The Early Years 1966-69 is a new 5CD box set that spotlights the early era of Status Quo.
This collection features songs from the pre-Quo days, as the first iterations of the bands that developed into Status Quo found their feet – and their sound – as well the first two Status Quo albums.
CD 1 starts with remastered mono versions of Quo’s first two albums, Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo and Spare Parts, from 1968 and 1969 respectively, remastered in both mono, while the second disc offers the same selection in remastered stereo.
CD 3 is dubbed ‘Before Quo’ and boasts recordings from The Spectres, who then became Traffic Jam, including A-sides, B-sides and BBC sessions. The fourth disc delivers a generous selection of A-Sides, B-Sides, demos and outtakes before the fifth and final disc completes the story of this era with 18 further tracks from various BBC radio sessions.
The discs are presented in a clamshell box and come with a 40-page booklet with extensive sleevenotes and loads of images of memorabilia from this era, drawn from the band’s own archive.
The Early Years (1966-1969) will be released on 15 March 2024 via BMG.
Tracklisting
-
-
CD 1: Picturesque & Spare Parts – Original Mono albums
Picturesque
- Black Veils Of Melancholy
- When My Mind Is Not Live
- Ice In The Sun
- Elizabeth Dreams
- Gentleman Joe’s Sidewalk Café
- Paradise Flat
- Technicolor Dreams
- Sheila
- Spicks And Specks
- Sunny Cellophane Skies
- Green Tambourine
- Pictures Of Matchstick Men
Spare Parts
- Face Without A Soul
- You’re Just What I Was Looking For Today
- Are You Growing Tired Of My Love
- Antique Angelique
- So Ends Another Life
- Poor Old Man
- Mr. Mind Detector
- The Clown
- Velvet Curtains
- Little Miss Nothing
- When I Awake
- Nothing At All
-
CD 2: Picturesque & Spare Parts – Stereo albums
Picturesque
- Black Veils Of Melancholy
- When My Mind Is Not Live
- Ice In The Sun
- Elizabeth Dreams
- Gentleman Joe’s Sidewalk Café
- Paradise Flat
- Technicolor Dreams
- Sheila
- Spicks And Specks
- Sunny Cellophane Skies
- Green Tambourine
- Pictures Of Matchstick Men
Spare Parts
- Face Without A Soul
- You’re Just What I Was Looking For Today
- Are You Growing Tired Of My Love
- Antique Angelique
- So Ends Another Life
- Poor Old Man
- Mr. Mind Detector
- The Clown
- Velvet Curtains
- Little Miss Nothing
- When I Awake
- Nothing At All
-
CD 3: Before Status Quo
The Spectres
- I (Who Have Nothing) (Single A-Side, 1966)
- Neighbour, Neighbour (Single B-side to ‘I (Who Have
Nothing)’) - Hurdy Gurdy Man (Single A-Side, 1966)
- (Her Name Was) Laticia (Single B-Side to ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’)
- (We Ain’t Got) Nothing Yet (Single A-Side, 1967)
- I Want It (Single B-Side – B-side to ‘(We Ain’t Got)
Nothing Yet’) - Spicks And Specks
- Walking With My Angel
- When He Passed You By
- Love In Vain
- Say That You Need Me
- Neighbour Neighbour (Alternate version)
- Gloria
(BBC Session, Saturday Club – 10/9/66) - Interview With Francis Rossi
(BBC Session, Saturday Club – 10/9/66) - I (Who Have Nothing)
(BBC Session, Saturday Club – 10/9/66) - Neighbour, Neighbour
(BBC Session, Saturday Club – 10/9/66) - Bloodhound
(BBC Session (Saturday Club – 10/9/66) - Bird Dog
(BBC Session, Saturday Club – 10/9/66)
Traffic Jam
- Almost But Not Quite There (Single A-Side, 1967)
- Wait Just A Minute (Single B-Side to ‘Almost But Not
Quite There’) - I Don’t Want You
(BBC Session, Saturday Club – 24/6/67) - Almost But Not Quite There
(BBC Session, Saturday Club – 24/6/67) - It Takes Two
(BBC Session, Saturday Club – 24/6/67) - Spicks And Specks
(BBC Session, Saturday Club – 24/6/67)
-
CD 4: A-Sides, B-Sides, Demos & Outtakes
- To Be Free (B-Side of ‘Black Veils Of Melancholy’ –
Mono – non album B-side) - Make Me Stay a Bit Longer (Single A-Side, 1969 – non
album single) - Auntie Nellie (B-Side – Mono – B-side to ‘Make Me
Stay A Bit Longer’) - Are You Growing Tired Of My Love (Single A-Side,
1969) - The Price Of Love (Single A-Side, 1969)
- Little Miss Nothing (B-Side to ‘The Of Love’)
- Nothing At All (Demo Excerpt)
- Josie (From Spare Parts sessions)
- Do You Live In Fire (From Spare Parts sessions)
- Pictures Of Matchstick Men (Mix Of An Alternate
Version) - Paradise Flats (Alt Version remixed in stereo by Mike
Brown for 1998 remaster) - Hey Little Woman (You’re Just What I Was Looking For Today) (Alternate version)
- The Price Of Love (Alternate version)
- Auntie Nellie (Stereo remix of B-side to ‘Make Me Stay A Bit Longer’, 1969)
- Josie (Alternate mix)
- Pictures Of Matchstick Men (Mix of Alternate Version)
- To Be Free (B-Side of ‘Black Veils Of Melancholy’ –
-
CD 5: BBC In Session, 1968-1969
- Spicks And Specks
(David Symonds – rec. 16/1/68, transm. 22/1/68) - Judy In Disguise
(David Symonds – rec. 16/1/68, transm. 22/1/68) - Pictures Of Matchstick Men
(David Symonds – rec. 16/1/68, transm. 22/1/68) - Interview With Brian Matthew
(Saturday Club – rec. 13/2/68, transm. 17/2/68) - Pictures Of Matchstick Men
(Saturday Club – rec. 13/2/68, transm. 17/2/68) - Things Get Better
(Saturday Club – rec. 13/2/68, transm. 17/2/68) - Gloria
(David Symonds – rec. 29/3/68) - Interview With Alan Lancaster
(David Symonds – rec. 29/3/68) - Black Veils Of Melancholy
(David Symonds – rec. 29/3/68) - Bloodhound
(David Symonds – rec. 29/3/68) - Ice In The Sun
(Saturday Club – rec. 30/7/68) - When My Mind Is Not Live
(Saturday Club – rec. 30/7/68) - Paradise Flats
(Saturday Club – rec. 30/7/68) - Interview
(Symonds on Sunday – rec. 27/1/69) - Make Me Stay A Bit Longer
(Symonds on Sunday – rec. 27/1/69) - Are You Growing Tired Of My Love
(Symonds on Sunday – rec. 27/1/69) - The Price Of Love
(Symonds on Sunday – rec. 27/1/69) - The Price Of Love
(Symonds on Sunday – rec. 31/3/69)
- Spicks And Specks
-
CD 1: Picturesque & Spare Parts – Original Mono albums
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.