Status Quo

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Status Quo are an English rock band whose music is characterised by a strong boogie line. Status Quo was founded by bassist Alan Lancaster and guitarist Francis Rossi in 1962, becoming "The Status Quo" in late 1967, and finally settling on the name "Status Quo" in 1970. Status Quo have recorded over 60 chart hits in the UK, more than any other rock group in history.

Status Quo began as a rock and roll freakbeat band in 1962. At Sedgehill Comprehensive School, Beckenham, Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster who were members of the same orchestra, started a band called The Scorpions. Changing their name to The Spectres, Rossi and Lancaster played their first gig at the Samuel Jones Sports Club in Dulwich, South London. In 1963 they added drummer John Coghlan. They began writing their own material and after a year met Rick Parfitt who was playing with a band called The Highlights. By the end of 1965, Rossi and Parfitt, who had become close friends, made a commitment to continue working together. On July 18, 1966 The Spectres signed a five-year deal with Piccadilly Records, releasing two singles that year, 'I (Who Have Nothing)' and 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' (written by Alan Lancaster), and one the next year called 'We Ain't Got Nothing Yet', but all three sank without trace.


By 1967, the group 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. They released another single 'Almost But Not Quite There' which was also a flop. Late in 1968, the band became The Status Quo and released the very successful Top 10 single "Pictures of Matchstick Men" in November. Rick Parfitt was invited to join Status Quo just as this hit the charts.The single charted as high as Number 7. Status Quo followed it up with "Ice in The Sun", which was almost as successful, climbing to Number 8. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" remains the only Top 40 hit single Status Quo has ever charted in the United States. Though Status Quo  albums have been released in the United States throughout their career, Status Quo have never achieved the same level of success and fame there that Status Quo have enjoyed in their home country.

After their second album Spare Parts failed to impact commercially, Status Quo decided to change musical direction, abandoning pop psychedelia and Carnaby Street fashions in favour of a hard rock sound, worn-out denims and T-shirts, which was to become their trademark throughout the 1970s. Lynes, apparently unhappy with the reduced emphasis on keyboards in Status Quo heavier sound, left in 1971, to be replaced (in the studio by guests including keyboard studio player, Jimmy Horowitz and John Parker. By 1976, ex-The Herd and Judas Jump member Andy Bown was drafted in to cover keyboards, though as he was contracted as a solo artist with EMI, he was not credited as a full-time Status Quo member until 1982.


After two well-received but relatively poor selling albums in 1970 and 1971, Status Quo major breakthrough came when they signed with the well-respected heavy rock and progressive label, Vertigo. Status Quo first album for Vertigo, Piledriver came in 1972 and heralded an even heavier self-produced sound. This Status Quo album was essentially the template for every subsequent album Status Quo released up until Blue for You in 1976. During this period, and throughout the rest of the 70s, Status Quo became one of the UK's leading rock bands, gaining a faithful following due to their live gigs. Status Quo 's more popular songs from this era include "Paper Plane" (1972), "Caroline" (1973), "Down Down" (1975), "Rockin' All Over the World" (1977) and "Whatever You Want" (1979). "Down Down" topped the UK singles chart in January 1975, the first of two Status Quo British number one singles to date.


From 1977 onwards Status Quo 's sound became more polished as Status Quo began to employ outside producers including Pip Williams, Roger Glover and John Eden. Sales remained high in the UK throughout the 1980s, but tensions within Status Quo saw founding member John Coghlan leaving the band late in 1981 and replaced both live and in the studio by Pete Kircher from the 1960s pop band Honeybus. This Status Quo line-up played its last gig in 1984 at the Milton Keynes Bowl, although Status Quo were contracted to record more albums. Status Quo's final appearance with the Kircher line-up was 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, Recorded Delivery, with bass player John Edwards and drummer Jeff Rich. The album remains unreleased, although some tracks were reworked and released sporadically as Status Quo B-sides until 1987.

In the summer of 1985 Rossi, Parfitt and Bown, along with Edwards and Rich started work on a new Status Quo album. Lancaster, who was by now permanently living in Australia, took out a legal injunction to stop the band using the Status Quo name on any records, citing his increasing musical differences with Status Quo , 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 Status Quo . The injunction was lifted after a court hearing in January 1986. Lancaster remained in Australia, and in 1986 joined a band called 'Party Boys', who had no success in Britain. He left the band in 1987.


The commercially successful In the Army Now album was released in 1986, the single of the same name becoming one of Status Quo 's biggest selling UK singles, reaching number 2. The following album, Ain't Complaining, released in 1988, was less successful but did produce the single "Burning Bridges", which got to number 3. This was subsequently re-recorded with new lyrics in April 1994 with Manchester United Football Club as "Come on You Reds", giving Status Quo their second UK Number 1.

However the early to mid 1990s saw reduced album sales for Status Quo. Status Quo were not helped by falling victim to Matthew Bannister’s shake up of BBC Radio 1 and Status Quo lost the subsequent court case they brought against the station. Parfitt had to undergo heart surgery in 1997, but was able to overcome it and make a successful return with a memorable performance in Norwich three months later. Rich left in 2000 and was replaced by Matt Letley. Andrew Bown also took a year off at the same time for family reasons, and was temporarily replaced on stage by Paul Hirsh, formerly of Voyager.

Although Status 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 Status Quo 's most recent original albums, Heavy Traffic, is considered by many fans to show a return to their classic 1970s form.

Status Quo have a loyal group of fans in the United Kingdom, where Status Quo have enjoyed more hits than any other group in rock and roll history (over 60 as of 2006), as well as a big following in mainland Europe, most 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 Status Quo took part in the long running ITV soap opera Coronation Street in a storyline which involved Status Quo being sued by the layabout Les Battersby, and performing live at his wedding as compensation.

In December 2005, it was announced that Parfitt was undergoing tests for throat cancer. All subsequent dates of the Status Quo UK tour were cancelled as a result. However, the growths in Parfitt's throat were found to be benign and were removed successfully.

In November 2006, Status Quo performed in a Children in Need feature called "How Clean Is Your Gig?", looking at their tour bus.

On the 1 July 2007, Status Quo performed in front of 63,000 people at the newly built Wembley Stadium as part of the Concert for Diana.

from Wikipedia licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.