"ROCKIN' ALL OVER THE YEARS"
- Status Quo in the year 1991
Concerts, publications, charts, miscellaneous
Chronological:
14.01.1991: UK-release of the Status Quo compilation "Knightriding" .
23.01.1991: Status Quo perform at the german ZDF-Hitparade. Without the competition they performed their "Anniversary Waltz -Medley" which was released in Germany in December 1990.
04.02.1991: first time that the first 12 Status Quo studio albums were released on CD-format by the VERTIGO record company. 8 albums were issued on the VERTIGO series "Back 2 Back".
"Whatever you want" and "Just Supposin" - "Never too late" and "Back to Back" - "Quo" and "Blue for you" - "If you can't stand the heat" and "1+9+8+2".
"Piledriver" "Hello!" "Rockin' all over the world" and "On the Level" were released each on one CD. All 8 releases were issued on CD and cassette.
10.02.1991: Status Quo was honoured with the Brits Award "for outstanding contributions to the british music". The celebrities took place at London's Dominion Theatre. Very unexceptional the band appeared on stage with smokings but soon they ripped of the clothes to perform in their usual outfit in blue jeans and shirts. They did a new medley containing "Caroline", "Whatever you want", "Down, Down", "Rockin all over the world".
16.02.1991: Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi appeared at the ASPEL-Show in british television. It's a kind of a talk-show but more with a humorous background.
February 1991: Castle Music Pictures released the Status Quo-Video "Anniversary Waltz". It featured the 25th anniversary concert at Minehead, Butlins from the 10th October 1990 and excerpts from the Granada TV-series "Doing their thing" and "Brits-Award". Running time: approx. 85 minutes. The first 5,000 copies were issued in a silver presentations-box, with a free sticker "QUO25".
February 1991: the band went into the BRAY-Studios. They spent there the first months of the year to record a new Status Quo studio album.
21.03.1991: the Status Quo-Fan JAMES HALL is officially renamed to STATUS QUO by law. He later is interviewed at the ""Rock til you drop"-DAY by Chris Tarrant and this can be seen on the "Rock til you drop"-video.
03.04.1991: Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi open a new music workshop at the Pentonville prison.
April: UK-release of the Status Quo compilation "Ice in the sun" by the Marble Arch label.
01.05.1991: Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi unveil their wax figures at Madame Tussauds. The figures are shown at the exhibition "Rock Legends - Hall of Fame".
May 1991: Rerelease of the video "Rocking through the years" by Polygram (original original video released 1986). Running time: 103 minutes.
01.06.1991: another Status Quo compilation is released by the Pickwick-Label: "To be or not to be"
01.06.1991: CD and cassette release of the Live-Album "Live at the N.E.C.".
01.06.1991: Start of one of the biggest stadium-tours for the band at Celtic Park; Glasgow. The band is touring with Rod Stewart on his "Vagabond Heart"-Tour. Over 260,000 fans attended the 8 stadium shows in Manchester, Newcastle, Ipswich and London's Wembley stadium. Another special guest was Joe Cocker. By the way: the back-cover of the "Rock til you drop"-album was shot after QUO's performance at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Juni 1991: within the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo the band was honoured by Prince Albert of Monaco with an award "for outstanding contributions to the rock industry".
Juni 1991: the Video "Rocking all over the years" (from October 1990) was published as Video-CD.
15.07.1991: Woodword Music label released the Status Quo compilation "The Hitmachine" .
27.08.1991: first UK-single release of the year with the song "Can't give you more". Its a re-recorded version of the 1977 song issued on the "Rockin' all over the world"-album. The song is from the songwriter-duo Francis Rossi and Bob Young. The original intension was to use this song for promotion of the french company Perrier who are known for their table-waters. The first copies of the single appeared with the added note "Eau Eau Eau". The B-Side is the Rossi/Bown-compostion "Dead in the water", which was from the "Rock til you drop" recordings. The single was issued as 7"-Vinyl and 12"-Vinyl-single and as Maxi-CD and cassette (UK). Additional song on the maxi-singles was "Mysteries from the Ball" (Rossi/Parfitt).
03.09.1991: UK-Chartsentry of "Can't give you more". The single notched up at No.37.
20.09.1991: Status Quo are sponsoring the 2 o'clock horse race on the race course of Newbury. "The Rock til you drop"-Stakes were broadcasted live at BBC-television.
