PSYCHEDELIC
Decades before Caroline, Paper Plane and Down Down, Status Quo was a top psychedelic chart act. Simon Barnard explores their groovier side.
Simon Barnard looks back to the psychedelic ‘60s once more as he examines early Status Quo.
Formed in 1962 as The Scorpions by south-east London singer-guitarist Francis Rossi and bass player Alan Lancaster, the fledgeling group went through a number of names including The Spectres and Traffic, before settling on The Status Quo in 1967. This year, too, Rick Parfitt - whom Rossi had met at Butlin’s holiday camp - came onboard and ‘Status Quo’ as they were now monikered, scored their first hit with Pictures Of Matchstick Men.
When most people think of Status Quo they bring to mind a string of good-time rock anthems produced throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. However, their first two albums were pure psychedelia: Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from 1967 and Spare Parts in ‘69. Neither was particularly successful, and while Matchstickable Messages didn’t even make the UK charts its lead single, Pictures Of Matchstick Men, hit number 7 in the UK and a respectable 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Quo’s only hit single that side of the Atlantic - a phenomenal fact considering their gargantuan career in every other market.
Again, when calling Status Quo to mind we usually think of just one guitar, the Fender Telecaster. These instruments were the main axes used across the majority of their career but this wasn’t always the case. Rossi’s first instrument was a Guild Starfire, and the guitar he plays on Pictures Of Matchstick Men from Top Of Pops in 1968 is a Grimshaw Les Paul copy which he acquired from Pete Ham of Badfinger. This was Rossi’s main squeeze until the bridge collapsed while on tour. With it being difficult to get repaired, Rossi picked up two Fender Telecasters to try, eventually settling on a sunburst model which he later stripped and stained green. This and Parfitt’s white one would go on to power 1000s of gigs, dozens of albums and a whole slew of hits.
This month’s piece is simple to play but definitely evokes that late ‘60s sound, with simple melodies and strong progressions using straightforward major and dominant chords. Although these days the playing could be considered naive there’s still something satisfying in accurately recreating sounds that were cutting edge half a century ago. Enjoy!
NEXT MONTH Simon introduces Steve Winwood and Dave Mason’s most excellent Traffic
when most people think of status quo they bring to mind a string of good-time rock anthems from the ’70s and ’80s