|
Post by curiousgirl on Aug 18, 2017 13:31:13 GMT
After Live Aid, Rick was so broke that his accountants were giving him £150 a week to live on. Of course in 1985, that was worth more than it is today. But hardly the lifestyle of a rock-star.
"We didn't have any money ... at least the accountants were giving him £150 a week... but that went absolutely nowhere the way we were living. Fortunately, I had my money from selling the fashion business (Patty spent 2 years in Australia where she owned and ran a shop and this money, a few hundred grand was used to supplement their lifestyle.)
"There was all sort of squabbling with the band. The tax situation was dire for everyone, and the End of the Road tour which was supposed to pay it off, hadn't and everyone was very fraught. Alan was trying to work out where the money had one, and Francis didn't like that.
"Meanwhile, Alan and Rick were still trying to work out how to save Status Quo without Francis. It was like living in the midst of a political campaign.
"Francis had decided that he didn't want to work with Alan any more and that put Rick in a bit of a spot. He had to choose between them. Logically, there was no choice - Francis and Rick were Status Quo - but all sorts of ideas were being floated around our flat. Alan wanted to call the new band - which would be him and Rick - Quo 2. ....
"Rick mooched around the flat looking sheepish. He knew it wasn't going to happen but he didn't have the balls to tell Alan that and, when Alan left for the airport, Rick and I knew that it would be the last time we saw him for a long time.
"Rick and Francis never could bring themselves to face a situation and talk openly and honestly about what they wanted to do. ....
"Soon Alan started ringing up and Rick simply wouldn't answer the phone. You could hear the answerphone going on and Alan saying, 'Rick, Rick, what's going on, man? Call me back.' But Rick never did. He couldn't face it.
This went on for weeks until Alan managed to get through to Colin Johnson. Poor old Colin - it was left to him to break the news as usual.
"Inevitably Alan phoned Rick again. This time Rick actually spoke to him and said something like: 'I had to weigh up my choices. I'm better off with Francis than I would be with you, because Francis is more famous. Although I like you much more than Francis, I'm going with him because I need the money. I'm really sorry, but I haven't got a choice.'
"Alan hung up, and after that he and Rick didn't speak for a couple of years. I felt terrible and so did Rick. It was a cowardly way to behave and however much he tried to justify it to himself, he knew it too."
Extract - abridged by me - from Laughing all over the world by Patty Parfitt.
*************
This sounds like a fair and honest account to me. But if members prefer to believe what is written in the Mirror or any other tabloid, that is your choice.
It is clear from Patty's book that Rick was always feckless with money and was near bankrupt or broke on numerous occasions. And the final value of his estate is no surprise to me.
I mean no judgement of Rick by giving this extract but simply revealing facts for fans to get a clear picture of what when on during this important moment in the band's history.
|
|
|
Post by paradiseflats on Aug 18, 2017 13:40:32 GMT
My point of sharing what the Mirror published was to show that things can be printed and it doesn't necessarily make them true.
I find it hard to believe that a book that was to be published under the Status Quo umbrella. Mr Porter has said he had organised this but nothing was written.
No offence and I'm sure there is some truth in what is written but Ricks actions but it is opinion but not necessarily fact. But what is not indisputable Rick knifed Alan.
He of course has left a share of Status Quo plc to his heirs. Not sure how you value that.
As for for his estranged wife. She is left with 1.3 million pound villa but complains she has a 600000 pound mortgage. How terrible. Not exactly left with nothing for her and the children.
The will leaving £230000 was for his UK estate not including his Spanish wealth. This figure has not been revealed. Someone is lying.
|
|
|
Post by curiousgirl on Aug 18, 2017 14:04:20 GMT
Facts that have been put either on record or via band activity.
Rick had £150 a week to live on in 1985. And a big tax bill. (Possibly only Patty's word but there may be other sources for this.)
The record company required another album from Quo that they had given an advance on and they wanted Francis. (numerous sources, don't have them to hand right now.)
Francis didn't want to work with Alan any more and from film Hello Quo, we've seen a letter to that effect. (film Hello Quo was final proof.)
Rick chose to stick with Francis - (proof, being an active member/owner of Status Quo until 2016/17)
******************
From these facts it is a matter of opinion whether Rick knifed Alan or whether he made a pragmatic decision to save himself.
