Side of Life in 1976 , while Pip Williams sat at the mixer several times in the following years .

An unofficial band member from 1970 to 1980 was the tour manager Bob Young, who was involved in many pieces together with Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt as a co-writer and musician. He left the band in 1980 but returned as co- composer with the Heavy Traffic album in 2002 . Instead of Bob Young, Bernie Frost increasingly appeared as Francis Rossi's songwriting partner. In the 1980s, in particular, Frost was involved in the recordings as a singer in the background. In contrast to Young, however, he was not on stage live.

Upheavals (1981 to 1985)

Rick Parfitt (vocals, rhythm guitar)
Andrew Bown

The long-term success also brought problems. For tax reasons, the musicians left Great Britain and moved to different tax havens , including the British Channel Islands and the Isle of Man , as described in the play Living on an Island . This and increasing drug problems led to an alienation of the musicians. Founding member John Coghlan left the band in late 1981. Pete Kircher replaced him on drums. From then on, John Coghlan concentrated on his band project "Diesel". Today he drums occasionally with his new band "John Coghlan's Quo" or for the "King Earl Boogie Band". Simultaneously with the entry of Pete Kircher, the longtime keyboardist Andy Bown was introduced as an official band member.

The newly formed band made a major appearance in May 1982 when they gave a concert in Birmingham in the presence of Prince Charles , which was broadcast live by the BBC on television and radio. Recordings of the gig were later released as an album Live at the NEC .

In 1984 Status Quo said goodbye to their audience with the successful European tour End of the Road . The reason was officially announced to want to take care of solo projects from now on. An important reason for the withdrawal, however, were disagreements between Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster, who increasingly distanced himself from the musical concept of the group. Lancaster had meanwhile also moved to Australia, which practically ruled out close cooperation. An official separation was not connected with this, as further record releases were expressly announced.

In 1985 the formation played again with Lancaster and Kircher for the opening of the Live Aid concert in London. A continuation of the work was planned, but did not materialize. Alan Lancaster and Rossi and Parfitt fought over the naming rights of the group, as Lancaster wanted to form a new formation under the old name together with Australian colleagues. Rossi and Parfitt also wanted to continue to publish and appear as "Status Quo". The UK Supreme Court eventually gave the rights to Rossi and Parfitt as they were more publicly identified with the name "Status Quo" than Alan Lancaster.

After Lancaster's final exit, the group's “birthday”, which previously referred to the founding of “The Specters” in 1962, was re-dated to 1965; this refers to the first meeting of Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt as "young professional musicians" in Butlin's holiday camp.

Alan Lancaster joined the Australian band "The Party Boys" while Pete Kircher retired from the music business. "The Party Boys" were quite successful in Australia, but the band was barely noticed in Europe.

In 2005, the Universal record company , to which the Vertigo label now belongs, released the albums from 1971 to 1981 in a remastered (tonally revised) version, with rare recordings being released as bonus tracks.

Second career (1986 to 2000)

Concert ticket for the In The Army Now Tour (1986)

In 1986 the group presented itself in a new, rejuvenated line-up after the departure of Alan Lancaster and Pete Kircher. Rossi, Parfitt and Bown were assisted by John Edwards on bass and Jeff Rich on drums. Edwards and Rich had previously been in the studio with Rick Parfitt to record his (unreleased) solo album Recorded Delivery .

The album In the Army Now was a great success, the single of the same name (a cover version of the recording of " Bolland & Bolland ") the most successful of the band. Two songs were produced by Dave Edmunds , the rest of the recordings by Pip Williams. In the following years the status quo became quieter, although with Burning Bridges and The Anniversary Waltz further top 10 hits were created in England. According to legend, the band got their inspiration for Burning Bridges , which is reminiscent of Irish jigs and reels , while playing the recorder from Andy Bown's daughter.

For the band's 30th anniversary in 1996, Status Quo released Don't Stop, a highly acclaimed and very successful album in England with cover versions of old rock hits, including The Beach Boys ( Fun, Fun, Fun ), Brian May and Maddy Prior from “ Steeleye Span "( All Around My Hat ). The concept of quo-style rock classics was repeated - with moderate success - with the albums Famous in the Last Century and Riffs .

