Back to Back (Status Quo album)

Last updated

Back to Back
BackToBack StatusQuo.jpg
Studio album by
Released25 November 1983
Recorded1983
Studio AIR Studios, Montserrat
Genre Hard rock, boogie rock
Length32:55
Label Vertigo
Producer Status Quo
Status Quo chronology
Live at the N.E.C.
(1982)
Back to Back
(1983)
In the Army Now
(1986)
Singles from Back to Back
  1. "Ol' Rag Blues"
    Released: September 1983
  2. "A Mess of Blues"
    Released: October 1983
  3. "Marguerita Time"
    Released: November 1983
  4. "Going Down Town Tonight"
    Released: May 1984

Back to Back is the sixteenth studio album by English rock band Status Quo and released in November 1983. For the first time in the group's history, it featured four singles, "Ol' Rag Blues" (highest position No. 9), "A Mess of Blues", originally a hit for Elvis Presley (No. 15), "Marguerita Time" (No. 3), and "Going Down Town Tonight" (which reached No. 20 in a different, re-recorded version to the album version.) The album entered the UK chart at its highest position of No. 9.

Contents

It was the last recorded before the group temporarily disbanded in 1985 and therefore the last to feature original bass guitarist Alan Lancaster and drummer Pete Kircher. Lancaster co-wrote the first single, "Ol' Rag Blues", with Keith Lamb, lead singer of British bands The Kase, Sleepy Talk and Mr. Toad, and founder and lead singer of Australia's successful glam rock band Hush. Lancaster was angered when the production company declined to release the version featuring his lead vocal (which has since been made available as a bonus track on the 2006 remastered reissue), in preference to that featuring the voice of Francis Rossi. He also made no secret of his dislike of "Marguerita Time", which he thought was too pop-orientated for the group. When they appeared on BBC's Top of the Pops to mime to the single, his place was taken by Jim Lea of Slade, who were also on the programme that week. The Top of the Pops performance was also notable for Rick Parfitt falling into Pete Kircher's drum set near the end of the song while the song kept playing. On the DVD Hello Quo, Parfitt claims that he had planned this action, although many people thought he was drunk. On the same DVD, Alan Lancaster also said that he wasn't so concerned with "Marguerita Time" as he was with "Going Down Town Tonight", which – according to him – was not a Status Quo recording and featured no Status Quo musicians apart from Francis Rossi.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."A Mess of Blues" Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman 3:23
2."Ol' Rag Blues"Alan Lancaster, Keith Lamb 2:51
3."Can't Be Done"Francis Rossi, Bernie Frost3:07
4."Too Close to the Ground"Rick Parfitt, Andrew Bown3:43
5."No Contract"Parfitt, Bown3:40
6."Win or Lose"Rossi, Frost2:35
7."Marguerita Time"Rossi, Frost3:27
8."Your Kind of Love"Lancaster, Ferguson Skinner3:24
9."Stay the Night"Rossi, Frost, Andrew Miller3:02
10."Going Down Town Tonight"Guy Johnson3:33

The 2006 remaster has a snippet of Bernie Frost singing "I've Got Tears In My Ears From Lying On My Back In Bed Crying Over You" by Homer and Jethro at the beginning of "No Contract" and a slightly longer fade, extending the runtime by almost twenty seconds. [1]

2006 reissue bonus tracks

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."The Wanderer" Ernie Maresca 3:27
12."Going Down Town Tonight [Re-recorded Single Version]" (initial releases contain a different mix of the album version, which was mistaken from the single version.)Johnson3:38
13."I Wonder Why"Rossi, Frost3:59
14."Ol' Rag Blues [Extended Version]" (This contained a different mix and also some different vocals for parts of it, as well as being extended.)Lancaster, Lamb4:54
15."A Mess of Blues [Extended Version]"Pomus, Shuman4:48
16."Cadillac Ranch [Recording during the session for what became The Wanderer single]" Bruce Springsteen 4:15
17."Ol' Rag Blues [Alan Lancaster Version containing a different mix and vocals]"Lancaster, Lamb2:49
18."The Wanderer [Sharon the Nag Mix]" (This was released in 1988 as track 4 of the Who Gets the Love CD single)Ernie Maresca3:34

