Have you ever heard of a rock band called Status Quo?
This band is almost exactly as old as I am, being formed in London in the year that I was born. They are actually still making music but the line up has changed with only Francis Rossi being the only constant member of the band.
From the late 1960's to the late 1980’s they constantly had singles in the UK charts. In the UK, we had a show called “Top of the Pops”, which had acts who were currently riding high in the charts and gave us the top 40 countdown every week. Many really famous artists have appeared on this show but the band that has the record number of appearances is Status Quo.
They have played in front of King Charles III (when he was Prince Charles) and in July 1985, they opened Live Aid at Wembley stadium. They also featured on the accompanying song “Do They Know It’s Christmas” as part of Band Aid. They are (or were) a big deal in the UK but as far as I know, they didn’t really make the transition to the United States.
I grew up with this band and from the age of about twelve until probably my thirtieth birthday, their music was a big part of my life.
In their early days, the 1960’s, they started off as a psychedelic band and evolved in the 1970’s into a sort of boogie rock band, with elements of hard rock occasionally. They were famous for dressing in denim and playing really catchy rock songs. They weren’t a heavy metal band at all and their music was much closer to pop music.
They have been prolific and have released a total of 33 albums, their last one in 2019. That’s quite astounding really. When it comes to singles, their last chart hit was in 2008.
I have only seen them live once but that was a memorable gig because they were supporting Queen at a huge concert at Knebworth Park in 1986 and this was Freddy Mercury’s last ever appearance on stage.
You can read about that gig here
There were 120,000 people there – and I was one of them. I loved Status Quo and Queen so this was a win/win for me.
While I was walking this morning, a Status Quo song popped up on my playlist and I thought it would be a good idea to post my favourite ten songs by the band. For those of you who have heard of the band (which will be most of the UK, some of Europe and possibly Australia) I hope this brings back memories of what a great band they are. If you are American, perhaps this serves as an overdue introduction to a British institution.
I hope you like the songs.
10. Paper Plane (from Piledriver 1972)
"Paper Plane" is one of the first songs by Status Quo that I heard and many will say that this is a quintessential song by the band. The bands detractors used to say that a lot of their songs sound very similar, a sentiment that I can see but don’t agree with. For me, I liked that boogie sound and while it is a theme, I think the band is much deeper than such critics imply. I was ten years old when this was released and it was one of the first times I was exposed to what you may broadly term “rock music”.
9. Down Down (from On the Level – 1975)
Status Quo had over 60 chart hits in the UK with 22 of them reaching the top ten. However "Down Down" was the only one that reached number 1, which is surprising considering their prolific output.
8. Don’t Drive My Car (from Just Supposin’ – 1980)
"Just Supposin’" is my favourite album by the band and this may be helped by it coinciding with a key part of my life. The album was released just after my eighteenth birthday and I was in my final year of school and just discovering the glory of beer. My best mate at the time owned a car and we used to listen to it non-stop when driving around. It brings back brilliant memories. I lost touch with him after university, sadly. And, no, he wouldn’t let me drive his car (I couldn’t drive to be fair).
7. Rain (from Blue for You – 1976)
When I first heard this, I thought the chorus was “I can’t live without Lorraine” and even now when I hear it, part of me wants to sing that lyric for fun. Of course, the lyrics are “I can’t live without the rain” and sometimes it pops up on my playlist as I walk around the rainy streets of Manchester. I don’t think that they had this in mind when they wrote it back in 1976.
6. Over the Edge (from Just Supposin’ – 1980)
The second song in the list from Just Supposin’ is one of two songs that weren’t singles. Personally, I think it should have been but then who am I to choose? I just love the song and it was a firm favourite of my old mate’s as we drove around in 1980 nodding our heads in time to the music with huge grins on our faces and singing “You’re driving me crazy!”
5. Livin’ on an Island (from Whatever You Want – 1979)
This song is not typical of the band at all, sacrificing that boogie rock sound for a more mellow rock ballad style. I think it’s quite beautiful actually and I occasionally listen to it when I’m sitting on my own on a beach watching the sea. The guy singing the song is Rick Parfitt, one of the founder members of the band who sadly passed away in 2016. Rest in peace Rick.
4. Roll Over Lay Down (from Hello – 1973)
I love this song and after mentioning Rick Parfitt already it is only fair to mention Francis Rossi, the guy singing this one. He is the only person remaining from the original band and is still going strong at the tender age of 76.
3. Mystery Song (from Blue for You – 1973)
If you listen to the lyrics this song isn’t a mystery at all. It is about a young man’s encounter with a “lady of the night”, which is probably why they decided to name it in the vague way that they did without it getting banned. It didn’t get banned and despite the subject matter, it is a very good song.
2. Forty Five Hundred Times (from Hello – 1973)
Forty Five Hundred Times wasn’t a single. For one, it is too long, clocking in at almost ten minutes. It is probably the closest to a progressive rock song that the band ever came to. I first heard the song when Status Quo did a live show in front of Prince Charles in 1982 for the Princes Trust, which was broadcast on a radio programme I used to listen to called “The Friday Rock Show”. The live version was unbelievably brilliant because the band just let rip and had fun.
It is one of those songs that is just so much better live. Sadly, I can’t find the version from NEC but here is a version from two years later in Milton Keynes, which shows them having great fun playing a version that clocks in at 17 minutes and having tremendous fun in front of a huge crowd.
1. What You’re Proposin’ (from Just Supposin’ – 1980)
This is a very simple song and the reason it is my favourite is because it reminds me of when I was 18 years old. A lot happened that year and this song was played absolutely everywhere. The mate I mentioned above always used to put this song on the jukebox when we walked into a pub called The New Inn in Walsall town centre on a Saturday night. It has a special meaning to me and is one of those time machine songs, i.e. when I hear it, I am immediately taken back to the New Inn. Sadly that pub doesn’t exist anymore – apart from in my mind with this song as a soundtrack to me drinking half a pint of lager and lime.
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