Shortly after Don't Stop was released, the future of Status Quo was seriously jeopardized again when Rick Parfitt was hospitalized after a heart attack , where he was given multiple bypasses . Fortunately he recovered, so that concerts were played again after a short break.

In the 1990s, the status quo was increasingly perceived by the public through the dubious actions of manager David Walker. In addition to successful short tours that led to entries in the Guinness Book of Records, staged band anniversaries and a failed lawsuit against the BBC, which no longer played Status Quo singles in the youth program, determined the media work.

The musical highlight of the years 1986 to 2000 was the album Rock 'Til You Drop , which, in contrast to many other recordings of the period, was based very much on the musical style of the most successful years. With the live classic 4500 Times and the track Can't Give You More (originally from 1973 and 1977 respectively), two songs of the time were re-recorded as bonus tracks for the CD.

The new millennium (2001 to 2011)

Francis Rossi ( left ) and Rick Parfitt (2004)
Live in Lichtenvoorde (NL) (2006)

In 2000 there was another change on the drums. Jeff Rich announced his departure to have more time with his family. Today he runs a drum school. Matt Letley became the new drummer . Andy Bown also withdrew from the public for a time in order to be able to support his seriously ill wife. He was represented in live performances by Paul Hirsh . After his wife died from cancer, Bown returned to Status Quo in late 2001.

The collaboration with the manager Walker ended after his fatal heart attack, also under tragic circumstances. Without his influence, the status quo returned to their roots again. The album Heavy Traffic from 2002 was again based on the classic strengths of Status Quo: "Heads Down No-nonsense Boogie". For the first time in many years, Bob Young was involved in a new release. On Riffs (2003) he can also be heard on one piece on the harmonica . Mike Paxman , who had already played with John "Rhino" Edwards (and Jeff Rich) in Judie Tzuke's band , acted as producer .

To this day the band tours regularly and gives around 100 concerts every year - not only in Europe. Despite massive demands from the British press, these commitments also prevented Status Quo from appearing in Live Aid's follow-up Live 8 in 2005 . The group kept their promise and performed on the same day - as planned - in Ireland.

In September 2005 the studio album The Party Ain't Over Yet was released , which celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first meeting of Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt. The album and the single of the same name reached the top 20 in England. Overall, Status Quo was able to achieve more than 60 top 40 hits in Great Britain, 22 of which were top 10 successes. Worldwide sales of sound carriers are officially stated at more than 118 million (as of June 2007).

In the fall of 2005, Rick Parfitt swore to all fans on The Party Ain't Over Yet DVD that a cover album would never be released again.

In the fortieth year after their first record deal, Status Quo also parted ways with their long-standing record company Universal, to which they had been loyal since 1972. (Only the 1999 album Under the Influence was not released on a label of the Universal group. For this reason, this album was not included in the extensive series of re-releases that Universal brought out in 2005 and 2006 and which all albums by 1972 to 2000.) This means that most of the group's recordings are currently available on CD, while some of the solo recordings from the 1980s are still waiting for their first CD release.

At the beginning of December 2005, Rick Parfitt, a chain smoker, was found to have a growth in the throat, which is why all outstanding concerts on the current tour were canceled. Just before Christmas 2005, Parfitt's doctors found that the growths were benign and could be completely removed. The suspicion of throat cancer was therefore not confirmed.

Status quo therefore continued to appear in 2006. A highlight was a joint tour with Deep Purple through Australia (“Double Trouble Tour”). The concert at the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham on May 21, 2006 was recorded for DVD release and was released in autumn 2006 under the title Just Doin 'It .

"Rhino" Edwards (bass) at the Classic Rock Festival Hamburg
Rick Parfitt (guitar) at the Classic Rock Festival Hamburg

Status Quo was presented to a global public when they played Rockin 'All Over the World at London's Wembley Stadium on July 1, 2007 as part of the Concert for Diana in honor of Princess Diana, who died ten years earlier .

In September 2007 a new studio album was released with the title In Search of the Fourth Chord (German: In search of the fourth chord). With this title, the band ironically takes up the common prejudice that status quo can only master three chords . For this purpose a record label called "Fourth Chord Records" was founded. In continental Europe (excluding France), however, the album was released by Edel , while the release in France (at the end of August) took place on XIII Bis Records. For the recordings, which began in April 2007, producer Pip Williams was hired again , who oversaw some of the band's greatest hits with Rockin 'All Over the World , Whatever You Want , In the Army Now and Don't Stop . In autumn 2007 the album was also presented live with another tour.

