You don't sell 128 million albums worldwide without putting in the graft and Status Quo are, quite possibly, the hardest working band in Britain. Alan G Parker's documentary Hello Quo, specially re-edited for the BBC, recounts the band's epic story from the beginning - when south London schoolmates Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster formed their first band with big ambitions of rock 'n' roll domination, quickly adding drummer John Coghlan and guitarist Rick Parfitt.
The film tells the story of Quo's hits from their unusually psychedelic early hit, Pictures of Matchstick Men, followed by a run through their classics Down Down to Whatever You Want.
The band laughs off the constant ribbing about only using three chords and the film explores how Quo's heads-down boogie defined UK rock in the early 70s. Fender Stratocaster in hand, Quo have stood their ground and never shifted, but they have managed to adapt to scoring pop hits over five decades.
The original members of the 'frantic four' tell their story of a life in rock 'n' roll, alongside interviews from some prominent Quo fans, such as Paul Weller, whose first gig was the Quo at Guildford Civic hall, to Brian May, who waxes lyrically about the opening riff to Pictures of Matchstick Men, even Sir Cliff plays homage to the denim clad rockers.
TOTP2 Special
Pictures Of Matchstick Men (Feb 68) / Caroline (Sept 73) / Down Down (Jan 75) / Rain (Feb 76) / Mystery Song (Jul 76) / Rockin All Over The World (Nov 77) / Living On An Island (Nov 79) / What You're Proposing (Oct 80) / Margherita Time (Jan 84) / In The Army Now (Oct 86) / Anniversary Waltz (Sept 90) / I Didn't Mean It (Aug 94) / Jam Side Down (Aug 02) / Whatever You What (Nov 00) / The Party Ain't Over Yet (Sept 05) |
