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(from scrapbook 1, page 49)

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ONE of the saddest items of pop news this year was the announcement that Status Quo are breaking up.

For the four lads who met as schoolboys have thrilled millions of rock fans in their 22 years together.

And they've proved that despite the ever-changing tastes of youngsters, there is no substitute for good old rock 'n' roll.

Boy George and Duran Duran may be top of charts but Quo are right there, too, just as they were, say 15 years ago, when The Beatles and Tom Jones were the idols of the day.

The group first came together in 1962 when as 12-year-old school pals Francis Rossi (then known as Mike) and Alan Lancaster formed a band called The Scorpions.

Break

The group's guitarist left within four months but undeterred, vocalist Rossi and bass player Lancaster recruited another school friend and poached drummer John Coghlan from a rival band.

In the next few years members came and went but the nucleus of Rossi, Lancaster and Coghlan remained.

In May 1967, guitarist Rick Parfitt and keyboards player Roy Lynes had joined and although Lynes later left, the band - now called Status Quo — that became famous was formed.

Their big break came a year later when they scored their first hit with a Rossi number, Pictures Of Matchstick Men.

It made the top five in both Britain and America and established the group as international stars. It also inspired Rossi to write more of his own songs.

"We started believing in our own stuff," recalls Rossi. "We stopped bothering with special stage clothes and realised we could wear jeans and go down just as well."

It's a policy Quo have maintained — their faded jeans are now a familiar Quo trademark.

Since 1973, they've had at least one hit single a year with classics like Caroline, Rockin' All Over The World and the uncharacteristically melodic 1979 smash, Living In An Island.

The band have often been criticised for playing the same sort of simplistic three-chord rock.

But as Rossi says, there's no doubting it's popularity.

It's not the most complicated of music by any means but some people try and dismiss it out of hand," he says.

Triumph

"We play with a lot of guts and a lot of balls."

In 1982, drummer Coghlan decided he had had enough. With estimated earnings of more than £1 million, he left the band and settled on the Isle of Man.

It meant he missed the band's greatest triumph of all -their 20th anniversary concert at the National Exhibition Centre, which was attended by Prince Charles.

Rossi said at the time that he felt the band could go on for another 20 years.

And it looked like they would do just that when Andy Bown and Pete Kircher joined the group and they continued their amazing run of hit singles.

Then earlier this year, came the sad announcement that they were to tour for the very last time.

Rossi explained at the time: "We feel that everything has to come to an end some time and this seems like the right time for us.

"It's going to be quite strange of course and we do feel quite sad about it but I don't think anyone could accuse us of making a hasty decision and we all wanted to go out on a high."

Quo insist they will still record together but that is little compensation for a group who are best remembered for their exciting stage shows.

By SIMON BRADSHAW

Image caption: A familiar Quo pose — Parfitt, Rossi and Lancaster rocking together