In October 2008 a new recording of the 1979 hit Whatever You Want was released , which was recorded by the techno band Scooter together with Status Quo. The willingness of Status Quo to leave the previous rock paths in favor of techno music was viewed critically by many fans. However, the joint single already reached number 11 in the German charts in the first week and thus gave Status Quo the first real single hit in Germany for a long time.

In the late autumn of 2008 a new compilation called Pictures - 40 Years of Hits was released, which, in addition to the various Status Quo classics, also includes Jump That Rock and a Christmas single called It's Christmas Time . It was published in various versions, including a 4CD earbook , which contains all singles that have been released in the United Kingdom to date.

On July 16, 2009, the band performed for the second time after 2004 at the Montreux Jazz Festival on Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The sold-out concert in the Stravinski Auditorium was recorded on video and released in October 2009 in several formats (DVD, BluRay, Deluxe Edition) under the title Pictures - Live at Montreux 2009 .

The longstanding successes and achievements of Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi were honored on December 31, 2009 with the Order of the British Empire .

In May 2010, Francis Rossi's second solo album, One Step At A Time , was released, which he presented with a small tour. Status Quo musicians, Rhino Edwards and Andrew Bown, were also involved in the recording.

At the end of September 2010, a new version of the song In The Army Now was released. The profits from this publication were donated to the British Forces Foundation and Help For Heroes.

With the release of Quid Pro Quo in May 2011, Status Quo managed to land a top 10 hit in the UK for six consecutive decades. The album also contains a re-recording of the 1986 hit In The Army Now , which was released in September 2010 as a charity CD for the benefit of members of the British Army.

Reunification of the "Frantic Four", film project and Aquostic (2012 to 2015)

Status Quo - Frantic Four - The Reunion Tour 2014 - Oberhausen

In October 2012, the Alan Parker- produced documentary "Hello Quo" was released, which includes a jam session of the original line-up with Rossi, Parfitt, Lancaster and Coghlan. The four founding members played together for the filming for the first time in over 30 years, which fueled rumors of a possible reunification of the "Frantic Four". On November 3, 2012, the band announced on their website that five concerts with the former members would take place in March 2013. The reunification should be a "one-time" event. Due to the great success, further concerts took place in spring 2014 - also in Germany. Recordings from March 2013 were published under the title "Back2SQ.1 - The Frantic Four Reunion 2013" at the end of September 2013, recordings from April 2014 in autumn 2014 under the title "The Franctic Fours Final Fling".

In the previous band line-up with Rossi, Parfitt, Bown, Edwards and Letley, Status Quo played further concerts after the reunification was announced. However, on December 17, 2012, drummer Matt Letley announced that he would be leaving the band after 12 years. Two days later he played what was supposed to be his last concert. On February 13, 2013 Letley announced that he would also play the drums in 2013 as part of the planned Australia tour. On May 24, 2013, Leon Cave , who had previously played in Francis Rossi's tour band, was confirmed as the new drummer.

In 2013 a movie was released under the title "Bula Quo!", Which was shot from April 2012. "Bula Quo!" Was directed by Stuart St. Paul .

With the album Aquostic (Stripped Bare) a release was released in October 2014 with new recordings of well-known pieces by the band, which were largely recorded without using electronic or electrically amplified instruments. The album is thus in the tradition of MTV unplugged , although there was no formal connection to the television series. Several concerts followed, supported by various accompanying musicians. The recording of the concert at London's Roundhouse was released as a live album.

End of extensive tours and death of Rick Parfitt

On February 1, 2016, Status Quo announced that the autumn / winter 2016 European tour would be the last of its kind. This does not mean the end of the status quo, but the end of big shows with electric guitars. The tour was titled The Last Night of the Electrics .

