Art for art’s sake, hit singles for fuck’s sake. Me and Bob Young in 1976. We co-wrote five hit singles for Quo in the early seventies – then didn’t speak for twenty years. We are friends again now and writing together again. (Status Quo Archives)
The Frantic Three: me, Rick and Alan when we were kings. (Fin Costello/ Redferns/Getty Images)
Being interviewed somewhere on the road in the seventies. I seem to be the only one talking. Funny that … (Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
Rocking all over the Wall. Berlin, circa 1977. Left to right: John, me, Alan, Andy Bown and Rick. (Bob Young)
Portrait of the artist as a young dog – of two head. (You can tell how much I like this picture by the fact I’m not comfortable giving it a proper caption.) (Michael Putland/Getty Images)
One of our 106 appearances on Top of the Pops – more than any act in the show’s history. No wonder I can’t remember which one this was. Sometime in the early nineties … maybe.
(John Jefford/BBC Photo Library)
Celebrating being awarded the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to the British Music Industry at the 1991 Brits. Left to right: Rick, Roger Daltrey from The Who, Andy Bown, me, John Edwards. We later ripped those suits off to reveal T-shirts and jeans underneath. You can take the boy out of Forest Hill …
(Status Quo Archives)
(Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images)
When we released Don’t Stop: 30th Anniversary Album in 1996 it was our biggest hit for years. It was a fun album to make, featuring various friends. Queen’s Brian May guested on our version of Buddy Holly’s ‘Raining In My Heart’. Then there’s us with the Beach Boys, performing the single from the album, our version of their classic ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’.
(Brian Rasic/Getty Images)
Rick and I receiving our OBEs in 2010. It might not sound very rock’n’roll but we were both tickled pink to meet the Queen. Amazing how far three chords can take you. (John Stillwell-WPA Pool/Getty)
Outside the Rovers Return on the Coronation Street set in 2005. That’s Sam Aston on our shoulders. He played Chesney Brown, the tearaway stepson of Les Battersby – who me and Rick ended up chinning in the episode. I still love playing the theme tune to Corrie on my acoustic guitar. Such beautiful chords. (Matt Roberts/PA Archive/PA Images)
Face-off. At Madame Tussaud’s Rock Circus in 1991. I like my wax head. It’s got more hair. (Francis Rossi)
In the army now. (Steve Parsons/PA Archive/PA Images)
Rick and I at the Leicester Square premiere of Bula Quo! with some of the players from the movie. That’s the lovely Laura Aikman in the middle. (Ian West/PA Archive/PA Images)
Glastonbury 2009. Everybody kept telling us how great it was to play Glastonbury. When we got there we found out they were right! (Christie Goodwin/Redferns via Getty Images)
Onstage during the Aquostic tour. My driver, who has been with me for years, said to me: ‘I never knew you could play acoustic guitar.’ (Christie Goodwin/Redferns via Getty Images)
The aptly named Frantic Four. It was fun getting back with the original foursome while it lasted. Thankfully it didn’t last too long.
(Christian Behring/Geisler-Fotopr/DPA/PA Images)
(Kevin Nixon/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Onstage with Quo’s newest member, Richie Malone. Rick sent Richie a note after he joined, saying: ‘You’re the one!’
(Brian Rasic/WireImage/Getty Images)
Me and Rick in 1983. I was already thinking about leaving Quo. But not for long …
(Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Me and Rick onstage during one of the last shows he ever did with us in 2016.
(David Jensen/PA Archive/PA Images)
The Rossi clan at the Bula Quo! premiere. Left to right: Simon, Nicholas, Kieran, Bernadette, Francis, Eileen, Kiera, Fynn, Fursey and Patrick. (Francis Rossi)
I love this shot from 2015, mainly because it proves what I’ve been saying for years: that I always photograph better from the back. (Christie Goodwin/Redferns via Getty Images)
Table of Contents
Copyright
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1: You Talk Funny!
Chapter 2: Happy Campers
Chapter 3: Matchstick Men
Chapter 4: Three Grand Deutsche Car
Chapter 5: Get Down!
Chapter 6: An Offer You Can’t Refuse
Chapter 7: Runny Nosin’
Chapter 8: Twelve O’clock in London
Chapter 9: Army of Two
Chapter 10: Deeper and Down
Chapter 11: Davey Rock It
Chapter 12: The Double Act
Chapter 13: Here We Are and Here We Go
Picture Sections
I Talk Too Much Page 30