September 2018 Deluxe Edition (CD2) bonus material

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Wanderer" (Single)  
2."Going Down Town Tonight" ((re-recorded version) - Single)  
3."I Wonder Why" (Original B side to cancelled Too Close to the Ground single)  
4."Ol' Rag Blues" (Extended Version - contains different mix and some different vocals at times, as well as being extended)  
5."A Mess of Blues" (Extended Version)  
6."Cadillac Ranch" (Out-take from planned single - song chosen for single was The Wanderer)  
7."Ol' Rag Blues" (original Alan Lancaster Version containing a different mix as well as vocals.)  
8."Modern Romance" (Extended Version)FRANCIS ROSSI / BERNARD FROST 
9."I Wonder Why" (Extended Version)FRANCIS ROSSI / BERNARD FROST 
10."The House" (this was recorded in the mid 70s)BERNARD FROST 
11."What Do You Want to Hear Today?" (this was recorded in the mid 70s)BERNARD FROST 
12."Modern Romance"FRANCIS ROSSI / BERNARD FROST 
13."I Wonder Why?"FRANCIS ROSSI / BERNARD FROST 
14."Jealousy"FRANCIS ROSSI / BERNARD FROST 
15."Where Are You Now?"FRANCIS ROSSI / BERNARD FROST 
16."That's All Right"FRANCIS ROSSI / BERNARD FROST 

Personnel

"Chris "Props" Ranson - Instrument Technician.

Charts

Chart (1983-1984)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [2] 97
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [3] 26
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [4] 60
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [5] 38
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [6] 20
UK Albums (OCC) [7] 9

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [8] Gold100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Status Quo (band)</span> British rock band

Status Quo are a British rock band. The group originated in London and was founded in 1962 by Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster while they were still schoolboys. After a number of name and lineup changes, which included the introduction of John Coghlan in 1963 and Rick Parfitt in 1967, the band became The Status Quo in 1967 and Status Quo in 1969. As of 2022, the group have been active for 60 consecutive years.

<i>On the Level</i> 1975 studio album by Status Quo

On the Level is the eighth studio album by English rock band Status Quo. It features Francis Rossi, Richard Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan. The album's cover art features band members in an Ames room, and on the original vinyl release, the inner gatefold sleeve consisted of informal photos members of the group had taken of each other.

<i>Rockin All Over the World</i> (album) 1977 album by Status Quo

Rockin' All Over the World is the tenth studio album by British band Status Quo. It is their first to be produced by Pip Williams and the first to feature Andy Bown as a regular contributor to the band; he would later join the band officially in 1982. Released in November 1977, it reached #5 in the UK.

<i>Blue for You</i> 1976 studio album by Status Quo

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

<i>Live!</i> (Status Quo album) 1977 live album by Status Quo

Live! is the first live album by British rock band Status Quo. The double album is an amalgam of performances at Glasgow's Apollo Theatre between 27 and 29 October 1976, recorded using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio.

<i>Just Supposin</i> 1980 studio album by Status Quo

Just Supposin' is the thirteenth album by Status Quo. Co-produced by the group and John Eden, it was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin. Released on 17 October 1980, it entered the UK albums chart at number 4.

<i>12 Gold Bars Vol. 2</i> 1984 compilation album by Status Quo

12 Gold Bars Volume II is a 1984 compilation album by English rock band Status Quo, released on Vertigo Records on 23 November 1984. It compiles all their UK hit singles from 1980 to 1984. The album was packaged as a gatefold vinyl LP and double cassette, containing 12 Gold Bars as a bonus album alongside Volume II.

<i>Rocking All Over the Years</i> 1990 greatest hits album by Status Quo

Rocking All Over the Years is a compilation album by English rock band Status Quo. The album contains all Quo's UK top 10 singles. Almost all songs have been shortened.

<i>The Party Aint Over Yet</i> 2005 studio album by Status Quo

The Party Ain't Over Yet... is the twenty-seventh album by English rock band Status Quo, released 19 September 2005.