In the early morning hours of June 15, 2016, after a concert in Antalya, Rick Parfitt collapsed in his hotel after another heart attack and was taken to a Turkish hospital after successful resuscitation. In September 2016, Status Quo management announced that Parfitt would not be able to perform at least until the end of 2016. A possible return to the stage was deliberately left open. The final tour, which began in October 2016, nevertheless took place at Parfitt's request. He was replaced by the Irish guitarist Richie Malone . Freddie Edwards, son of bassist John "Rhino" Edwards, stood in for Parfitt at some concerts during the summer. On December 24, 2016, Rick Parfitt died of an infection after surgery.

Another acoustic album was released on October 21, 2016 with the title Aquostic II - That's A Fact! . It follows the concept of the album Aquostic Stripped Bare . Parfitt was still involved in the recordings for the album. In 2017 the band played for the first time at the Wacken Open Air . Contrary to what had been announced in the meantime, the concerts continued to be played "electrically".

Status Quo's 33rd studio album, Backbone , was released on September 6, 2019 . It is also the first album without the participation of Rick Parfitt. The album reached number 6 in the German album charts in the first week. Only the album Live! from 1977.

Discography

In the more than 50 years of their existence Status Quo have released more than 30 albums. There are also more than 100 single releases. Only singles were released under the name “ The Specters ” or “Traffic Jam”, but they were re-released on CD in recent years.

In Germany, Status Quo was able to record over 30 placements in the singles charts and over 25 albums in the album charts (see chart placements ). These are spread over six decades, as the first hit single was from 1968, while the last chart entry so far was from 2011. Even in the intervening decades, the hit parade could be reached without the need to republish old recordings.

The following discography shows the regular studio, live and solo albums and gives an overview of the most important compilations .

Studio albums

year title Label Remarks
1968 Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo Pye Records published under the name The Status Quo
1969 Spare parts Pye published under the name The Status Quo
1970 Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon Pye Last album with Roy Lynes
1971 Dog of Two Head Pye  
1972 Piledriver Vertigo Records  
1973 Hello Vertigo First album with Andy Bown as a guest musician
1974 Quo Vertigo  
1975 On the level Vertigo  
1976 Blue for You Vertigo  
1977 Rockin 'All Over the World Vertigo First album with Andy Bown as a band member
1978 If you can't stand the heat Vertigo  
1979 Whatever you want Vertigo  
1980 Just supposin ' Vertigo  
1981 Never Too Late Vertigo Last album with John Coghlan
1982 1 + 9 + 8 + 2 = XX Vertigo The sum of the four digits ("1 + 9 + 8 + 2") results in 20 ("XX"), corresponding to the band's 20th anniversary; first album with Pete Kircher
1983 Back to back Vertigo Last studio album with Alan Lancaster
1986 In the Army Now Vertigo First album with John Edwards and Jeff Rich
1988 Ain't Complaining Vertigo  
1989 Perfect Remedy Vertigo  
1991 Rock 'til you drop Vertigo  
1994 Thirsty work Polydor  
1996 Don't stop Polygram TV First cover album with new recordings of well-known rock classics
1999 Under the influence Eagle Records  
2000 Famous in the Last Century Universal Music TV Second cover album, last album with Jeff Rich
2002 Heavy traffic Universal Music TV First album with Matt Letley
2003 Riffs Universal Music TV Third album of the cover trilogy (including four new recordings of old Status Quo songs)
2005 The Party Ain't Over Yet Sanctuary Records  
2007 In Search of the Fourth Chord Fourth Chord Records (UK) / Edel (Europe) First album on his own label
2011 Quid per quo Fourth Chord Records (UK) / Edel (Europe)  
2013 Bula Quo Fourth Chord Records (UK) / Edel (Europe) Film soundtrack and reinterpretation of classics
2014 Aquostic Stripped Bare  
2016 Aquostic II - That's a fact earMUSIC  
2019 Backbone earMUSIC First album without Rick Parfitt (deceased December 24, 2016)

Live albums

Given the regular tours, it is surprising that in the first 40 years of the band's history only a few concerts of Status Quo were released as live recordings. Several publications were withdrawn shortly before the release, so that by 2006 only four live albums were regularly brought onto the market. Another album was released in 1977 exclusively in Japan. With the exception of the early phase (with keyboardist Roy Lynes ), these albums cover all lineups of the band.

