roadhouse
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Favourite other bands.: Thin Lizzy, Saxon, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Queen, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Deep Purple
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Post by roadhouse on Oct 13, 2024 21:49:17 GMT
Inspired by another topic, and probably digging out the dregs of the barrel. But if Marguerita Time was released as a Francis Rossi solo single and given maximum promotion and exposure, would it have been such a big hit?
I'm thinking most of the people who bought it just fell in love with it enough to buy it regardless of who actually recorded it, so the fact it was a Quo record probably didn't matter.
Based on that theory could it have been the song that gave Francis his first ever solo hit?
And just to add could Alan's longevity in the band not been threatened by this song had it not been a Quo song?
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quoman
Rocker Rollin'
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Post by quoman on Oct 13, 2024 22:50:38 GMT
I don't think it would have been a hit if it wasn't by Status Quo.
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mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 6,547
Favourite Quo Album: Hello!
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Post by mortified on Oct 14, 2024 4:33:06 GMT
I don't think it would have been a hit if it wasn't by Status Quo. I tend to agree. The name of the band and dyed in the wool fans got the sales going and also gave it airplay, although you can never say for certain how it would have panned out.
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tqontq
Rocker Rollin'
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Post by tqontq on Oct 14, 2024 6:14:13 GMT
It would have been a minor hit by Mr. Rossi and would have encourage the record company to put forward an earlier release of his solo album. Resulting in more hard rock material for BTB and no ill will with Alan Lancaster, leaving continued success as the main 3 members of the band with Pete on drums well into the late eighties. Rossi would have been so pleased with his country pop outlet on occasion as a solo performer that he didn't feel the need to do hard drugs and therefore was a pleasant enough chap whilst on tour with Quo, keeping the fans happy with no change in their image and musical direction.
The 80's was sooo good.
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gav
Veteran Rocker Rollin'
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Favourite Quo Album: On The Level
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Post by gav on Oct 14, 2024 16:04:08 GMT
Maybe if he'd had a hit with something else first, Marguerita Time would have been a big hit for him? I'd say it's classic Rossi and a good tune at that - much more direct than Modern Romance, which i'd call a very poor cousin of it.
Maybe he could have done the re-recorded Going Down Town Tonight before or after. Again, a stronger song. But he just did the weaker tracks instead as perhaps he'd used the better ones for Quo (i know, GDTT is by an outside writer). I Wonder Why is another example of the terrible quality of his solo stuff at the time. Him and Frost certainly had some strange ideas!
But yeah, this idea about a lot of Quo's output around that time sounding like solo Rossi rings true. There's loads he could have used and spared us all from! It's just a shame they all started writing separately at some point.
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Post by markquo on Oct 14, 2024 16:49:55 GMT
Absolute garbage of a song ,worst thing ever released under the Quo name IMO. Far better suited to lightweight FR solo Cheers
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Post by backwater67 on Oct 16, 2024 18:48:44 GMT
The name sold it, timing was crucial & major tv performances at the time when the market was at its strongest. Christmas no’3 in 1983.
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Post by camerst on Oct 16, 2024 22:10:46 GMT
Soft spot for MT as was around the time I got into Quo. On its own merit It’s a catchy clever tune that sold really well.Quo came up with so much worse in the years to come. No chance Rossi has a hit with it solo,he needs the Quo brand.
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tqontq
Rocker Rollin'
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Post by tqontq on Oct 16, 2024 22:38:44 GMT
Absolute garbage of a song ,worst thing ever released under the Quo name IMO. Far better suited to lightweight FR solo Cheers Still painful after 40 years. Who would have thought the scar would remain throughout our lifetime.
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Post by Detroit on Oct 16, 2024 22:57:11 GMT
Soft spot for MT as was around the time I got into Quo. On its own merit It’s a catchy clever tune that sold really well.Quo came up with so much worse in the years to come. No chance Rossi has a hit with it solo,he needs the Quo brand. The Oriental was a tad clever but still crap.
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Post by patrickquo on Oct 17, 2024 12:19:32 GMT
Until this release I was a proud Quofan. After this, not so much. ITAN closed the door.
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Post by iamcomplaining88 on Oct 19, 2024 22:41:11 GMT
I have loved it since it came out and will continue to love it til the day I die. To be honest I think Rossi would've had a hit with it if it sounded more or less identical but not as big a hit.
Most Quo fans would've bought it back in '83, some fans liked it and some fans didn't but they still bought it cos they bought practically everything with Quo's name on it, but I think maybe only Quo fans would've bought a Rossi solo version.
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Post by MrWaistcoat on Oct 20, 2024 9:53:07 GMT
As Alan used to say, "time heals all wounds"
My shock of the time has long gone, I now see and hear what it is - a well crafted country pop song. I mildly like it. As I write it's catchy melody is in my head and won't go away
The band had hit the end of the road - in the studio. Out of ideas and out of time for each other. Could have been a big hit for Francis but I don't think it would have made a difference to Quo. The problems in the Quo camp were bigger than one song
I just don't think they would have been an effective hard Rock force if they'd tried - none of them wrote a great rock song for the rest of the decade
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mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 6,547
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 Oct 20, 2024 14:16:31 GMT
I can only echo MrWaistcoat with the sentiments that my dislike of it at the time has waned. I heard it on the album first before the shock multiplied when it was released as a single. I mean, my mates would hear it! There was no escape. But it was a huge hit; certainly the biggest from the album. So who can argue with that? We rock fans can be such musical snobs. And I'm as bad as anyone, although not as downright dismissive as I used to be about anything I don't like. With one or two exceptions I don't remember being so opinionated about the grotesque misogyny in the lyrics of most rock/metal songs during the 70's and 80's. No, I was put out by the fact that Quo would record some sickly sweet country number. How dare they? It's still not my sort of thing. Or, put another way, not my sort of country. I now firmly believe there were worse tracks on Back To Back! I've obviously grown up. Took me long enough
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Post by granny on Oct 20, 2024 15:31:58 GMT
What happened to the video shot in a swimming pool? The clear version has disappeared. I thought I had it on a DVD but can't find it.
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