mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 5,861
Favourite Quo Album: Hello!
Favourite other bands.: Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, Sheryl Crow, Gary Numan, Alabama 3, ZZ Top, Paul van Dyk, Jeff Beck, Bowie, Gerry Rafferty, Band of Skulls, UFO, S.A.H.B
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Post by mortified on Aug 25, 2021 7:52:47 GMT
This is an interesting photo taken from John Coghlan's facebook page, showing the band in California or Florida (maybe) in 1974. Apparently Rick has a t-shirt and Alan has a magazine supporting a Dutch radio station 'Veronica' which was being closed down. I hope Rossi didn't go on stage in that gear!!!View Attachment Very similar to the Oxford bags I used to wear. What were we thinking? If you crossed a road, one leg of the flares was still catching up on the other side They looked great with platforms though Or so I continue to tell myself
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Post by unspokenwords on Nov 13, 2021 12:54:38 GMT
I think it was the board I used to be on before this, somebody posted a fantastic blog by an American guy who met Quo at a hotel on a US tour. In great detail he described getting stoned with them in Francis room. No idea how I'd ever find it again. Other than that there's the couple of anecdotes in the autobiography, but that's about it. Luckily i bookmarked it years ago (if it is the one you're thinking of)...
Thanks for saving this article. Great story! Really enjoyed reading it. It also highlights that some in America also got what many elsewhere also got and why many of decades later we still come on to sites like this! They could have made it there but that is another story. Loved the attempt to describe Quo to Americans unaware of them: 'For want off a better shorthand description, imagine ZZ Top (yay!) meets Credence Clearwater Revival (gonna vom!) fronted by two, thin-tenor very "English Ballad" singers, with a cookin' motherfucker of a rhythm section along the lines of a semi-brutal Wyman/Watts, really great roughhewn Telecaster solos, an absolutely punishing rhythm guitar, witty lyrics, great hooks... Put it this way, as an instant snapshot, Status Quo's version of "Roadhouse Blues" destroys The Doors version -- Dee (fuckin') Stroys It! Oh, and they also covered the Stone County Classic, "Wild Side Of Life," -- I mean, come on, cool above and beyond the call of boogie.' They are/were also an intensely polarizing band. Man, you either loved Status Quo or you could not stand them. Amusingly, their fans bore the brunt of the criticism. For most snobs in the UK, being into Status Quo meant you were akin to a cave boy. They gave a shit. If you got it, you got it! Jake and I got it!' and recollection of the NY concert: "The Quo's legendarily battered hodgepodge of amps, speaker bottoms with torn grill cloths made by one company, the beat-up amp heads made by another, all covered with their huge ugly "QUO" stencils, stood maybe 15 feet away. I'd seen photos of this motley mountain of gear. In person, it looked impossibly cool. Like a banged up but deadly Rat Rod. Their stage vibe was Give 110%... Plus, they had this wonderfully odd blue-collar cockiness... 'We're fuckin' plumbers, doin' the fuckin' job right, mate. Watch and learn!" They took ordinary to Extraordinary. They had a groove that made your head snap forward and back involuntarily. Just POUNDED into you. They ATTACKED! As elemental as granite. It was almost like what the Krshnas try to achieve, mindless bliss. That night in New York, Status Quo sorta danced between out-for-blood and don't-give-a-shit. If you are into rock 'n' roll played by guitar bands, you know this is a combustible combination. They were killing it and not giving a rat's ass if anyone noticed.'
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Post by dennis on Nov 13, 2021 15:07:07 GMT
Luckily i bookmarked it years ago (if it is the one you're thinking of)...
Thanks for saving this article. Great story! Really enjoyed reading it. It also highlights that some in America also got what many elsewhere also got and why many of decades later we still come on to sites like this! They could have made it there but that is another story. Loved the attempt to describe Quo to Americans unaware of them: 'For want off a better shorthand description, imagine ZZ Top (yay!) meets Credence Clearwater Revival (gonna vom!) fronted by two, thin-tenor very "English Ballad" singers, with a cookin' motherfucker of a rhythm section along the lines of a semi-brutal Wyman/Watts, really great roughhewn Telecaster solos, an absolutely punishing rhythm guitar, witty lyrics, great hooks... Put it this way, as an instant snapshot, Status Quo's version of "Roadhouse Blues" destroys The Doors version -- Dee (fuckin') Stroys It! Oh, and they also covered the Stone County Classic, "Wild Side Of Life," -- I mean, come on, cool above and beyond the call of boogie.' They are/were also an intensely polarizing band. Man, you either loved Status Quo or you could not stand them. Amusingly, their fans bore the brunt of the criticism. For most snobs in the UK, being into Status Quo meant you were akin to a cave boy. They gave a shit. If you got it, you got it! Jake and I got it!' and recollection of the NY concert: "The Quo's legendarily battered hodgepodge of amps, speaker bottoms with torn grill cloths made by one company, the beat-up amp heads made by another, all covered with their huge ugly "QUO" stencils, stood maybe 15 feet away. I'd seen photos of this motley mountain of gear. In person, it looked impossibly cool. Like a banged up but deadly Rat Rod. Their stage vibe was Give 110%... Plus, they had this wonderfully odd blue-collar cockiness... 'We're fuckin' plumbers, doin' the fuckin' job right, mate. Watch and learn!" They took ordinary to Extraordinary. They had a groove that made your head snap forward and back involuntarily. Just POUNDED into you. They ATTACKED! As elemental as granite. It was almost like what the Krshnas try to achieve, mindless bliss. That night in New York, Status Quo sorta danced between out-for-blood and don't-give-a-shit. If you are into rock 'n' roll played by guitar bands, you know this is a combustible combination. They were killing it and not giving a rat's ass if anyone noticed.' That's just superb!