21.09.1991: a day when Status Quo wrote music history and without doubt another highlight in the band's career. It was the 21st of September 1991 but for the band and all their fans it was the "Rock til you drop-Day". On this day Status Quo played 4 shows in different cities in UK in less than 12 hours (exactly 11h 11min) and achieved entry into the Guiness-book of records. They played sell-out shows at Sheffield Arena, Glasgow SE&CC, Birmingham NEC and London's Wembley Arena. A total of 40,000 fans came up to see Status Quo on their record attempt and raised over 200,000 pounds for charity. All receipts were given to the Nordoff-Robbins-Music Theraphy Trust and to the Brits Performing Arts and to local charity subjects. The whole day was filmed and later published on a double-Video. It took one year to organize and manage the "one-day-UK-Tour".
Seriously the most unique way to promote a forthcoming album.
23.09.1991: UK-release of the new studio-album "Rock til you drop". The LP featured 10 songs while on the CD and Cassette 16 songs were featured. The album was produced by Francis Rossi and recorded at the Bray Studios. The album mix was done at Franics Rossi's own studio. The album included top quality rocksongs and they sounded more like the bands live-sound. 4 songs are re-recorded Status Quo songs. Alongside the single-release "Can't give you more" (1977), it was the song "The Price of Love" first released in the year 1969, the song "Tommy's in Love" from the Perfect Remedy-Album, but this time titled "Tommy" and the song "4500 Times" from the '73-Album "Hello!", who featured additional lyrics. Out of the 16 songs were 2 covers: the song "Let's work together" from Canned Heat (1970) and "Bring it on home" originally recorded by Sam Cooke in 1960. The "Rock til you drop"-album was issued as LP, as CD and as Cassette (UK).
30.09.1991: The new album entered the UK-Album-Charts and peaked at No.10 staying 7 weeks in the charts.
03.10.1991: Status Quo performance at the charts-show "Top of the Pops". The band played the song "Lets work together". Moderator: Tony Dortie, Mark Franklin
10.10.1991: UK-release of the Status Quo compilation "The Best of Status Quo 1968 - 1971" by the Pickwick label. Picture of the cover see above.
21.10.1991: the DECAL Label published the 2x-CD "Back to the beginning" . The compilation showed 30 songs out of the PYE period and included a very good and comprehensive booklet, were some rare press cuttings and critics of 60 and early 70's single-releases were published.
28.10.1991: and PICKWICK continues their Status Quo series with the release of the album "The Best of Status Quo 1972-1986". Alongside Quo classics this time some less known Quo songs were featured like "Keep me guessing"; "Oh! What a night" "Late last night". Cover see above.
31.10.1991: in Limerick/Irland a 15-dates Irish and Northern Irland tour kicked-off.
October 1991: the planned single-release of "Fakin the blues" was cancelled in last minute by the record company, although 10,000 copies were produced. When in 1993 a new fanclub was founded the existing members of the old fanclub got a copy of this "never-released" single.
October 1991: release of the "Rock til you drop". (Cat.No.: Polygram 083 836-3) In UK the video appeared as a double-video. The second video showed the "Making of - behind the scenes". The first video included live-recordings of the "Rock til you drop"-DAY with the shows in Birmingham, Glasgow, Sheffield and London. Running time: 112 min.
21.11.1991: the annual UK tour kicked-off in Hereford and until the end of the year the band played 20 shows.
25.11.1991: release of the Status Quo Single "Rock til you drop" in Germany. (Cat.No.: 866234-7) B-Side is the medley consisting of "Caroline" "Down,Down" "Whatever you want" "Rockin all over the world". Only a 7"-Vinyl-single was issued in Germany. In 1992 the single was released in England.
November 1991: UK-release of the video "One to One". It included interviews with Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi with BBC-moderator Anne Nightingale, which both were taken in early 1990. Running time: approx. 45 minutes. On the days of its release the video was withdrawn and so this video is one of the most wanted Status Quo items.
December 1991: Status Quo performance in german television. The band played at Peter's Popshow and performed the song "Rock til you drop".