The concert on June 22nd, 2008 in Westonbirt was recorded for the first time using the “instant live” principle, with the recordings being released on CD immediately after the concert. The concert was also marketed by downloading it for a fee . Due to the success of this offer, live recordings were also officially published as a result of further performances.

year title Label Remarks
1977 Status Quo Live Vertigo Double LP (CD version from 2006 with corrected title order)
1977 Tokyo Quo Vertigo released in Japan only
1984 Live at the NEC Vertigo Single release of the live recordings from From The Makers Of
1992 Live Alive Quo Polydor Live; Sutton Park near Birmingham
2006 Just doin 'it! Warner Music Vision Live DVD, limited edition with bonus CD
2009 Pictures - Live at Montreux - Live DVD
2011 Quid pro Quo - Limited Edition Fourth Chord Records (UK) / Edel (Europe) includes live CD as a bonus
2013 Back2SQ.1 - The Frantic Four Reunion 2013 Abbey Road / Universal (UK) / Edel (worldwide) new recordings of the original cast (several formats, different appearances)
2017 The Last Night of the Electrics for the first time without Rick Parfitt, Live London December 16, 2016
2018 Down Down & Dignified at the Royal Albert Hall earMusic Live CD, acoustic concert, recorded in 2017 at the Royal Albert Hall
2018 Down Down & Dirty at Wacken earMusic Live DVD, recorded in 2017 at the Wacken Open Air

Further live recordings have appeared on singles , maxi singles and maxi CDs and as bonus tracks , so that the total number of live releases is far more extensive than the aforementioned albums. In addition, since 2008, live recordings of selected concerts have been published in limited editions immediately after the end of the event.

Best of compilations (selection)

year title Remarks
1973 Golden Hour of Status Quo  
1979 Just for the record LP, compilation of pieces from the period from the end of 1968 to 1971
1980 12 gold bars  
1982 From the Makers Of Triple LP, including the recordings from the NEC Birmingham later released as Live At The NEC
1984 12 Gold Bars Vol. 2 Double LP, including 12 gold bars from 1980
1990 Rocking All Over the Years All top 10 singles are included.
1996 Caroline - Best CD, period: 1968–86, label: Phono Music / Zounds , all tracks digitally remastered
1997 Whatever you want Double CD, all songs were hit singles
2004 XS All Areas Double CD, with two new tracks
2006 Wild Side of Life - Best CD, period: 1967–96, label: Zounds , all tracks are digitally remastered, CD-Text.
2008 Pictures: 40 Years of Hits Double CD, with a new track ("It's Christmas Time")
2010 Top 100 5 CD box set with the band's 100 most successful songs

Box sets and collections of rarities (selection)

year title Remarks
1983 To be or not to be Collection of B sides
1983 Works 10 ″, rare and unreleased recordings from the PYE label from 1968–1971
1987 Quotations Vol. 1 - The Status Quo Early Years Recorded as The Specters and Traffic Jam
1987 Quotations Vol. 2 - The Flipsides, Alternatives & Oddities Rare and unpublished recordings from 1968–1971
1990 The Early Works 5 LP
1995 The Other Side of Status Quo Collection of B sides
2000 Rockers rollin ' 4 CD, including various previously unreleased recordings
2008 Pictures: 40 Years of Hits 4 CD earbook with all 75 UK singles since 1968, including a new piece
2010 Live at the BBC Recordings from 1968 to 2005 in different versions (2CD, 4CD and 7CD + DVD)

Solo albums

year title Remarks
Francis Rossi
1985 Flying Debris previously unpublished, with Bernie Frost
1996 King of the Doghouse  
2010 One step at a time  
2011 Live at St. Luke's, London CD, DVD, Blu-ray
2019 We Talk Too Much with Hannah Rickard
Rick Parfitt
1985 Recorded delivery previously unpublished
2018 Over and out
Alan Lancaster
1999 Life after quo No solo album, but a compilation of his work with the groups "The Party Boys" and "The Bombers" (Eagle Records)
Bob Young
1976 Young & Moody Together with Micky Moody
1986 In Quo Country Recordings of status quo songs in the style of country music
Andy Bown
1972 Gone to My Head not yet published as CD 08/24/2016
1973 Sweet William not yet released on CD
1976 Come Back Romance, All Is Forgiven not yet released on CD
1978 Good advice not yet released on CD
2011 Unfinished business Cherry Red Records
John Edwards
2000 Rhino's Revenge  
2015 Rhino's Revenge II  

