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THE STATUS QUO INTERVIEW with The Whitehaven Guide
Rock legends Status Quo performed in Whitehaven on the 2nd August 2008 and The Whitehaven Guide & The Workington Guide Magazines were right at the heart of the action.
Our very own Stephen J Murphy caught up with the legend that is Francis Rossi and had a fantastic chat with the rock God about Status Quo and life in general.
I asked Francis a series of quick fire questions expecting one word answers, but not the case with this gentleman from The Quo, who was extremely down to earth - pleasant and extremely funny. Personally I was trying my best to come across all professional and failed miserably. I was star struck and who wouldn't be. I have seen this guy on the telly since I was a nipper. Let's face it, The Quo are like everyone's long lost uncles that we haven't seen in years.
I introduce myself and explain I'm calling on behalf of The Whitehaven Guide and The Workington Guide based in West Cumbria, to which he responds: "Sounds like a jazz singer" if your confused don't worry so was I. "Erm, sorry" I say. "Yeah" say's Francis. " Sounds like a jazz singer ‘Wes Cumbria'". Ah, I'm with him now, so my Scouse accent is working on tip-top form, immediately I know this is going to be great.
So Francis, What was the first song you learned? ‘Michael Row the Boat Ashore' comes the reply, and the first chord you learned? ‘ah! That would be E major,' now we are talking chords and obviously it's music to his ears, ‘Kids are taught Emajor at the bottom end of a guitar and when it comes to learning an F or other barred chords it's excruciating, why not teach them barred chords from the word go and it's so much easier for them' I agree, who am to disagree with the big fella, but he's right, then we are talking about kids and music and again he's bang on cue, ‘ Kids want to learn what they hear on the radio, give them an instrument and they are taught Frere Jacque and it's not what they want. If they can play something that they want it inspires them so much more to want to go forward.'
‘When I was a kid' explains Francis ‘we had a fella who came to teach me piano, I said I want to learn the Everley Brothers and the guy said, No, we aren't doing that, we are doing this, an I thought no thanks mate.
That leads me onto my next question.
Who where your early influences? ‘The Everley Brothers and Little Richard' says Francis ‘and Johnny and the Hurricanes, they where an instrumental band and they where fantastic.' It doesn't surprise me that Francis reveals them as early influences as some of the material that comes from The Quo, has a 50's vibe running through a lot of their songs along with the blues and a country feel.
I suppose if you mix them all together you have this Americana flavour running right through Quo, which is a Genre that they have pioneered and Francis tells me ‘I love that kind of Music.'
Real Ale or Lager?. ‘Neither, I don't drink anymore and as for Champagne, it's horrible, bloats you, gives you bad breath and cost a fortune, biggest con ever if you ask me' he laughs.
Who is floating your boat at the moment musically? ‘I've got it really bad for Muse at the moment and Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars is brilliant, that line ‘If I Lay Hear/would you lay with me' it's great, how many people have done just that eh?'
Who is the best band you have shared a stage with? ‘Well recently it's a Canadian Band Called The Trews, Man they were awesome,' what about over the 40 years you have been playing? ‘Bob Seger's he was amazing'
Prior to the interview I contacted Mel Gould a real die hard Quo fan who lives locally and has seen the quo play dozens of times over the years, he is a member of the Status Quos Fan site and he posed some questions for Francis.
Your new Album is In search of the fourth chord, what gave you the idea for the title?
‘That was our manager' says Francis ‘I wanted to call it Electric Arena which is one of the tracks on the Album but once the manager said ‘In Search Of The Fourth Chord' I couldn't stop grinning for hours.'
I can't help but laugh at that, here you have a band that have been lampooned in a jovial manner by some of the biggest selling newspapers in the UK relating to the three chord riffs, and what do The Quo do? Run away and bend to their will? No, they bring an Album out called ‘In Search Of The Fourth Chord' class, let's face it, what have Status Quo got to prove?
They've been there, done it and are still doing it, whereas today most bands would love chart success that spans 40 days these guys have been doing it for forty years and counting.
Francis tells me ‘ We were playing a gig last year and half way through the set I said to the crowd, Right, Rick's going to play that elusive fourth chord, then said, nah Forget it and the crowd went absolutely mental, it was really weird'
Will you be playing any songs from your New Album at The Whitehaven Gig?
‘We'll play a couple' great, which ones I ask ‘you'll have to wait and see what they are'
Tongue Tied and Electric Arena are brilliant quieter songs from the new Album, where did they come from? ‘ I wrote Tongue Tied and Electric Arena on the Tour Bus, after all the noise from the concert to sit down and pick up an acoustic and quietly strum seems all the more beautiful; it was while on the bus that I penned both the songs' say Francis.
Now in between the question there was a bit of hilarity and confusion, you see Francis tells me he wrote the songs on the bus, I ask which one? Meaning which song to which he replies ‘which one? On The Tour bus', he must of thought who's this Muppet on the other end of the line, however the thought of Francis Rossi on the number 9 to Tooting penning a song as he travels through London was to much to bear and I couldn't stop laughing.
But they are a couple of belting tunes anyway, Tongue Tied is pure mellow and Electric Arena is another calmer affair with a sound that's reminiscent of the sixties. You can hear the new Album by going to: http://www.statusquo.co.uk/
Will there be opportunities for the fans to meet Status Quo when you come to Whitehaven West Cumbria? ‘Yeah I think so'. The organizers will be making an announcement nearer to the Occasion.
I asked Francis about his visits to The Western Lake District in the past and he vaguely recalls a trip made to Whitehaven in the 80's.
Do you realise that the gig in Whitehaven this August is creating a real buzz throughout the whole area? It's injected a genuine feel good factor right throughout the Town, ‘Yeah we have heard a few things and from what I'm told I'm totally humbled and am really looking forward to the gig,' and trust me it's not your usual response, we cant wait to play, we love west Cumbria ect... you can clearly hear the genuine tone coming through the other end of the line and when Francis says I'm totally humbled, again he's just being genuine.
What a true gent.
The event wassponsored by The Whitehaven Guide & The Workington Guide as Media Sponsors along with CN Group and CFM to mark the 300th Anniversary of the granting of the Royal Charter for Whitehaven.
The event was put together by local promoters Gerard Richardson and Cath Nicholson in conjunction with The Whitehaven Maritime Festival Company and is backed by NDA and the NMP Consortium which consists of Washington Group- Amec and Areva.
