interview


	FRANCIS ROSSI INTERVIEW La Cigale, Paris, France October 20, 2002. www.statusquo.fr.st
© Patrick Specht	Interview in english

INTRODUCTION: Bruno Ponchon (Quo France) : We are the webmasters of the French-language site dedicated to Status Quo. The site has been running since 1997, keeping French and French-speaking audiences up to date with news about your group.

As the Internet has developed, our site has become a meeting place and a forum for anyone interested in Status Quo, especially since we set up a dedicated newsgroup. With about 5,000 visitors each month, the site's success proves you still have a sizeable following in France. We would like to say a big thank you for agreeing to meet us.

Francis Rossi: It’s no problem. We’d like to do more in France. We did something in France last year (!) in…..I cant remember where it was . I forget………We did some really lovely shows and…and I like working in France . It is just that’s too much attractions. It’s worth in England for tax…

Eric Favé ( Quo France) : You've just released a new album, "Heavy Traffic", that is quite reminiscent of your early albums, with a more direct "live" sound. After the slicker production work on your records from the '90's, does this mark the start of a new cycle (leading on from UTI)?

Francis Rossi : A lot of it is to do with , I started working with Bob Young again , which is, he wrote a lot of the early songs, and once the band, and everybody heard those, whether it was a psychological thing , but everybody kinda got very enthusiastic , and we had the new drummer Matthew which made a lot of difference to the feel and vibe of the show and we also recorded in the studio which is very similar to how we recorded Piledriver album, there’s lots of overspill , there isn’t much recording technique and the band played together in a room and I think we kinda lost the plot for the last 5 or 10 years , we didn’t really know where we were going . And everything seems to have got very positive and very focused . And when people are positive and focused particularly on a positive thing or a vibe , positive breeds , positive and I think we’ve been thinking negative for the last 10 years , so negative breeds negative , and everything is very exciting at the moment. Watch out for indigestion…..

Bruno P : Francis, you're a truly prolific songwriter. With the return of Bob Young and a greater involvement by John Edwards, not to mention huge contributions from Andy and Rick, do you feel less pressure on your own shoulders when composing material for a new album?

Francis Rossi : No, I don’t . I never think of it that way ! I enjoyed writing songs. Once I start writing songs , particularly with Bob, it gets , as you say prolific , it starts , it’s like being sick ( miming throwing up…)once that one gone , everything flows , so you have to write the first song and then the first time you try to write the song for a new project I find it a bit….and then once the first one is done, the rest of them just follow , you’d write 2 or 3 a day , I think it’s very ,very exciting , very enjoyable . It’s just means , the best thing about it , it is that everybody got very positive about when they heard the songs that rob and I were doing . The others songs that were written started to sound more befitting to what we were looking for. As I said, it was a series of little things that made a difference to the album to be . Even, the contributions that everybody had to do with the cover, we argued about different things, changed things, changed this , changed that , and what happens is that everybody has a cover . Whether each individual is 100% happy . The point or the fact each individual had something to do with the cover, and so it makes everybody feel which we would like to feel part of a team . I don’t like to feel to dictate and so if we can all feel part of a team , it makes for a very happy camp . As I say, it’s very much a family outfit . The crew has been with us for 14 years , the person who has been with us the least is the woman that looks after us , she’s been with us for 5 years. It’s like a touring family outfit . When the band is positive, the crew feels positive , other than playing in places like this , there you are ..Life is hard….

Eric F : A new album is already due to hit the record shops in the next few weeks. "Rockin All Over The Riffs" …..interrupted by Rossi : " No, it’s gonna get move back "

Francis Rossi: Yes, deadly serious . I don’t want to do covers album . But we’re in a position to be with a company we wanted to be with , if it means they’re going to , which they did , , they wanted us to ,we were half way through the albums then they sort of suggested we do the covers album , if it means we have to do a covers album for to be a real album , then we can turn out a real album like this , then we will do that . But the problem being, there’s not enough music people left in the business , the MD of the record company at the end of the year , he wants to show his share holders that he’s made money . He cant say I’ve invested in a band which is going to happen in tow years, the share holders are not interested. They’re not music people . So we will do whatever it takes to keep STATUS QUO alive. I don’t care what people think , that they’ll prostitute themselves or not . If we can stay alive and we can make an album like HEAVY TRAFFIC , then we’ll do more !

But I have doing a covers album, even tough it’s quiet good, I still hate it …

Before the next question, Francis Rossi stood up and started to button up Bruno P’s shirts !

Bruno P: Yes , one on the top is the official QUOFRANCE white shirt with the logo on it and under it, I have a personal shirt showing all the gigs I attended since 1973 ..

Francis Rossi: ( looking at my tour dates in my back)..Oh, I see, very nice. Just one minute. It’s lot of work. Still 50 shows to do . Alright.

Francis Rossi : ( talking to people outside ) Are you alright ? No problems ? No bass wrap tonight ? Never mind, we’ve got an hour and 15 minutes. Short tonight, yeah, sorry !

Bruno P : The new single "All Stand Up" is less poppy than "Jam Side Down" - more typical of the album; is that why this track was chosen? Aren't you afraid it might be too heavy to get radio airplay?

