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(from scrapbook 3, page 41)

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Quo fight boogie ban

STATUS QUO (above) have lashed out at the Musicians' Union over the live video of their latest single 'Caroline" which has effectively been banned from <>Top Of The Pops.

Don Smith, a senior representative of the MU, took the unprecedented step of vetoing the video, which was recorded at the band's Prince Of Wales charity gig at the NEC in Birmingham earlier this year.

"The thing that really worries us is the fact that we haven't been told why the video has been blanked", Francis Rossi told Sounds last week. "The only reason a film is not given clearance is either because the musicians in the film are not fully paid up members of the MU or because the music has been altered in some way. Neither of those situations are true in regard to the NEC footage," he added.

When it was put to Rick Parfitt that the MU's action did not seem to go hand in hand with their 'Keep Music Live' campaign, he said: "Yeah, it doesn't make sense. I mean I've even got that sticker on my car window."

Quo's manager Colin Johnson was similarly baffled by the MU's attitude: "We're not looking for special treatment just because the band has been making music for 20 years, all we want is to see fair play carried out. I don't understand the MU's decision and I don't see what they can possibly hope to gain from it."

The response from the MU was almost as lucid and helpful as their explanation to the band. They were not available for comment.

Quo have also expressed anxiety over the fall of the single in the charts. It sold roughly 50,000 copies in the week of its drop, while Kool And The Gang's latest single (also released on Phonogram), which sold 20,000 copies less than 'Caroline', rose from number 11 to 6.