 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(June 2014) |
| "Down the Dustpipe" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Status Quo | ||||
| B-side | "Face Without a Soul" | |||
| Released | 6 March 1970 | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll, blues rock, boogie rock [1] | |||
| Length | 2:00 | |||
| Label | Pye | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Carl Groszmann | |||
| Producer(s) | John Schroeder | |||
| Status Quo singles chronology | ||||
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| Official audio | ||||
| "Down the Dustpipe" (2002 remix) on YouTube | ||||
"Down the Dustpipe" is a song written by Australian singer-songwriter Carl Groszmann, and recorded by Status Quo.
Groszmann was a client of Valley Music, who were affiliated to Status Quo's management in their early days. The group recorded it, and in Francis Rossi’s words, "it was the first record to feature our soon-to-be trademark boogie shuffle". [2] It became one of the most popular numbers in their live set. Released as a single in March 1970, it took the media by surprise as it was so different in sound from their previous work. BBC Radio 1 presenter Tony Blackburn dismissed it on air the first time he played it with the comment, "Down the dustbin for this one." [3]
A demo version of the song was recorded by Welsh band Man, who were hired by Pye Records as a studio band. They taught their arrangement of the song to Status Quo, who adopted it without changing much. In the future, whenever the two bands met, Man found it entertaining to keep reminding Status Quo of who did the original arrangement for their hit single. [4]
The harmonica was played by Bob Young, who had recently joined Status Quo as their roadie but became an unofficial member, playing harmonica on several subsequent recordings and co-writing many of their singles and album tracks. Although it was initially ignored by Radio 1, it made the charts largely through the group’s increasing popularity as a live band, and reached number 12 in the UK Singles Chart in July. Its slow progress gave it a 17-week stay in the Top 50, something never achieved by any of their subsequent, more well-known singles.
It remained unavailable on Status Quo's albums until the release of the compilation The Best of Status Quo in 1973, [5] and has appeared on several compilations since then. The band re-recorded it on their 2003 album Riffs , the new version being similar to the original but about 20 seconds longer. The song was reprised, in 2014, for Status Quo's thirty-first studio album Aquostic (Stripped Bare) . It was featured in the ninety-minute launch performance of the album at London's Roundhouse on 22 October, the concert being recorded and broadcast live by BBC Radio 2 as part of their In Concert series. [6] [7]
| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles (Kent Music Report) [8] | 12 |
| Ireland (IRMA) [9] | 11 |
| UK Singles (OCC) [10] | 5 |
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.
"Whatever You Want" is a rock song by the British rock band Status Quo. Written by Rick Parfitt and Andy Bown, it was released on the album of the same name in 1979 and has become one of the band's better-known works. The track peaked at number 4 on the UK charts on 30 September 1979. It originally appeared on the band's 1979 album Whatever You Want and was later re-recorded for their 2003 album Riffs.
Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon is the third studio album by English rock band Status Quo, released in August 1970. It was the first album by the band to leave behind their early psychedelic sound and begin experimenting with a hard rock style which still remains the band's signature sound, as well as the last album to feature keyboardist Roy Lynes. The album failed in sales and charts and was not successful.
Piledriver is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Status Quo, released in 1972. It was the first to be produced by the group themselves, and their first on the Vertigo label. It peaked at number five in the UK and included several favourites that would be featured frequently in live concerts.
"Down Down" is a song by English rock band Status Quo. Written by Francis Rossi and Bob Young and produced by Status Quo, "Down Down" was Status Quo's only number one single on the UK Singles Chart. The single spent a week at the top of the chart in January 1975. It was released on 29 November 1974 on the Vertigo label, paired with the B-side song "Nightride". Both songs came from the album On the Level, which had yet to be released. The album version lasts 5 minutes and 24 seconds, whilst the single version is 3 minutes and 49 seconds.
"Paper Plane" is a rock song originally by Status Quo. It was released as a single on 10 November 1972, reaching number 8 in the UK Singles Chart, and appeared on their album, Piledriver. The song was written by Francis Rossi and Bob Young.
"Caroline" is a single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1973. It was included on the band's 1973 album Hello!
"Rain" is a single from British rock band Status Quo's album Blue for You. It was written by Rick Parfitt.
"Mystery Song" is a single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1976. It was included on the album Blue for You.
"Burning Bridges (On and Off and On Again)" is a single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1988. It was included on the album Ain't Complaining. The tune is based on the traditional English folk song "Darby Kelly".
"Lies" / "Don't Drive My Car" is a double A-side single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1980.
"Again and Again" is a single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1978. The song was written by Rick Parfitt, Andy Bown and Jackie Lynton and was issued to coincide with the band's headline appearance at the Reading Festival on 26 August 1978.
"What You're Proposing" is a single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1980. It was included on their album Just Supposin'.
"Rock 'n' Roll" is a single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1981. It was included on the album Just Supposin'. It was written in Ireland by Francis Rossi and Bernie Frost during a stay in the country, and was not originally intended to be recorded by Status Quo themselves.
"Marguerita Time" is a single by the British rock band Status Quo, from their 1983 album Back to Back. The single was also issued in a Christmas double pack that included "Caroline"/"Joanne".
"Rollin' Home" is a single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1986. It was included on the album In the Army Now. It was written by John David and produced by Dave Edmunds. The 7 inch was also produced as a Q shaped picture disc.
"Rock 'til You Drop" is a single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1992. It was included on the album Rock 'til You Drop.
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.
Aquostic – Stripped Bare is the thirty-first studio album by English rock band Status Quo, first released on 17 October 2014. Produced by Mike Paxman, this is the band's first completely acoustic album and the first recorded with drummer Leon Cave. Its cover features a photograph by Canadian singer Bryan Adams. The album earned a Gold certification in January 2015.