December 1991: another video released in UK by Castle Music Pictures "Knebworth '90". The video included 4 Live-songs from Status Quo, which the band played at the Knebworth-Festival in 1990. (Whatever you want, Rockin all over the world, Dirty Water, In the army now)
Germany: the "Rock til you drop"-album and the "Can't give you more"-single were released in Germany too, but there is no information about the release dates and no information about the chart notes. Note: from 1991 until 1994 there are only TOP20 charts listed in Germany.
german only release by Castle Music: the compilation-album "Castle Masters Collection - Status Quo" (Cat.No.: CMC3040). See picture above on the right.
in Spain both "Anniversary Waltz"-Promo-singles were released but with different tracklisting. ... more at the medleys-page
UK discography 1991:
Album: "Knightriding" (Cat.No. CD: KNCD10018 Cassette: KNMC10018)
Album: Back 2 Back "Whatever you want" / "Just supposin" (Cat.Nr. CD: 848087-2 Cassette: 848087-4)
Album: Back 2 Back "Never too late" / "Back to Back" (Cat.Nr. CD: 848088-2 Cassette: 848088-4)
Album: Back 2 Back "Quo" / "Blue for you" (Cat.Nr. CD: 848089-2 Cassette: 848089-4)
Album: Back 2 Back "If you can't stand the heat" / "1+9+8+2" (Cat.Nr. CD: 848090-2 Cassette: 848090-4)
Album: "Piledriver" (Cat.Nr. CD: 848171-2 Cassette: 848171-4)
Album: "Hello!"(Cat.Nr. CD: 848172-2 Cassette 848172-4)
Album: "Rockin' all over the world" (Cat.Nr. CD: 848173-2 Cassette: 848173-4)
Album: "On the Level" (Cat.Nr. CD: 848174-2 Cassette: 848174-4)
Album: "Ice in the sun" (Cat.No. CD: CMACD108 Cassette: CMAMC108)
Album: "To be or not to be" (Cat.No. PWKS4051P)
Album: "Live at the NEC" (Cat.No. CD: 818947-2 Cassette: 818947-4)
Album: "The Hitmachine" (Cat.Nr. CD: WMCD4614 Cassette: WMMC4614)
Album: "Rock til you drop" (Kat.Nr. CD: 510341-2 Cassette: 510341-4)
Album: "The Best of Status Quo 1968 - 1971" (Cat.No. CD: PWKS4080 Cassette: PWKMC4080)
Album: "Back to the beginning" (Cat.No. Decal CDLIKD81)
Album: "The Best of Status Quo 1972 - 1986" (Cat.No. CD: PWKS4087P Cassette: PWKMC4087)
Single: "Can't give you more" (7" - QUO30; 12" - QUO3012; Maxi-CD - QUOCD30; Cassette - QUOMC30)
Video: "Anniversary Waltz" (CMP6029) lim.edition silver presentation box (CMPB6029)
Video: "Rock til you drop" (Polygram 083 836-3)
Video: "Rocking through the years" (Cat.No.: 4 Front LED 80152)
Video: "One to One" (Cat.Nr.: Video Collection VC4111)
Video: "Knebworth '90" (Cat.No.: CMP2066)
Video-CD: "Anniversary Waltz" (Cat.No.: 082644-1)
UK chart notes 1991:
Album: "Rock til you drop" - No.10
Single: "Can't give you more" - No.37
Miscellaneous:
1. Freddie Mercury, frontman of Queen died on Aids, 24th November.
2. outstanding albums of the year 1991
"Metallica" from Metallica with the unique ballad "Nothing else matters" and with the beautiful "The Unforgiven"
and Roxette's album "Joyride" with whom they proved that "Look Sharp" was not a one-off album.
But the song of the year came from the US-band "Guns and Roses", who delivered with "November Rain" one of the best rocksongs ever.
Guns and Roses were very successful from the late 80's to the end of the 90's and they became superstars. Especially the very charismatic performances of their singer Axl Rose drew attraction to many many rockfans. Unfortunately the band has split.
Some albums of the year 1991: "Joyride" Roxette - "Crazy World" Scorpions - "Metallica" Metallica - "Innuendo" Queen - "Waking up the neighbours" Bryan Adams - "Achtung Baby" U2 - "We can't dance" Genesis - "Razor's Edge" AC/DC
3. Single-Hits of the year in UK:
1. "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" Bryan Adams
2. "Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are The Days Of Our Lives" Queen
3. "The Shoop Shoop Song" Cher
4. Football: english champions: FC Arsenal London scottish champions again Glasgow Rangers
5. Successful cinema films in 1991: "Who's dancing with the wolf" "Kevin - alone at home" "Robin Hood - King of the thieves" "Terminator II" "the naked gun 2 1/2" (Leslie Nielsen) "Hannibal Lector - Silence of the lambs" (Jodie Foster