DVD and VHS releases

year title Remarks
1984 End of the Road / More from the End of the Road Milton Keynes Bowl concert in 1984
1986 Rocking Through the Years 26 music videos of the singles from 1973 to 1986
1990 Rocking All Over the Years Live, previously only released as VHS and Laserdisc ; 85 minutes running time
1991 Anniversary Waltz - A Celebration of 25 Rockin 'Years Anniversary concert on October 10, 1990; New releases under different names; 85 minutes running time
2006 Just doin 'it live Live in Birmingham, NEC, May 21, 2006
2009 Pictures - Live at Montreux Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 2009
2013 Back2 SQ.1: The Frantic Four Reunion 2013 Live at Hammersmith Apollo
2014 Aquostic! live Aquostic! Live at the Roundhouse
2017 The Last Night of the Electrics Live in London, 02, 13/12/2016

Awards

  • RSH gold
    • 1997: in the category "cult band of the year"

literature

  • John Shearlaw, Bob Young: Again & Again. Sidgwick & Jackson, London 1984, ISBN 0-283-99101-1 (John Shearlaw's first edition appeared in 1979 as The Authorized Biography ).
  • Tom Hibbert: Status Quo. Omnibus Press, London 1982, ISBN 0-86001-957-8 .
  • Neil Jeffries: Rockin 'All Over the World. Proteus Books, 1985, Paperback, ISBN 0-86276-272-3 .
  • Bob Young: Quotographs - Celebrating 30 Years of Status Quo. IMP International Music Publications, 1985, ISBN 1-85909-291-8 .
  • Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt: Just for the Record. Bantam Press, 1994, ISBN 0-593-03546-1 .
  • Patti Parfitt: Laughing All Over the World: My Life Married to Status Quo. Blake Publishing, 1998, ISBN 1-85782-198-X .
  • David J. Oxley: Rockers Rollin '- The Story of Status Quo. ST Publishing, 2000, ISBN 1-898927-80-4 .
  • David J. Oxley: Tuned to the Music of Status Quo. ST Publishing, 2001, ISBN 1-898927-90-1 .
  • Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Mick Wall: Status Quo. XS All Areas. Sidgwick & Jackson, London 2004, ISBN 0-283-07375-6 ; as paperback: Pan, London 2005, ISBN 0-330-41962-5 .
  • Rick Parfitt, Francis Rossi, Mick Wall: The Status Quo Autobiography. Hannibal Verlag, Höfen 2011, ISBN 978-3-85445-365-9 (Original edition: XS All Areas: The Status Quo Autobiography )
  • Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Bob Young: "Status Quo": The Official 40th Anniversary Edition. Cassell Illustrated, London 2006, ISBN 978-1-84403-562-5 .

Web links

Commons : Status Quo  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Status Quo - The Official Site. Retrieved December 16, 2019 .
  2. Status Quo - The Official Site - 100 singles. Retrieved December 16, 2019 .
  3. Fact sheet on the Status Quo homepage
  4. In the Army Now - re-release ( Memento from December 17, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) on army.mod.uk
  5. Status Quo homepage , accessed on November 3, 2012.
  6. Reunion-Tour 2014 ( Memento of the original from October 16, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed October 16, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.statusquo.co.uk
  7. ^ Matt Letley Weblog , accessed February 14, 2013.
  8. Leon Cave as a member of the band on StatusQuo.co.uk , accessed May 24, 2013.
  9. Bula Quo! in the Internet Movie Database , accessed November 3, 2012.
  10. Press release , accessed on February 3, 2016.
  11. Message on the band's homepage ; StatusQuo.co.uk, accessed September 15, 2016.
  12. Rick Parfitt (1948-2016) ; accessed on December 24, 2016.
  13. Announcement on the band's homepage ; StatusQuo.co.uk, accessed October 7, 2016.
  14. Official German album charts , accessed on September 13, 2019
  15. Status Quo: 100 singles ; StatusQuo.co.uk, accessed February 18, 2016.
  16. RSH Gold Award 1997