Regarding Rick's possibly autobiography. We all know that their manager will stoop to low publicity stunt to keep the band in the public eye. And a warts and all autobiography will do just that. Even the hint of it. The old adage, there is no such thing as bad publicity.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2017 14:22:46 GMT
Agree kachunk. In Patty's book, she makes that very clear how Rick wanted to go with Alan but in the end, he felt terribly guilty, because money was the reason he chose to stay with Francis. Didn't stop him doing it though, did it. Nor did it stop him in an interview post reunion saying, 'Alan was stuck in the 70s and his song writing ideas were no good'. Sadly Rick was the sort of person who would say what he thought people wanted him to say. Personally I would take what Patty 'wrote' with a huge pinch of salt. I would take anything Miss Beedon aka "Parfitt" says with a whole mine full of salt.
|
|
|
Post by paradiseflats on Aug 18, 2017 14:30:02 GMT
Facts that have been put either on record or via band activity. Rick had £150 a week to live on in 1985. And a big tax bill. ( Possibly only Patty's word but there may be other sources for this.) The record company required another album from Quo that they had given an advance on and they wanted Francis. ( numerous sources, don't have them to hand right now.) Francis didn't want to work with Alan any more and from film Hello Quo, we've seen a letter to that effect. ( film Hello Quo was final proof.) Rick chose to stick with Francis - ( proof, being an active member/owner of Status Quo until 2016/17) ****************** From these facts it is a matter of opinion whether Rick knifed Alan or whether he made a pragmatic decision to save himself. Regarding Rick's possibly autobiography. We all know that their manager will stoop to low publicity stunt to keep the band in the public eye. And a warts and all autobiography will do just that. Even the hint of it. The old adage, there is no such thing as bad publicity. A serious question, if he had no money or very little how did he pay for his coke addiction ?
|
|
|
Post by curiousgirl on Aug 18, 2017 14:33:52 GMT
paradiseflats - Patty had a few hundred grand. I take that to mean - ie: 200 - 300 thousand pounds which in 1985 went further than it does today. She also took coke with him. So I presume that they they used her money and what this sentence referred to, "but that went absolutely nowhere the way we were living." She also went out to work but Rick didn't like that and in the end stopped.
|
|
|
Post by paradiseflats on Aug 18, 2017 14:37:31 GMT
paradiseflats - Patty had a few hundred grand. I take that to mean - ie: 200 - 300 thousand pounds which in 1985 went further than it does today. She also took coke with him. So I presume that they they used her money and what this sentence referred to, "but that went absolutely nowhere the way we were living." She also went out to work but Rick didn't like that and in the end stopped. Ok thanks for that.So they had more than £150 a week then. I appreciate they were spending silly money. It wasn't uncommon in the 1980s and early 90s for musicians. The person Rick was created some great music, think if the story of how he came up for the riff for Mystery Song. But it seems it was highly chaotic right to the end.
|
|
|
Post by curiousgirl on Aug 18, 2017 14:50:17 GMT
paradiseflats - Patty had a few hundred grand. I take that to mean - ie: 200 - 300 thousand pounds which in 1985 went further than it does today. She also took coke with him. So I presume that they they used her money and what this sentence referred to, "but that went absolutely nowhere the way we were living." She also went out to work but Rick didn't like that and in the end stopped. Ok thanks for that.So they had more than £150 a week then. I appreciate they were spending silly money. It wasn't uncommon in the 1980s and early 90s for musicians. The person Rick was created some great music, think if the story of how he came up for the riff for Mystery Song. But it seems it was highly chaotic right to the end. That's okay. The point is that Rick's personal income from Status Quo was only £150 a week. And if Patty wasn't around, who knows where else Rick would have found money but I suspect people would have come forward to support him and his drug habit. In 1985, Patty was not married to Rick and she chose to spend her own hard earned cash from a business that she had run in Australia before they got together. This money would not have lasted forever, particularly at the rate they were spending it. And Rick did not like his women going out to work. So he needed to find another source of income to keep his lifestyle going. Hence his decision to stay with Francis.
