On This Day 12/01/1972 Status Quo

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On this day, 12 January 1972, rock band Status Quo played Cardiff University on their Dog Of Two Head Tour.

The band had recently released their 4th studio album Dog Of Two Head. At the time of recording, the band consisted of Francis Rossi (credited on the sleeve as Mike Rossi), Rick Parfitt (credited as Ritchie Parfitt), Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan (credited as John Coughlan).

They had released a non-album single that March, a Rossi/Young song called "Tune to the Music", but it was not a hit. The band then set to work writing and recording a new album. A couple of the songs, such as the opening track "Umleitung" (German for 'diversion'), had been written the previous year.

In 1972 the band left Pye Records and signed with the heavy rock and progressive label Vertigo Records. Their first album for Vertigo, Piledriver, was released in 1972, going Top 5 in the UK. Piledriver heralded an even heavier, self-produced sound.

This album was essentially the stylistic template for their next four albums, Hello! (1973), Quo (1974), On the Level (1975) and Blue for You (1976). Hello! was the band's first UK No. 1 album, while Quo reached No. 2 and On the Level and Blue for You both also reached No. 1. In 1976, they signed a pioneering sponsorship deal with Levi's. The following year the group released a double Live! album, which reached No. 3 in the UK.

On This Day 24/07/1976 Status Quo

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On this day, 24 July 1976, rock band Status Quo played Cardiff Castle, headlining a package that included Strawbs, Curved Air, Hawkwind and Welsh rock band Budgie, compered by DJ John Peel.

The concert was part of the group’s Blue For You tour, promoting their Blue For You Album. The band had played two concerts at the City’s Capitol Theatre earlier in the year before returning for their prestigious Cardiff Castle gig.

Blue for You was their ninth studio album and was released in March 1976, and was the band’s last album until 1980's Just Supposin' that they produced themselves, which resulted in subsequent albums having a noticeably lighter, more pop oriented sound.

Rick Parfitt's "Rain", the first single from the album, reached No. 7 in the UK charts after its release in February 1976. Its B-side was the non-album track "You Lost the Love", written by Francis Rossi and Bob Young.

The album was released the following month. It entered the British album chart at No. 1 and stayed there for three weeks, making it one of their most successful long players.

Setlist

Junior's Wailing

(Steamhammer cover)

Backwater

Just Take Me

Is There a Better Way

In My Chair

Little Lady

Most of the Time

Rain

Forty-Five Hundred Times

Roll Over Lay Down

Big Fat Mama

Don't Waste My Time

Roadhouse Blues

(The Doors cover)

Mystery Song

Caroline

Bye Bye Johnny

(Chuck Berry cover)

On This Day 13/065/1979 Status Quo

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On this day, 13 June 1979, rock legends Status Quo played the first of two nights at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens on their, If You Can’t Stand The Heat tour..

If You Can't Stand the Heat was the band’s eleventh studio album.

Recorded at Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, Holland, and produced by Pip Williams, it was released in October 1978 and reached #3 in the UK album chart.

The sleeve notes that Aphex Aural Exciter was used in the recording process, thus contributing to a more atmospheric sound than its predecessor, "Rockin' All Over The World".

Unusually for a Status Quo record, a brass section, The David Katz Horns, was used, as well as a backing vocal trio: Jacquie Sullivan, Stevie Lange, and Joy Yates.

Formed in 1962 under the name The Scorpions by Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster at Sedgehill Comprehensive School, Catford, London, along with classmates Jess Jaworski (keyboards) and Alan Key (drums).

Rossi and Lancaster played their first gig at the Samuel Jones Sports Club in Dulwich, London.

In 1963, Key was replaced by John Coghlan and the band changed their name to The Spectres. After changing their name, Lancaster's father arranged for the group to perform weekly at a venue called the Samuel Jones Sports Club, where they were noticed by Pat Barlow, a gasfitter and budding pop music manager.

Barlow became the group's manager and secured them spots at venues around London, such as El Partido in Lewisham and Café des Artistes in Chelsea. In 1965, when Rossi, Lancaster and Jaworski left school, Jaworski opted to leave the band and was replaced by Roy Lynes.

They began writing their own material, and later that year met Rick Parfitt who was playing with a cabaret band called The Highlights. By the end of 1965, Rossi and Parfitt – who had become close friends after meeting at Butlins – made a commitment to continue working together.

Band members: Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster, John Coghlan

Additional Musician: Bob Young (harmonica), Andy Bown (Keyboards)

Setlist

Caroline

Roll Over Lay Down

Backwater

Rockers Rollin'

Is There a Better Way

Hold You Back

Little Lady

Rockin' All Over the World

(John Fogerty cover)

Oh, What a Night

Dirty Water

Forty-Five Hundred Times

Big Fat Mama

Don't Waste My Time

Roadhouse Blues

(The Doors cover)

Encore:

Rain

Down Down

Drum Solo

Bye Bye Johnny

(Chuck Berry cover)

On this day 24/07/1976 Status Quo

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On this day, 24 July 1976, rock band Status Quo played Cardiff Castle, headlining a package that included Strawbs, Curved Air, Hawkwind and Welsh rock band Budgie, compered by DJ John Peel.

The concert was part of the group’s Blue For You tour, promoting their Blue For You Album. The band had played two concerts at the City’s Capitol Theatre earlier in the year before returning for their prestigious Cardiff Castle gig.

Blue for You was their ninth studio album and was released in March 1976, and was the band’s last album until 1980's Just Supposin' that they produced themselves, which resulted in subsequent albums having a noticeably lighter, more pop oriented sound.

Rick Parfitt's "Rain", the first single from the album, reached No. 7 in the UK charts after its release in February 1976. Its B-side was the non-album track "You Lost the Love", written by Francis Rossi and Bob Young.

The album was released the following month. It entered the British album chart at No. 1 and stayed there for three weeks, making it one of their most successful long players.

Link to interview - https://youtu.be/rGFTR-1LCMc