Clipping details
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| Title: | The back shift |
| Notes: | Interview with Francis and Rick during the filming of the video for "Marguerita Time" |
| Year: | 1984 |
| Country: | UK |
| Publication: | Record Mirror |
| Author: | Strikkers |
The back shift
21 years and three chords later Quo still power on
Newsbeat
STATUS QUO have been busy boys recently, as you've probably noticed. Not only have the band just had their third hit single in as many months, but I find them surrounded by bikini clad beauties around the most exotic swimming pool this side of Heathrow, at the five star Sheraton hotel to be exact.
Francis Rossi leans back in his chair during the shooting of the video for 'Marguerita Time', and explains the band's current high profile. "Everyone wants to get bigger and sell more records, us included. For me to pretend otherwise would be bullshit." Rick Parfitt agrees. "We've had a long lay off," he says. "There comes a time when it feels right to release singles and that's now, especially with the album out."
ALAN LANCASTER is conspicuous by his absence at this busy time, but Francis is quick to scotch any rumours of an impending split. "He's in Australia because his wife's just had a baby. He delivered it, the rest of us just sat there and watched but he had to deliver it," he laughs. More cocktails are delivered to our table as Francis tells me the story behind the current single.
"I started drinking Margueritas when I went to a Mexican restaurant," he says. "They're great because you get legless within a couple of minutes and you get no headaches or hangovers." Quo may be celebrating twenty one years in the business, but they've certainly not lost any of their enthusiasm or ambition for the future. "We're getting to the point where we've got to break new ground," says Francis. "It's no good us pretending we're the same as the young'uns because we're not. We've been around a long time, you know. When I look at some of the haircuts now, they were around when we were at school. Our mums and dads used to force us to have our hair cut like that and now it's groovy."How do they feel about the new video age of pop music? "Oh I love it," says Rick. "I'm really into showbusiness, I love dressing up. Don't get me wrong though. I still get really nervous about live television, things like 'Saturday Superstore'. The worst thing about doing that programme was having to be up at half seven in the morning." Not much chance of seeing Quo on breakfast TV, then.
Rick and Francis joined the panel on 'Superstore' to comment on current pop videos, so what does Francis think of the state of the art? "I liked the 'Vienna' video and a lot of the Adam Ant ones were very good, but I wonder how the people feel when after the video extravaganza, they turn up at Nottingham Town Hall or wherever, and the band's exactly the same as every other band and the whole thing's gone."
STATUS QUO must be the easiest target for music journalist's jibes, so how does the continuous slagging they recieve (sic) from some quarters affect them? "I don't mind criticism if it's valid," says Francis. "But the same old thing. about three chords, it's true in a way, but everyone sounds the same, don't they? Rod Stewart, anyone." Rick's not so calm about Quo's critics. "If it's constructive, then ok, we'll listen to it," he says. "But these idiots who are just out to make a name for themselves, they're wallies and they want pushing in the pool with their tape recorders." (mental note to bring my Waterman II next time!).
Quo have become a pillar of the music scene whether you like it or not, but after twenty one years they must be aware of the end of the road and the inevitable solo albums. "I can't see an end to it at the moment," says Rick, "I still feel fit and fresh faced, and as long as the Quo audience is still there and we've got the vitality to go on and do it, why give up? God knows how long it could go on."
Status Quo are definitely going on the road next year folks, so get those ol' rag blues out of the wardrobe and break your cool long enough to enjoy at least one Quo gig before it's too late.
Strikkers
Image caption: RICK PARFITT: 'I still feel fit and fresh faced'