<i>Never Too Late</i> (Status Quo album) 1981 studio album by Status Quo

Never Too Late is the fourteenth studio album by English rock band Status Quo, coproduced by the group and John Eden. Released on 13 March 1981, it had been recorded at the same sessions – at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin – as its predecessor Just Supposin'. It reached number 2 in the UK Albums Chart.

<i>In the Army Now</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Status Quo

In the Army Now is the seventeenth studio album by the English rock band Status Quo, released on 29 August 1986 by Vertigo Records. Recorded at Chipping Norton Recording Studios in Oxfordshire and Jacobs Studios in Surrey, it was the first album with the post-Live Aid lineup, featuring bassist Rhino Edwards and drummer Jeff Rich, both of whom joined in March 1986.

<i>1+9+8+2</i> 1982 studio album by Status Quo

1+9+8+2 is the fifteenth studio album by the English rock band Status Quo, released on 16 April 1982. It was the first to include new drummer Pete Kircher, who had recently replaced John Coghlan, and also the first to credit keyboard player Andy Bown as a full member of the band; on the previous few releases he had merely been listed as a guest musician although he had long been an integral member in all but name.

<i>Riffs</i> (Status Quo album) 2003 studio album by Status Quo

Riffs is the twenty-sixth studio album by the English rock band Status Quo, released in November 2003. Ten tracks were cover versions of pop and rock standards, the other five were re-recordings of songs they had previously issued during the 1970s. The initial release also included a bonus 9-track DVD, featuring footage recorded for television programs and also the video for the 2002 Top 20 hit 'Jam Side Down', recorded on HMS Ark Royal. This was originally planned to be released one week after the album "Heavy Traffic", but was pushed back in time by the record company.

<i>Live at the N.E.C.</i> 1984 live album by Status Quo

Live at The N.E.C. was the second live album by rock band Status Quo which was recorded at the National Exhibition Centre. It had originally been released as part of the 3-LP box set From the Makers of... in 1982. In 1984 the recording became available as a separate album.

<i>Live Alive Quo</i> 1992 live album by Status Quo

Live Alive Quo was the third live album by English rock band Status Quo and was broadcast live on BBC Radio 1 as part of the station's 25th Anniversary 'Party in the Park' celebrations in Birmingham, England. The concert was watched by nearly 125,000 fans.

<i>In Search of the Fourth Chord</i> 2007 studio album by Status Quo

In Search of the Fourth Chord is the twenty-eighth studio album by English rock band Status Quo, released on 17 September 2007. The title is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the rumour that the group always plays the same three chords, and a reference to the album In Search of the Lost Chord by British rock band the Moody Blues. The album's artwork is a parody of the Indiana Jones films.

"Ol' Rag Blues" is a song recorded by the British rock band Status Quo. It was included on the album Back to Back in 1983, and also released as a single. As of 2023, "Ol' Rag Blues" remains the only one of the band's 22 UK top ten singles to have never been performed live.

"Roadhouse Medley " is a single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1992. It was included on the album Live Alive Quo.

<i>Quid Pro Quo</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Status Quo

Quid Pro Quo is the twenty-ninth studio album by English rock band Status Quo, released in May 2011. The album debuted at number 10 in the UK charts and features 14 new songs, as well as the 2010 version of their 1986 hit "In the Army Now" which was re-recorded in support of the Help for Heroes and British Forces Foundation charities. The accompanying Official Live Bootleg album features 12 older songs recorded by the band in concert in Amsterdam and Melbourne in 2010. In the UK the album was only available at branches of Tesco stores for its first week before being released conventionally on the band's Fourth Chord label on 6 June 2011.

References

  1. No Contract , retrieved 28 February 2023
  2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 19. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  3. "Dutchcharts.nl – Status Quo – Back to Back" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  4. "Offiziellecharts.de – Status Quo – Back to Back" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  5. "Swedishcharts.com – Status Quo – Back to Back". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  6. "Swisscharts.com – Status Quo – Back to Back". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  7. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  8. "British album certifications – Status Quo – Back to Back". British Phonographic Industry.