|
|
|
Post by freewilly on Aug 18, 2017 15:18:13 GMT
It's very true imo. You could see it and experience it when you saw them live. And that's before we start talking about how Rossi has behaved since
|
|
|
Post by freewilly on Aug 18, 2017 15:24:08 GMT
Ok thanks for that.So they had more than £150 a week then. I appreciate they were spending silly money. It wasn't uncommon in the 1980s and early 90s for musicians. The person Rick was created some great music, think if the story of how he came up for the riff for Mystery Song. But it seems it was highly chaotic right to the end. That's okay. The point is that Rick's personal income from Status Quo was only £150 a week. And if Patty wasn't around, who knows where else Rick would have found money but I suspect people would have come forward to support him and his drug habit. In 1985, Patty was not married to Rick and she chose to spend her own hard earned cash from a business that she had run in Australia before they got together. This money would not have lasted forever, particularly at the rate they were spending it. And Rick did not like his women going out to work. So he needed to find another source of income to keep his lifestyle going. Hence his decision to stay with Francis. He blackmailed him too into recording In The Army according to Rossi's words. Said he'd only do it if he got to record Army. Rick relented and told him he could do what he wanted. Not my words, but Francis'
|
|
|
Post by curiousgirl on Aug 18, 2017 15:27:14 GMT
I'm not doubting the truth of what you say freewilly but who blackmailed who? Your first sentence is ambiguous.
|
|
|
Post by freewilly on Aug 18, 2017 15:29:18 GMT
I'm not doubting the truth of what you say freewilly but who blackmailed who? Your first sentence is ambiguous. Rick was desperate for the money and for various other things. He met Rossi and Rossi said he would only do it if he got to record Army... Parfitt and Alan hated the idea back in 1983 but, Rick relented as he was desperate
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2017 15:49:25 GMT
"There was all sort of squabbling with the band. The tax situation was dire for everyone, and the End of the Road tour which was supposed to pay it off, hadn't and everyone was very fraught. Alan was trying to work out where the money had one, and Francis didn't like that. Probably because he was best mates with Colin Johnson. "We did the tour in 1984 to retire on, so that everybody would have enough money to retire on, but we lost money from it. When I brought it to the boys, you know, "ah, don't worry...". Rick was broke, he was technically bankrupt after that tour, and I wasn't supposed to be worried! In 1985, at the time of 'Live Aid', he had lost his house, his studio, everything. He was living in a little flat, he had no money at all, had no driving-license, nothing... That's why I flew over, to help him. Nobody was helping him, not Colin Johnson, not Francis Rossi, and Rick was on the verge of suicide as he mentions in their biography book. His friends weren't helping him, so I flew over from Australia, at my own expense, to see these new accountants, and that was when we found out we were being ripped off. Even if Rick knew he was being ripped off, he was too frightened to do something about it. When it was relayed to Francis, he didn't want to do anything about it, "I don't want to know about it". He said "ok, let's sack Colin Johnson, but I want him as my own manager, my personal manager". It was f...ing rediculous! By saying that I could tell what was in his mind, that he wanted to go solo. Basically he was throwing the band away. When the solo thing didn't work out, Francis was devestated. So was Rick. Rick's album didn't even get released. Because of all that I couldn't get a deal, even though I had payed for and recorded all my stuff on my own. I later used it for Party Boys, you know." backwateronline.weebly.com/interviews-1-3.html
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2017 17:12:07 GMT
Its obviously not exactly the same, but in principle there are a few parallels with Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon and Rick and Patty. Two couples going crazy on drugs, and two women who try in their own ways to extricate the situation by straightening and saving themselves for the benefit of both of them and especially their partners.
There is no impression from any sources that Alan was away with the fairies, despite the band excesses. Hence why he saw clearly enough to want to ask pertinent questions about the money and also help Rick. Yet for all his objectivity, his two other band mates effectively kicked him in the teeth in their own ways. So much for managing to keep himself together - some reward! doh
|
|
|
Post by markquo on Aug 18, 2017 18:00:13 GMT
This is all detracting from the original topic title.Its just great Alan is coming to the convention surely all the rest of it can be left in the past (although I do have a strong opinion on it)and we be happy he's coming to celebrate Quo with us ?? Cheers
|
|