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gerh
Grizzled Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 2,967
Favourite Quo Album: 'Hello' [and 'Quo Live']
Favourite other bands.: Zappa, Kansas, Rush, Deep Purple, Yes, Richard Thompson, Horslips, Rory Gallagher, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest etc etc. [ANYONE but Kiss!]
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Post by gerh on Nov 13, 2021 15:29:10 GMT
Thanks for saving this article. Great story! Really enjoyed reading it. It also highlights that some in America also got what many elsewhere also got and why many of decades later we still come on to sites like this! They could have made it there but that is another story. Loved the attempt to describe Quo to Americans unaware of them: 'For want off a better shorthand description, imagine ZZ Top (yay!) meets Credence Clearwater Revival (gonna vom!) fronted by two, thin-tenor very "English Ballad" singers, with a cookin' motherfucker of a rhythm section along the lines of a semi-brutal Wyman/Watts, really great roughhewn Telecaster solos, an absolutely punishing rhythm guitar, witty lyrics, great hooks... Put it this way, as an instant snapshot, Status Quo's version of "Roadhouse Blues" destroys The Doors version -- Dee (fuckin') Stroys It! Oh, and they also covered the Stone County Classic, "Wild Side Of Life," -- I mean, come on, cool above and beyond the call of boogie.' They are/were also an intensely polarizing band. Man, you either loved Status Quo or you could not stand them. Amusingly, their fans bore the brunt of the criticism. For most snobs in the UK, being into Status Quo meant you were akin to a cave boy. They gave a shit. If you got it, you got it! Jake and I got it!' and recollection of the NY concert: "The Quo's legendarily battered hodgepodge of amps, speaker bottoms with torn grill cloths made by one company, the beat-up amp heads made by another, all covered with their huge ugly "QUO" stencils, stood maybe 15 feet away. I'd seen photos of this motley mountain of gear. In person, it looked impossibly cool. Like a banged up but deadly Rat Rod. Their stage vibe was Give 110%... Plus, they had this wonderfully odd blue-collar cockiness... 'We're fuckin' plumbers, doin' the fuckin' job right, mate. Watch and learn!" They took ordinary to Extraordinary. They had a groove that made your head snap forward and back involuntarily. Just POUNDED into you. They ATTACKED! As elemental as granite. It was almost like what the Krshnas try to achieve, mindless bliss. That night in New York, Status Quo sorta danced between out-for-blood and don't-give-a-shit. If you are into rock 'n' roll played by guitar bands, you know this is a combustible combination. They were killing it and not giving a rat's ass if anyone noticed.' That's just superb! Yep - that sounds like the Quo I fell for!!
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eric27
New Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 24
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Post by eric27 on Dec 11, 2021 19:28:44 GMT
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Post by vivfromcov on Dec 12, 2021 18:36:43 GMT
Thank you, very interesting! Unfortunately I don’t speak French but the photos and newspaper clippings in English are great, especially the Whiskey LA one.
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Post by dennis on Dec 12, 2021 20:20:40 GMT
love the description of Quo as a semi hard rock band
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quodec
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
Twelve bar blues is now alright.
Posts: 1,236
Favourite Quo Album: Blue For You
Favourite other bands.: early AC/DC, Angel City, Blackfoot, Rose Tattoo, Slade
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Post by quodec on Dec 12, 2021 23:03:03 GMT
Thanks for posting details of your site Eric. Fascinating insight into the US trips. It appears that the lack of radio play was the ultimate downfall in their attempts to break America! The singles were too loud and raw for the Yankee listening audience and Quo wouldn't grease the palms of those who had the power to get them airplay. Ultimately after four years of trying it was time to say goodbye to their odyssey - perhaps for the best!
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Post by backwater67 on Dec 15, 2021 6:17:54 GMT
Excellent web site & a great read. Lots of in depth useful information & put together very well...Keep up the good work
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allyp
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 577
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Post by allyp on Dec 27, 2021 21:44:28 GMT
Quo could have spent a couple of more years in the mid to late 70s in the USA and even then may not have worked for them. Look what Slade did circa 1975-77 spent a couple of years out there but lost their uk audience came home and punk had happened and nobody was really interested in them anymore. I think Quo realised they were wasting their time eventually and some of the tours they got sent on as above says were crass supporting the fake fleetwood mac for a start.
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