Status Quo

  • London, England
    hometown
  • Classic Rock
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  • 1962
    started
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About Status Quo

Official Site: http://statusquo.co.uk/ | facebook.com/pages/Status-Quo-/49887722221


Status Quo are one of Britain's longest-lived bands, staying together for over 40 years. During much of that time, the band was only successful in the U.K., where it racked up a string of Top Ten singles across the decades. In America, the Quo were ignored after they abandoned psychedelia for heavy boogie rock in the early '70s. Before that, the band managed to reach number 12 in the U.S. with the psychedelic classic "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (a Top Ten hit in the U.K.). Following that single, the band suffered a lean period for the next few years, before the bandmembers decided to refashion themselves as a hard rock boogie band in 1970 with their Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon album. The Quo have basically recycled the same simple boogie on each successive album and single, yet their popularity has never waned in Britain. If anything, their very predictability has ensured the group a large following.

The origins of Status Quo lie in a London-based beat group called the Spectres. Francis Rossi (vocals, guitar) and Alan Lancaster (bass) were the core members of the Spectres from their inception; within a few years, the band had added drummer John Coughlan and organist Roy Lynes. The Spectres released three unsuccessful singles before changing their style to psychedelia and adopting the name Traffic Jam and releasing the unsuccessful single "Almost But Not Quite There." After it flopped, the group added Rick Parfitt (guitar, vocals), formerly of the cabaret band the Highlights. When Parfitt joined the band in August 1967, the group again changed its name, this time to Status Quo.

At first, Status Quo backed British solo artists, including Tommy Quickly, while working on their own material. "Pictures of Matchstick Men," the group's debut single, was released at the beginning of 1968 and quickly shot to number seven on the U.K. charts; within a few months, it was a number 12 in the U.S. as well. The immediate follow-up single, "Black Veils of Melancholy," was a flop, but "Ice in the Sun," written by former British pop star Marty Wilde, became Status Quo's second Top Ten hit in the fall of 1968. Over in America, the single barely registered, squeaking to number 70; it was the last time the group would ever chart in the U.S.

For the next year, Status Quo tried to replicate the success of their first two singles with similar psychedelic material, but they had little luck. Finally, they revamped their sound -- and jettisoned organist Lynes -- in the summer of 1970, debuting their new heavy, bluesy boogie rock with the single "Down the Dustpipe." The single reached number 12, yet the full-fledged hard rock album Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon didn't gain much attention. Status Quo began playing concerts regularly across England, slowly building up a strong following in England. Following well-received sets at 1972's Reading and Great Western festivals, the band became a hot property. The Quo signed with Vertigo Records and their first single for the label, "Paper Plane," cracked the Top Ten in early 1973, while their first album for Vertigo, Piledriver, reached number five. Later that year, Hello entered the charts at number one, while its accompanying single, "Caroline," reached number five. Also in 1973, keyboardist Andy Bown, formerly of the Herd and Judas Jump, became the band's unofficial keyboardist.

Throughout the '70s, each album Status Quo released went into the Top Five, while their singles -- including the number one "Down Down" (1974), "Roll Over Lay Down" (1975), "Rain" (1976), "Wild Side of Life" (1976), and a cover of John Fogerty's "Rockin' All Over the World" (1977) -- consistently hit the Top Ten and frequently went gold. Since they were experiencing a great deal of success, they didn't change their sound at all, they just kept churning out the same heavy boogie. America basically ignored Status Quo, yet their eponymous album managed to chart at 148 in 1976. Nevertheless, they were an English phenomenon, and England continued to support them even when pop music was undergoing drastic changes in the late '70s.

Following the release of 1980's Just Supposin', drummer John Coughlan left the band in 1981 to form his own group, Diesel. Former Original Mirrors drummer Pete Kircher replaced him; his first appearance with the group was 1982's Never Too Late. During the early '80s, tensions escalated between bassist Lancaster and guitarists Rossi and Parfitt, who were the group's main songwriters. Lancaster left the Quo after performing with them for a final time at Live Aid. He subsequently took Rossi and Parfitt to court to prevent them from using the name "Status Quo." Lancaster lost his battle, and the name became the property of the guitarists.

Once the lawsuit was settled, Rossi and Parfitt assembled a new band, hiring bassist John Edwards, drummer Jeff Rich, and keyboardist Andy Bown, who officially became a member of the group. The new lineup continued Status Quo's remarkable success, as they racked up a number of new Top Ten singles and hit albums, as well as consistently selling out concerts across England and Europe. In 1994, the group had its second number one hit of its career, with the football anthem "Come on You Reds"; the single was recorded with the football champions, Manchester United. By the mid-'90s, Status Quo had scored 50 British hit singles, which was a greater number than any other band in rock & roll history.

