Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo

Last updated

Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo
Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo (album cover).jpg
Studio album by
Released27 September 1968 (1968-09-27)
RecordedJanuary – September 1968
StudioPye Studios, London
Genre
Length34:00
Label Pye
Producer John Schroeder
The Status Quo chronology
Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo
(1968)
Spare Parts
(1969)
Singles from Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo
  1. "Pictures of Matchstick Men"
    Released: 5 January 1968
  2. "Black Veils of Melancholy"
    Released: 29 March 1968
  3. "Ice in the Sun"
    Released: 26 July 1968
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo is the debut studio album by the English rock band Status Quo, released in September 1968.

Contents

Background

The album's lead single was originally intended to be "Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Café", with the original song by singer/lead guitarist Francis Rossi, "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 "When My Mind Is Not Live", a collaboration between Rossi and rhythm guitarist/singer Rick Parfitt, 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single from the album, "Technicolour Dreams" backed with the Wilde/Scott composition "Paradise Flat", but this was withdrawn after a few days in favour of a new non-album single, Rossi and Parfitt's "Make Me Stay a Bit Longer" with bassist Alan Lancaster's "Auntie Nellie" as the B-side, released on 31 January 1969. The last record to credit the band as The Status Quo (all subsequent releases were simply credited Status Quo), "Make Me Stay a Bit Longer" received good reviews but failed to chart.

Track listing

Side one
  1. "Black Veils of Melancholy" (Francis Rossi) – 3:17
  2. "When My Mind Is Not Live" (Rossi, Rick Parfitt) – 2:50
  3. "Ice in the Sun" (Marty Wilde, Ronnie Scott) – 2:13
  4. "Elizabeth Dreams" (Wilde, Scott) – 3:29
  5. "Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Café" (Kenny Young) – 3:01
  6. "Paradise Flat" (Wilde, Scott) – 3:13
Side two
  1. "Technicolor Dreams" (Anthony King) – 2:54
  2. "Spicks and Specks" (Barry Gibb) – 2:46
  3. "Sheila" (Tommy Roe) – 1:56 (not on US version)
  4. "Sunny Cellophane Skies" (Alan Lancaster) – 2:47
  5. "Green Tambourine" (Paul Leka, Shelley Pinz) – 2:19 (not on US version)
  6. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (Rossi) – 3:13

1998 remaster bonus tracks

  1. To Be Free (Non Album B-Side)
  2. Pictures Of Matchstick Me (Stereo Alternate Mix)
  3. Paradise Flat (Stereo Alternate Mix)

2003 Deluxe edition

disc one - mono LP
No.TitleLength
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
disc two - stereo LP remixed "Proper"
No.TitleLength
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

Personnel

Status Quo

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Parfitt</span> British rock musician (1948–2016)

Richard John Parfitt, was an English musician, best known as a rhythm guitarist, singer and songwriter with rock band Status Quo.

<i>Famous in the Last Century</i> 2000 studio album by Status Quo

Famous in the Last Century is the twenty-fourth studio album by British rock band Status Quo, released in 2000. According to XS All Areas - band members Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt's duel 2004 autobiography - the idea to record a second covers album came from the band's then-manager David Walker, who said they should celebrate the millennium with an album containing twenty of their favourite hits from the past century. "Another bloody covers album!" grumbled Rossi. "We went along with it, as usual, but inside I felt like a fraud... for me it was the worst Quo album there had ever been - or ever will be!"

<i>Whatever You Want</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Status Quo

Whatever You Want is the twelfth studio album by the British rock band Status Quo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pictures of Matchstick Men</span> 1968 single by the Status Quo

"Pictures of Matchstick Men" is the first hit single by British rock band The Status Quo. It was released on 5 January 1968.

<i>Dog of Two Head</i> 1971 studio album by 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.

<i>Quo</i> (Status Quo album) 1974 studio album by Status Quo

Quo is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Status Quo. Issued in May 1974, it reached #2 in the UK. Like its predecessor Hello!, it consisted entirely of songs written or co-written by the group. The album features guest musicians Bob Young and Tom Parker, who played harmonica and piano respectively on "Break the Rules".

<i>Spare Parts</i> (album) 1969 studio album by 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 album to feature songwriting contributions from the band's road manager Bob Young. Released in September 1969, it was not a commercial success.

<i>Ma Kellys Greasy Spoon</i> 1970 studio album by Status Quo

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 moving towards hard rock, and the last album to feature keyboardist Roy Lynes. Although the album's release was bookended by two non-album singles which reached the UK top 30, the album failed to chart in the UK.

<i>Hello!</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Status Quo

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.

<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 the band produced themselves.

<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>XS All Areas – The Greatest Hits</i> 2004 compilation album by Status Quo

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". A DVD collection of promo videos, live concert footage and television appearances from throughout the band's history to that point, also titled XS All Areas – The Greatest Hits, was released on the same day. The album and DVD coincided with the release of band members Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt's duel autobiography XS All Areas.

<i>Under the Influence</i> (Status Quo album) 1999 studio album by Status Quo

Under the Influence is the twenty-third studio album by English rock band Status Quo, released in 1999.

<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.

<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>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 Albums Chart and featured 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.

<i>Bula Quo!</i> (album) 2013 soundtrack album by Status Quo

Bula Quo is the thirtieth studio album and the first soundtrack album by English rock band Status Quo, released on Monday 10 June 2013. It is the last Status Quo album recorded with drummer Matt Letley, who announced his departure from the band before the album had been released.

References

  1. "Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo - Status Quo | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .