AQUOSTIC (STRIPPED BARE) | |
 | The 2014 album gave the band a number five UK hit, their highest for 18 years, was certified Gold and saw them notch up their 500th week in the Album charts! |
|
| Aquostic (Stripped Bare) was the best selling independent UK album of 2014 |
|
| The BBC’s broadcast of the Roundhouse show was the most watched ‘red button’ programme of the month across all channels |
|
| April 2014 sees the band take the Aquostic live experience to 5 UK venues – as well as the intimate Roundhouse event they also road-tested it in front of 8,000 fans who saw the show at the Schleyerhalle arena in Stuttgart. It works! |
THE LOWDOWN | |
|
| STATUS QUO’S total world-wide record sales exceed 118 million units. |
|
| In 2013 QUO released their 100th single. The first hit was ‘Pictures Of Matchstick Men’ which reached Number 7 in January 1968, in 2014 the ‘Aquostic’ version of the track was A-Listed by BBC Radio 2. |
|
| Founder members Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt are joined in the current QUO line up by keyboard player Andrew Bown [since 1976], bassist John ‘Rhino’ Edwards [1986] and drummer Leon Cave [2013]. |
|
| QUO have made 106 appearances on BBC TV’s ‘Top of the Pops’ - More than any other group. |
|
| QUO have spent in excess of seven and a half years (415 weeks) in the British Singles Chart - the eleventh highest ever. |
|
| QUO have had 43 hit albums (27 studio albums of new material, 11 compilations, 5 live albums) in the British Albums Chart; more than any other band apart from The Rolling Stones. |
|
| In 1985 QUO opened Live Aid with the song which was to become the event’s anthem ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’. |
|
| QUO have been immortalisted by both Madame Tussauds and Royal Doulton, starred in their own feature film ‘Bula Quo’ which was premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and raised millions for charity along the way! |
|
| QUO also created a best-selling beer brand ‘Piledriver’, in conjunction with Wychwood / Marston’s breweries in its first nine months it sold over a million pints! |
|
| In their 48 year history, it is estimated that QUO have played over 6000 live shows to a total audience in excess of 25 million people. In doing so, the band has travelled some four million miles and spent 23 years away from home. |
HONOURS | |
|
| In 2014, the year the band performed a knockout set at Download Festival, they received the ‘Services To Rock’ Award from Kerrang magazine |
|
| In 2009, Rick and Francis were recognised for their services to Music and Charity by the award of an OBE in the New Year Honours List |
|
| September 21st 1991 saw QUO enter the Guinness Book of Records when they played four British shows in 11 hours and 11 minutes. The ‘Rock ’Til You Drop’ event saw shows at Sheffield Arena, Glasgow SE&CC;, Birmingham NEC and Wembley Arena. |
|
| 1991 also saw QUO presented with the most prestigious award in British music when they were awarded the BRITS Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution To The British Music Industry’. |
|
| QUO made it a double celebration later in 1991 when HSH Prince Albert of Monaco presented the band with the ‘Outstanding Contribution To The Rock Industry’ award at the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo.
Chris Hewlett / February 2015
chris@chrishewlett.com |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |