Hello! (Status Quo Album)
Encyclopedia
Hello! is the sixth studio album
by the British
rock band
, Status Quo. Released in September 1973, it was the first of four Quo albums to top the UK Albums Chart
, as well as their first album on which all tracks
had been written
by the group
themselves. (Bob Young
was not an official member, but the group's roadie
and harmonica
player, as well as co-writer, primarily with Francis Rossi
, of several songs throughout their career). It was also the first Quo album on which drummer John Coghlan was credited with songwriting.
Keyboard
player Andy Bown
and saxophonist Stewart Blandamer both played on "Forty-Five Hundred Times". This was Bown's first appearance on a Status Quo album, although he would guest on most subsequent releases, and become a permanent member of the line-up a few years later.
1973 began for the band in February when their old record company Pye
, following the group's success for their new label in 1972, decided to release a single from their 1971 album Dog of Two Head
. The single, Rossi and Young's "Mean Girl" reached #20 upon its release. It was backed by the Rossi/Parfitt composition "Everything", taken from the band's 1970 album Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon
.
In August 1973 the only single from the album, Rossi and Young's "Caroline" was released, reaching #5. This was the group's first single to reach the UK top five. Its B-side was a non-album track called "Joanne", written by Alan Lancaster and Rick Parfitt.
The 8-track album was released in September the same year. It became the most successful album the band had ever released. Initial copies of the record on vinyl
came with a large black and white poster of the group. Of the 8 tracks on the album, only 6 of them were new. "Caroline" had already been heard by the public due to its single release, whereas "Softer Ride" had served as the b-side to the band's "Paper Plane" single from their previous album Piledriver.
No other singles were issued from the album, although a live version of "Roll Over Lay Down" appeared on a three-track EP released in May 1975, which reached No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart
.
This was the band's first album to feature the band's name written in the now-familiar font used on most subsequent album covers.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, Status Quo. Released in September 1973, it was the first of four Quo albums to top the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, as well as their first album on which all tracks
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
had been written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by the group
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
themselves. (Bob Young
Bob Young (artist)
Robert Keith Young is an English musician and author, who became famous for being the unofficial fifth member of the rock band Status Quo.- Collaborations with Status Quo :...
was not an official member, but the group's roadie
Road crew
The road crew are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians...
and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player, as well as co-writer, primarily with Francis Rossi
Francis Rossi
Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE is a British musician best known for being a co-founder of the English rock band Status Quo, in which he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar.- Career :...
, of several songs throughout their career). It was also the first Quo album on which drummer John Coghlan was credited with songwriting.
Keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player Andy Bown
Andy Bown
Andy Bown is an English musician, who has specialised in keyboards and bass guitar. He is a member of the rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
and saxophonist Stewart Blandamer both played on "Forty-Five Hundred Times". This was Bown's first appearance on a Status Quo album, although he would guest on most subsequent releases, and become a permanent member of the line-up a few years later.
1973 began for the band in February when their old record company Pye
Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
, following the group's success for their new label in 1972, decided to release a single from their 1971 album Dog of Two Head
Dog Of Two Head
Dog of Two Head is a 1971 rock album by Status Quo released by Pye Records, their fourth studio album. At the time of recording, the band consisted of Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan....
. The single, Rossi and Young's "Mean Girl" reached #20 upon its release. It was backed by the Rossi/Parfitt composition "Everything", taken from the band's 1970 album Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon
Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon
Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon is the third album by English rock band Status Quo. It was the first album by the band to leave behind their early psychedelic sound and begin experimenting with the hard rock style which remains their signature sound....
.
In August 1973 the only single from the album, Rossi and Young's "Caroline" was released, reaching #5. This was the group's first single to reach the UK top five. Its B-side was a non-album track called "Joanne", written by Alan Lancaster and Rick Parfitt.
The 8-track album was released in September the same year. It became the most successful album the band had ever released. Initial copies of the record on vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
came with a large black and white poster of the group. Of the 8 tracks on the album, only 6 of them were new. "Caroline" had already been heard by the public due to its single release, whereas "Softer Ride" had served as the b-side to the band's "Paper Plane" single from their previous album Piledriver.
No other singles were issued from the album, although a live version of "Roll Over Lay Down" appeared on a three-track EP released in May 1975, which reached No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
This was the band's first album to feature the band's name written in the now-familiar font used on most subsequent album covers.
Track listing
- "Roll Over Lay Down" (RossiFrancis RossiFrancis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE is a British musician best known for being a co-founder of the English rock band Status Quo, in which he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar.- Career :...
/ParfittRick ParfittRichard John Parfitt, OBE is best known for being a singer and the rhythm guitarist in the English rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
/LancasterAlan LancasterAlan Lancaster is a bassist and a founding ex-member of the English rock band, Status Quo...
/CoghlanJohn Coghlan (drummer)John Robert Coghlan was an original member of the English rock band, Status Quo.The son of a Glasgow-born father and a London born half-French mother, Coghlan grew up in Dulwich, and was educated at Kingsdale Comprehensive school until leaving school at 15 to begin an apprenticeship as a...
/YoungBob Young (artist)Robert Keith Young is an English musician and author, who became famous for being the unofficial fifth member of the rock band Status Quo.- Collaborations with Status Quo :...
) - 5:45 - "Claudie" (Rossi/Young) - 4:06
- "A Reason for Living" (Rossi/Parfitt) - 3:46
- "Blue Eyed Lady" (Parfitt/Lancaster) - 3:54
- "CarolineCaroline (song)"Caroline" is a single released by the British Rock band Status Quo in 1973. It was included on the album Hello!.It was written by Bob Young and Francis Rossi on a table napkin in the dining room of a hotel in Perranporth, Cornwall, in 1970. Initially a slower piece, it became their first top 5...
" (Rossi/Young) - 4:18 - "Softer Ride" (Parfitt/Lancaster) - 4:02
- "And It's Better Now" (Rossi/Young) - 3:20
- "Forty-Five Hundred Times" (Rossi/Parfitt) - 9:53
2005 reissue bonus track
- "Joanne" (Parfitt/Lancaster) - 4:06 >>originally the B-side of Caroline
Personnel
- Francis RossiFrancis RossiFrancis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE is a British musician best known for being a co-founder of the English rock band Status Quo, in which he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar.- Career :...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Rick ParfittRick ParfittRichard John Parfitt, OBE is best known for being a singer and the rhythm guitarist in the English rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
- guitar, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Alan LancasterAlan LancasterAlan Lancaster is a bassist and a founding ex-member of the English rock band, Status Quo...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - John CoghlanJohn Coghlan (drummer)John Robert Coghlan was an original member of the English rock band, Status Quo.The son of a Glasgow-born father and a London born half-French mother, Coghlan grew up in Dulwich, and was educated at Kingsdale Comprehensive school until leaving school at 15 to begin an apprenticeship as a...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....