"ROCKIN' ALL OVER THE YEARS" - Status Quo in the year 1981

Promo-Uhr 'Never too late' Ticket Metz by kind permission Patrick Specht

concerts, publications, charts, miscellaneous

The year 1981 - Status Quo rides on the "wave" of success. The UK tour which was announced at the end of 1980 became a toal success with all shows sold out. The same in Germany were german Status Quo fans had to wait more than a year to see their heroes. And in springtime the very good album "Never too late" was released and was again very successful. Also the single out of this alubm "Something bout you babe I like" . Until June the band played some 70 shows. In autumn the band went to the Montreux studios in 'Switzerland to start wird recording sessions for an anniversary album in 1982. But the permanent touring, the recording sessions and especially the drugs take its toll. There were different opinions what material to be taken for the new album and the whole thing ended with drummer John Coghlan leaving the band. The new drummer was Pete Kircher (ex-Honeybus, ex-Original Mirrors).
All known shows of the year 1981: ...more
Pictures: promo-clock 'Never too late' by kind permission Günter Röder, Ticket Metz by kind permission Patrick Specht

Chronological:

  • 01.01.1981: new tour manager became Iain Jones. Bob Young the former tour manager wanted to have more time for his own projects.
  • 01.01.1981: Status Quo performing at "Top of the Pops" with the song "What you're proposing". Moderator: Dave Lee Travis, Tommy Vance.
  • 05.01.1981: the single "Lies" entered the german singles-charts and climbed up to No. 38 with a total chart-run of 14 weeks.
  • 29.01.1981: in german youth magazine Bravo (No. 06/81) a write-up about Status Quo is featured.
  • 20.02.1981: UK release of the new single "Something bout you babe I like". Originally recorded by singer and guitarist Richard Supa in the early 70's. Many cover versions are known of this song. For example "the tiger" Tom Jones recorded his cover in 1974 which went to No.36 in the charts. According to Dave Oxley's book "Rockers Rollin" Status Quo's choice was Rita Coolidge's cover. B-Side was the Rossi-Parfitt-Frost composition "Enough is Enough". Both songs were issued on the forthcoming album "Never too late".
  • 26.02.1981: the new single "Something bout you babe I like" is performed in "Top of the Pops" by the band. Moderator: Peter Powell.
  • 27.02.1981: "Something bout you babe I like" entered the UK-Charts notching up at No. 9 with 7 weeks in the UK-Charts.
  • February 1981: a cassette only release in UK by record company Vertigo: "The Music of Status Quo - Vol.1 1972-1974" (Cat.No.: Vertigo 7215038). 12 songs from the "PILEDRIVER" album; the "Hello!" album and the "QUO" album.
  • 06.03.1981: the long awaited UK-tour kicked off in St.Austell and was originally set for 14 shows. But due to the huge ticket demand it was decided to play another 7 shows at the end of May/June. All 21 shows were completely sold-out.
  • 12.03.1981: a repeat performance of the song "Something bout you babe I like" in the british show "Top of the Pops". Moderator: Peter Powell.
  • 20.03.1981: UK release of the new Status Quo album "Never too late". 8 of the 10 songs are self-penned. The 2 covers were the single and the song "Carol" originally recorded by Chuck Berry in 1958. The songs were recorded the year before when the band was in Ireland in the Windmill studios. The album was self-produced with the help of co-producer John Eden. The album fulfilled the expectations of the fans and even the critics showed good reviews. For example from Germany - Musikexpress: "The album offers the proved Boogie Hardrock, earthy production and alive as always" or AUDIO "They belong to the Top-Acts at all and what they deliver with no-nonsense straight rock music in such a high degree, you can't stop listen to it."
  • 23.03.1981: Germany: the single "Something bout you babe I like" entered the german singles-charts with a No.49 as highest position. The single spent a total of 10 weeks in the german charts.
  • 28.03.1981: UK charts entry of the new album "Never too late". It peaked at No. 2 and had a chart-run of 21 weeks in the UK-Charts. Later that year it was awarded for platinum sales.
  • 29.03.1981: the german tour kicks-off in Dortmund; Westfalenhalle. The tour included 15 shows in Germany.
  • 02.04.1981: another report about Status Quo issued in german's BRAVO (No.15/81).
  • 06.04.1981: "Never too late" entered the german album-charts. The album spent 14 weeks in the charts reaching No.12.
  • 09.04.1981: Francis Rossi on the frontcover of the german BRAVO No. 16/81, in this issue a Status Quo series started continued in BRAVO No.17/81 (16.4.81); No.18/81 (23.4.81) and No.19/81 (30.4.81).
  • 22.04.1981: most notable: the first Status Quo tour in Italy kicked-off with a total of 8 shows.
  • April 1981: again a PYE-compilation is released in UK. This time from the label PRT the Status Quo compilation "Spotlight on Status Quo Vol.1"
  • 04.05.1981: start of a France tour with 11 dates.
  • 26.05.1981: kick-off UK-tour part 2 in London's Wembley Arena.
  • 23.07.1981: a Status Quo poster is issued in german's BRAVO (No.31/81).
  • 18.09.1981: while the band went to the Montreux studios in Switzerland to record new songs, a very unusual Status Quo item was released in UK. The record company PRT released a 10"-Vinyl-record called "Fresh Quota". 6 Status Quo songs were issued on this mini album, announced as "previously unreleased" but only 3 tracks were "unreleased" - "Time to fly" "Do you live in Fire" and "Josie". These songs were from the 1969 recording sessions of the "Spare Parts" album. The other songs were the instrumental "Good Thinking (Batman)" (B-Side from "Tune to the Music"), "Neighbour Neighbour" (B-Side of the first Spectres single "I (who have nothing)") and "Hey little woman" (incorrectly written because it's nothing else than the Quo song "You're just what I was looking for today" which was issued on the "Spare Parts" album.) Because of its unusual format it became a very collective item and even caused an entry into the british charts with a No.28.
  • October: the UK label "Old Gold" released a Status Quo single compilation: "Mean Girl" / "In my chair" (OG9142) in UK.
  • 20.11.1981: UK release of the single "Rock n Roll". This Rossi-Frost-song was issued on the 1980 album "Just supposin'" and this by Quo standards very unusual slow song was a surprise for many fans, because a further single release of the "Never too late" album was expected. But the record company chose this song very cleverly for the beginning christmas time and success proved them to be right. The b-side with 33 rpm included the 2 Quo songs "Hold you back" from the 'Rockin all over the world' album and "Backwater" from the 'QUO' album. For collectors: there is a special jukebox pressing featuring on the b-side only "Hold you Back".(Cat.No. QUO JB6).
  • 27.11.1981: the new single "Rock n Roll" entered the UK-singles-charts and climbed up to No.8 and spent 11 weeks in the charts.
  • 03.12.1981: the band performing at britains chart-show "Top of the Pops". This time with the new single "Rock n roll". Moderator: David Jensen
  • 17.12.1981: again a performance of "Rock n Roll" in "Top of the Pops". Moderator: Simon Bates
  • during the recording sessions in the Montreux-Studios things were rather unhappy. It ended up with drummer John Coghlan leaving the band.
  • Vertigo released the LP "Motive" in Germany (Cat.No. 6381 049).
  • the english Fanclub now called "The official Supporters Club" is run by Derek Olivier and at the end of the year Mrs. Cheryl Welchman. Both did a really good job with an excellent interview of the band. By the way: Derek Olivier later became a writer for the british "Classic Rock" magazine.

