Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 27 September 1968 | |||
Recorded | January - September 1968 | |||
Studio | Pye Studios, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 34:00 | |||
Label | Pye | |||
Producer | John Schroeder | |||
The Status Quo chronology | ||||
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Singles from Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo is the debut studio album by the English rock band Status Quo, released in September 1968. It features several covers, including "Green Tambourine" by The Lemon Pipers.
The album's lead single was originally intended to be "Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Café", with the original Francis Rossi composition "Pictures of Matchstick Men" as the B-side, but these songs were eventually swapped. It reached No. 7 in the UK, and remains the band's only major hit single in the US, where it reached No. 12. It also reached No. 8 in Canada. A second single, Rossi's "Black Veils of Melancholy" (with organist Roy Lynes' non-album track "To Be Free" as the B-side), flopped and has even been called "a carbon copy of 'Pictures of Matchstick Men'". The third single, "Ice in the Sun", was written for the band by Marty Wilde and Ronnie Scott (not the jazz musician), with the Rossi/Parfitt composition "When My Mind Is Not Live" as the B-side. It reached No. 8 in the UK, and No. 29 in Canada.
The album itself was released on 27 September 1968, and failed to make the UK album charts. The band planned to release a fourth single from the album –"Technicolour Dreams" backed with the Wilde/Scott composition "Paradise Flat" –but this was withdrawn after a few days in favour of a non-album single release early the following year. The new single, Rossi and Parfitt's "Make Me Stay a Bit Longer", with bassist Alan Lancaster's "Auntie Nellie" as the B-side, was released on 31 January 1969. As well as getting the "thumbs up" from a majority of the record reviewers, this single was also something of a landmark for the group, as it would be their final release to credit them as "the" Status Quo.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Black Veils of Melancholy" (mono version) | 3:17 |
2. | "When my Mind is not Live" (mono version) | 2:51 |
3. | "Ice in the Sun" (mono version) | 2:13 |
4. | "Elizabeth Dreams" (mono version) | 3:29 |
5. | "Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Café" (mono version) | 3:02 |
6. | "Paradise Flat" (mono version) | 3:13 |
7. | "Technicolour Dreams" (mono version) | 2:54 |
8. | "Sheila" (mono version) | 1:57 |
9. | "Spicks and Specks" (mono version) | 2:46 |
10. | "Sunny Cellophane Skies" (mono version) | 2:47 |
11. | "Green Tambourine" (mono version) | 2:19 |
12. | "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (mono version) | 3:14 |
13. | "To Be Free" (B-side) | 2:38 |
14. | "Make me Stay a Bit Longer" (A-side) | 2:56 |
15. | "Auntie Nellie" (B-side) | 3:22 |
16. | "interview with Brian Matthew" (BBC session) | 1:08 |
17. | "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (BBC session) | 3:13 |
18. | "Things Get Better (Al Jackson, Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper)" (BBC session) | 2:11 |
19. | "Spicks and Specks" (BBC session) | 2:48 |
20. | "Judy in Disguise (with Glasses) (Andrew Joseph Bernard, John Fred Gourrier)" (BBC session) | 2:45 |
21. | "(another) interview" (BBC session) | 1:19 |
22. | "Make me Stay a Bit Longer" (BBC session) | 2:48 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
23. | "Black Veils of Melancholy" (stereo remix) | 3:17 |
24. | "When my Mind is not Alive" (stereo remix) | 3:03 |
25. | "Ice in the Sun" (stereo remix) | 2:15 |
26. | "Elizabeth Dreams" (stereo remix) | 3:49 |
27. | "Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Café" (stereo remix) | 3:02 |
28. | "Paradise Flat" (stereo remix) | 3:16 |
29. | "Technicolour Dreams" (stereo remix) | 3:19 |
30. | "Sheila" (stereo remix) | 1:58 |
31. | "Spicks and Specks" (stereo remix) | 2:54 |
32. | "Sunny Cellophane Skies" (stereo remix) | 2:49 |
33. | "Green Tambourine" (stereo remix) | 2:21 |
34. | "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (stereo remix) | 3:17 |
35. | "Auntie Nellie" (bonus track) | 3:34 |
36. | "Gloria (Van Morrison)" (BBC session, the Spectres) | 2:47 |
37. | "Interview with Francis Rossi" (BBC session, the Spectres) | 0:49 |
38. | "I (who have Nothing)" (BBC session, the Spectres) | 3:03 |
39. | "Neighbour, Neighbour (Alton Joseph Valier)" (BBC session, the Spectres) | 2:39 |
40. | "I don't want You (Brian Potter, Pete Dello)" (BBC session, Traffic Jam) | 2:34 |
41. | "Almost but not Quite There" (BBC session, Traffic Jam) | 2:38 |
42. | "Spicks and Specks" (BBC session, Traffic Jam) | 2:47 |
43. | "Gloria" (BBC session, the Status Quo) | 2:43 |
44. | "interview with Alan Lancaster" (BBC session, the Status Quo) | 1:01 |
45. | "Black Veils of Melancholy" (BBC session, the Status Quo) | 3:14 |
46. | "Bloodhound (Larry Bright)" (BBC session, the Status Quo) | 2:05 |
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.
Richard John Parfitt, was an English musician, best known as a rhythm guitarist, singer and songwriter with rock band Status Quo.
Dog of Two Head is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Status Quo, released by Pye Records in November 1971.
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.
Quo is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Status Quo. Issued in May 1974, it features Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan, and reached #2 in the UK. Like its predecessor Hello!, it consisted entirely of songs written or cowritten by the group. The only guest musicians were Bob Young and Tom Parker, who played harmonica and piano respectively on "Break the Rules".
Alan Charles Lancaster was an English musician, best known as a founding member and bassist of the rock band Status Quo, playing with the band from 1967 to 1985, with brief reunions in 2013 and 2014. As well as contributing to songwriting, he was also one of the lead vocalists on albums and live concerts, taking the lead on tracks such as "Backwater", "Is There a Better Way", "Bye Bye Johnny", "High Flyer" and "Roadhouse Blues".
John Robert Coghlan is an English musician, best known as the original drummer of the rock band Status Quo.
Spare Parts is the second studio album by the English rock band Status Quo, and their final one in the psychedelic vein. It is the first in which the group's roadie Bob Young wrote and co-wrote songs for and with the band. Released in September 1969, it was not a commercial success.
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 remains the band's signature sound, and the last album to feature keyboardist Roy Lynes. The album failed in sales and charts and was not successful.
Hello! is the sixth studio album by the British rock band Status Quo. Released in September 1973, it was the first of four Status Quo albums to top the UK Albums Chart. It was the first Status Quo album on which drummer John Coghlan was credited with songwriting.
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 the band produced themselves, which resulted in subsequent albums having a noticeably lighter, more pop oriented sound.
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.
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.
XS All Areas – The Greatest Hits is an album by English rock band Status Quo, released in September 2004. It is a best-of compilation with two new tracks, "You'll Come 'Round" and "Thinking of You".
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.
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.
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.
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.