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Status Quo
We take a trip down memory lane and trail through the Quo's career...
 RICK AND FRANCIS TEAM UP
The almighty Quo have been on the go for 35 years now and there's no sign that the denim addicts are going to throw in the sweat towel just yet. It all started back in 1967 when the perky ponytailed Francis Rossi met Rick Parfitt from The Highlights after his co-stars attacked him on stage with their stiletto heeled shoes at a gig in Liverpool. Ouch!
After settling on the name Status Quo, (originally they called themselves The Spectres, then Traffic Jam), Rick joined the band in time for the release of 'Pictures Of Matchstick Men', their first Top 10 hit.
  POP? NO WAY, LET'S ROCK!
While recording their third album with new and improved road manager Bob Young, the Quo decided that they'd had enough with the frilly girl image and chose to wear what they were most comfortable in. You guessed it, the all famous blue denim jeans. Not all of them took too kindly to the new image and we saw the departure of flounce-loving keyboard player Roy Lynes. Shocking fans with their new long hairdos and 'no nonsense' attitude, the boys started to delve into the 'ready steady...let's rock' audience.
  LIVE AID
In 1982, after being awarded the coveted Music Therapy Silver Clef Award for services to British Music, Quo's long-serving drummer John Coghlan left and was replaced by former Original Mirrors drummer Pete Kircher. A year after the 'End of the Road' video became the fastest-selling music video ever, the long-haired legends agreed to open Live Aid with 'Rockin' All Over The World', the song that turned into the anthem for the largest live event in music history. Oh we like it, we like it, we like it, we la la la like it!
  NEW RECRUITS - LET'S HIT THE ROAD
With years of success under their belt the almighty Quo took on board a couple of new recruits in 1986, answering to the name of John 'Rhino' Edwards (bass) and Jeff Rich (drums). Forming an orderly line, the band belted out the classic album 'In The Army Now' which set off butterflies in Rossi's stomach spurring them to hit the road again. Embarking on a gigantic European tour the Quo played a record-breaking 14 shows to over 300,000 people at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow. They still feature in the Guinness Book of Records by playing four shows in 11 hours and 11 minutes at Sheffield Arena, Glasgow's SE & CC, Birmingham NEC and Wembley Arena. Now, that's what we call rockin'.
  HEAVY TRAFFIC
Now you would think that the boys would slow down a little, but no, they aren't giving up. With the new Heavy Traffic Tour due to kick off at the beginning of October, the mighty men eagerly await the waistcoat wearing crowds. When their latest single 'Jam Side Down' entered the charts at No.17, Francis told us: "It’s what people have been wanting us to do for the last 15 years or so." Well, lads it's time to dig out your five year old pair of stage jeans and get rockin' all over the world again!
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