    UK discography 1981:

  • Single: Something bout you babe I like (R.Supa) / Enough is enough (Rossi / Parfitt / Frost) (Cat.No.: Vertigo QUO 5)
  • Single: Mean Girl / In my chair (Cat.No.: Old Gold OG9142)
  • Single: Rock n Roll (Rossi/Frost) / Hold you back - Backwater (Cat.No.: QUO 6)
  • LP: Never too late (Vertigo 6302 104) (Cassette: Vertigo 7144 1049
  • LP: Spotlight on Status Quo Vol.1 (Cat.No.: PRT SPOT1010) (Cassette: ZCSPT1010)
  • LP: Fresh Quota (PRT DOW2) (Cassette: ZCDOW2)
  • Cassette: The Music of Status Quo 1972-1974 (Vertigo 7215 038)

    Charts 1981 (UK and Germany):

  • Lies - No. 38 (D)
  • Something bout you babe I like - No. 9 (UK)
  • Something bout you babe I like - No. 49 (D)
  • Rock n Roll - No. 8 (UK)
  • LP "Never too late" - No. 2 (UK)
  • LP "Fresh Quota" - No. 28 (UK)
  • LP "Never too late" - No. 12 (D)

    Miscellaneous:
    1. Hits of the year in UK: Albums 1. Kings of the wild frontier (Adam & The Ants) 2. Hotter than July (Michael Jackson) 3. Flesh & Blood (Roxy Music)
    2. Football: Aston Villa won the english championship and the scottish trophy was won by Celtic Glasgow
    3. Some films of the year 1981: Cap and Capper - 007-In deathly mission - The Boat - Highway Hell