quodec
Rocker Rollin'

Twelve bar blues is now alright.
Posts: 883
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 Mar 23, 2023 13:29:55 GMT
They were on a roll that day - probably a few rolls to be honest!!!!
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Post by freewilly on Mar 23, 2023 13:49:39 GMT
It's the ageing that always got to me as a kid, with the two of them I couldn't understand how both became so bloated (Rick) and old looking (Francis) in a short space of time. I know now 
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Post by fretbuzzzzz on Mar 23, 2023 18:57:21 GMT
Must have been a tad embarrassing for Rick when Trevor Horn and Midge had to go up to him in the studio and ask him to step down from doing the harmony stuff as he wasn't cutting the mustard. Rick was wasted by this point.
I believe Rossi had to do both his vocal and cover Rick's harmonies. Rossi told Midge that he often did all the harmonies in the studio anyway with Quo rather than with Rick. Probably true by the 80s and the cracks appearing and Rick not always showing up at studio sessions or Rossi working more exclusively on certain tracks at home.
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Post by freewilly on Mar 23, 2023 21:04:53 GMT
Must have been a tad embarrassing for Rick when Trevor Horn and Midge had to go up to him in the studio and ask him to step down from doing the harmony stuff as he wasn't cutting the mustard. Rick was wasted by this point. I believe Rossi had to do both his vocal and cover Rick's harmonies. Rossi told Midge that he often did all the harmonies in the studio anyway with Quo rather than with Rick. Probably true by the 80s and the cracks appearing and Rick not always showing up at studio sessions or Rossi working more exclusively on certain tracks at home. Of course he'd say that...
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Post by 4th Chord on Mar 24, 2023 10:02:48 GMT
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Post by Gaz on Mar 24, 2023 10:57:25 GMT
Typical embarrassing happy Chappy crap. I remember the interviews they had on Countdown (Oz biggest rock show)… and they were total dickheads each ‘interview’ .. embarrassing to watch. Only one who spoke sense was Alan.
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Post by freewilly on Mar 24, 2023 11:06:32 GMT
Yeah... I agree.
It's one thing that has always really irritated me. Francis, at least in my lifetime, has always talked the band down in interviews, where as Alan always seemed proud of it and rightly so!
Rick and Francis acting like a couple of dickheads in interviews is no surprise. We're all used to it
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Post by Gaz on Mar 24, 2023 11:12:17 GMT
Yeah... I agree. It's one thing that has always really irritated me. Francis, at least in my lifetime, has always talked the band down in interviews, where as Alan always seemed proud of it and rightly so! Rick and Francis acting like a couple of dickheads in interviews is no surprise. We're all used to it You nailed it… Alan was proud of the band.👍
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gav
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
 
Posts: 2,025
Favourite Quo Album: On The Level
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Post by gav on Mar 24, 2023 14:17:16 GMT
Insecurities, 'enhanced' confidence, masking an unhappiness (either personal or with the band), the pressures of being the face(s)/mouthpieces of the band, probably being told to push the 'double act' thing at all times, the self-deprecating thing - a defence against the musical flak they were subjected to, etc. etc.
Contrast those sorts of interviews to some of the earlier ones, Australia 1972 (possibly stoned, but reflective and definitely together as a unit), and Finland 1974 where they let Alan do the talking and he does it by himself very well while the others sit back. Then there's the Old Grey Whistle Test 1977, where the Rossi/Parfitt thing hasn't become a thing, and they're weirdly straight and it doesn't feel quite right.
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Post by fretbuzzzzz on Mar 24, 2023 16:11:27 GMT
I think it depends on who you talk to...apparently, Rossi and Parfitt were very popular with some of the other acts that day in the studio. Even a few of the 'younger acts' such as Tony Hadley enjoyed their antics and kept him and others laughing during the long day. He became a good pal of Rick's following this encounter. Hanging around in studios can be very testing and tiring.
Difficult balance when it comes to self-promotion with some artists taking themselves far too seriously and having inflated egos, whereas Rossi especially, preferred the self-deprecating approach as touched on by gav.
It just seems to me that Quo had a certain humour about them from their formative years and that actually kept them together and reasonably happy on the road, the never-ending tour of duty. That spilled over into even their early interviews and Quo had a reputation for roasting unprepared journalists who were an easy target. Then just a short leap to becoming the Morecambe & Wise of the rock business (on a good day!)
Rossi and Parfitt did occasionally do separate interviews in the mid 90s as they were becoming aware that perhaps the public was becoming a bit tired of the double act. As an example, take Rossi's interview with Andrew Neil in a more serious lunchtime news-type show in the mid 90s.
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Post by freewilly on Mar 24, 2023 17:38:34 GMT
I think it depends on who you talk to...apparently, Rossi and Parfitt were very popular with some of the other acts that day in the studio. Even a few of the 'younger acts' such as Tony Hadley enjoyed their antics and kept him and others laughing during the long day. He became a good pal of Rick's following this encounter. Hanging around in studios can be very testing and tiring. Difficult balance when it comes to self-promotion with some artists taking themselves far too seriously and having inflated egos, whereas Rossi especially, preferred the self-deprecating approach as touched on by gav. It just seems to me that Quo had a certain humour about them from their formative years and that actually kept them together and reasonably happy on the road, the never-ending tour of duty. That spilled over into even their early interviews and Quo had a reputation for roasting unprepared journalists who were an easy target. Then just a short leap to becoming the Morecambe & Wise of the rock business (on a good day!) Rossi and Parfitt did occasionally do separate interviews in the mid 90s as they were becoming aware that perhaps the public was becoming a bit tired of the double act. As an example, take Rossi's interview with Andrew Neil in a more serious lunchtime news-type show in the mid 90s. In fairness, you could see it in Francis from the latter part of the 90s in interviews. He'd become utterly miserable. The pub tour sealed it I feel. All well and good acting jack the lad, but at the expense of your music and legacy? At the same time, he agreed to it and he's the one who attacked the legacy in some of those interviews so...
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