In April 1997 Parfitt underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery but fully recovered and continued performing and recording with the Quo in the years to follow. Drummer Rich departed the band in 2000, replaced by Matt Letley, who has continued on with the band in the 21st century. The single “Jam Side Down” was a Top 20 hit in the U.K. during 2002, a year that also saw the release of the critically acclaimed Heavy Traffic album. The all-covers outing Don’t Stop arrived in 2004, followed by The Party Ain’t Over Yet in 2005 and In Search of the Fourth Chord in 2007. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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Photos

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  • Phonogram
    Status Quo
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News

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  • Status Quo
    The History Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Part Four: From 1988 To Today
    MTV Geek
    May 17, 2013
    By Patrick A. Reed Catch up with Parts 1-3! By now, you've probably heard the news that ABC has ordered a full season of " Marvel's Agents Of ...
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  • Status Quo
    'Arrested Development' Season 4 Trailer Is Full of 'Arrested Development' Jokes
    MTV Geek
    May 13, 2013
    The trailer for the Netflix -exclusive fourth season of " Arrested Development " runs through some familiar plot threads from the beloved ratings-cha...
    Read More
  • Status Quo
    Status Quo's Stocks Rise After Aussie Supermarket Commercial Cringe-fest
    www.billboard.com
    Veteran British rockers Status Quo are front and center of a new campaign for an Australian supermarket giant that's so cheesy, you'd expect to find i...
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Tour Dates

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  • Jul 22 Sunday
    Luleå, Sweden Gultzauudden
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  • Jun 2 Sunday
    Emsdetten, Germany Emshalle
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  • Jun 5 Wednesday
    Sölvesborg, Sweden Sweden Rock
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  • Jun 7 Friday
    Frederiksberg, Denmark Falconer Salen
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  • Jun 14 Friday
    Murten, Switzerland Pantschau Murten
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  • Jun 15 Saturday
    Helsinki, Finland Kaisaniemen Puisto
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  • Jun 23 Sunday
    Falkirk, UK Falkirk Stadium
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  • Jun 23 Sunday
    Falkirk, UK Falkirk Stadium
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  • Jul 5 Friday
    Kufstein, Austria Kufstein Festung
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  • Jul 17 Wednesday
    Rochester, UK Rochester Castle Gardens
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  • Jul 19 Friday
    Calw, Germany Marktplatz
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  • Jul 20 Saturday
    Singen, Germany Hohentwiel
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  • Jul 27 Saturday
    Scarborough, UK Open Air Theatre
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  • Aug 9 Friday
    Crewe, UK Betley Court Farm
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  • Aug 9 Friday
    Crewe, UK Betley Court Farm
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  • Aug 9 Friday
    Crewe, UK Betley Court Farm
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  • Aug 24 Saturday
    Luton, UK Wrest Park
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  • Sep 14 Saturday
    Zürich, Switzerland Hallenstadion
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  • Nov 7 Thursday
    Chemnitz, Germany Stadthalle Chemnitz
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  • Nov 8 Friday
    Berlin, Germany Max-Schmeling-Halle
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  • Nov 9 Saturday
    Hannover, Germany AWD-Hall
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  • Nov 12 Tuesday
    Hamburg, Germany O2 World
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  • Nov 13 Wednesday
    Dortmund, Germany Westfalenhalle 1
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  • Nov 15 Friday
    Kempten, Germany bigBOX Allgäu
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  • Nov 16 Saturday
    Hof, Germany Freiheitshalle
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  • Nov 16 Saturday
    Halle, Germany Freiheitshalle Hof
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  • Nov 18 Monday
    Rostock, Germany Stadthalle Rostock
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  • Nov 19 Tuesday
    Leipzig, Germany Haus Auensee
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  • Nov 22 Friday
    Bielefeld, Germany Stadthalle Bielefeld
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  • Nov 23 Saturday
    Heilbronn, Germany Festhalle Harmonie
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  • Dec 6 Friday
    Liverpool, UK Echo Arena
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  • Dec 7 Saturday
    Birmingham, UK LG Arena
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  • Dec 8 Sunday
    Cardiff, UK Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
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  • Dec 10 Tuesday
    Plymouth, UK Plymouth Pavilions
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  • Dec 11 Wednesday
    Bournemouth, UK Bournemouth International Centre
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  • Dec 13 Friday
    Brighton, UK Brighton Centre
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  • Dec 14 Saturday
    Nottingham, UK Capital FM Arena
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  • Dec 15 Sunday
    London, UK The O2 Arena
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  • Dec 17 Tuesday
    Leeds, UK Leeds Arena
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  • Dec 18 Wednesday
    Glasgow, UK Glasgow Hydro Arena
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  • Dec 19 Thursday
    Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK Metro Radio Arena
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  • Apr 25 Friday
    Zapopan, Mexico Auditorio Telmex
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Discography

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Next Page
  • Bula Quo! (2013)
    Status Quo
    Bula Quo! (2013)
    Fourth Chord
  • Quid Pro Quo (2011)
    Status Quo
    Quid Pro Quo (2011)
    EAR Music
  • Performance (2011)
    Status Quo
    Performance (2011)
    Southworld Recordings
  • Live at the BBC (2010)
    Status Quo
    Live at the BBC (2010)
    Universal Music
  • Live at Montreux 2009 (2009)
    Status Quo
    Live at Montreux 2009 (2009)
  • Live at Montreux 2009 (2009)
    Status Quo
    Live at Montreux 2009 (2009)
    Eagle Rock
  • In Search of the Fourth Chord (2007)
    Status Quo
    In Search of the Fourth Chord (2007)
    Universal Distribution
  • The Cover Up (2006)
    Status Quo
    The Cover Up (2006)
    Music Club International Records
  • The Party Ain't Over Yet (2005)
    Status Quo
    The Party Ain't Over Yet (2005)
    Sanctuary
  • Riffs (2003)
    Status Quo
    Riffs (2003)
    Universal Music TV
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