Francis Rossi: Initially, we would probably gone with " All Stand up " and when we found this track from Terry Britten whose the studios that we used , and we heard the track, it was lovely, very nice, and then Mike Paxman, the producer said to Rick and I two days later : " Should we try this track ? " " Cause we are going to need something you know, if we had gone out with " All Stand Up " , radios would have said " It’s too hairy " . If we had not had had " Jam Side Down " . whereas " Jam Side Down " when we had it , it does not fit on the album , it sounds so tame compare to the rest of the album . and some of the fans don’t like it , it’s too poppy. But it got us into the charts, and it got us in radios in England, it meant that we got into the charts for the fifth decade …

Francis Rossi: Fuck’em ! So we do that but I would , I’m just not sure that " All Stand Up " is necessary radio friendly these days , I don’t know ! But I know that, it’s a very popular track. Very exciting, we’re almost trendy in England at the moment, it’s very strange.

Eric F : " A record critique on Amazon.com claimed your song "The Oriental" was racist...""

Bollocks. Rubbish . It’s very difficult . I understand and you can correct this. I don’t like racism but I can be going talking to that man later on and say : " I met two people today " I can’t say you were French, I can’t say you were men , I can’t say you had red hair , I can’t say you wore glasses , I can’t say you were gay , I can’t say you were straight , I can’t say you were attractive, I can’t say you were ugly . So I just say to him, I met two people and what does that tell him ? Fuck all !

But the song is about or ( drawing the shape of a woman in the air…)…They’re lovely , I could see a problem sort of that I hate the fucking Orientals , that would be a problem. I don’t really like Orientals, and Indians..

Bruno P : " The attitude of the British press appears to have shifted. The long-running "3 chords" jokes seem to be giving way to a certain respect for your career. How do you feel about the change? "

Francis Rossi : Well, because if you become fashionable, the next thing is definitely unfashionable. And we’ve always been unfashionable . I feel safe there. When you become trendy , it’s, you can, they can pass you by , it’s finished now . I got used to being unfashionable . I got used to the press being ( rude sound with his mouth ) ….but , hum ..They can’t ignore the album . There’s a guy read me something yesterday from a French guy that when Piledriver , Hello and those albums were out, he was not very flattering about us , he said they were not very good, and yet, the new album he just reviewed it saying how fantastic it is , cause it’s like our old albums but when our old albums were out , he did not like them !

So if he sees what people like , specially journalists , because journalists need to say something , they can’t just say things like lovely, fantastic album , they have to say something and usually negative, if I do this to him ( poking Eric) , protection reaction, look ! ( he pokes Eric again ) Eric recoils, let’s keep poking, there’s gonna be reaction , I don’t know if they keep poking STATUS QUO fans , they get reaction, they don’t get reaction for saying they’re great . STATUS QUO fans already think that .

Francis Rossi : It’s alright ! We just sorted the set out . We just got settled in. We’re already been out about 2 weeks on Tuesday and still 8 weeks to go .

Bruno P : " You played "Burning Bridges" as the opening number, then replaced it with "The Wanderer"; the four songs from Heavy Traffic are played back-to-back, "Juniors Wailing" put in an appearance…You seem to be having trouble settling on a set list this year… Do you take the audience's views into account, or do you adapt the set list to suit your own feelings? "

Francis Rossi : It’s always the same ! When we worked out the set at home. You’re writing out and what happens , what looks good on paper, and what sounds good at 11.00 am in the morning with no audience and then you play in front of an audience and you go : " oh ! that’s wrong ! " It has to flow . Something has to happen in the set until we try a few things and then suddenly about where the " Wanderer " is now , and put the 4 new ones together, the medley after that , it’s just , you know it’s something that anybody’s been in a band , they’re certain ways that has to flow , otherwise , you just play any numbers , anytime , anywhere . But for us , that does not work . It has to have this ( punching his heart) , something going in here, near me, , it gets quite exciting towards the end for us .

If it does not do that to us, we can’t do it to the audience . So until we got the set in the right order , well , we were very relaxed to put the " Wanderer" back in at second number where it’s been for a couple of years , and we worried about the opening " Caroline " but the alternative is just " Down Down " " Whatever You Want " or " Paperplane " we said: No..No…No..

…"Caroline" is just a great opening number ..We turned up with " Heavy Traffic " ….No…no…No…

what sounds good on a paper is not necessarily good in a gig. So I think we got it right now ! Sorry we’re doing a short set tonight ! sorry !!!!!!! However…

Francis Rossi: I’d like to do the " Oriental " and " Blues and Rhythm "..but for us as well , it’s not good as pretending we’re not where we are. If we come out to do all these songs, the audience say " Haaa! " . you cannot be where we are and not play your favourite tunes. It’s ridiculous ! I don’t trust people of my generation who say " I don’t want to do that anymore ! " It’s a bit silly . we cannot expect people , you know, we’ve been struggling since I was about 18 or before that, wanted to people to love you, to come and see you , to be famous, to follow you and then , when you do that , you saw ( he makes a funny face) ….It’s stupid ! We are STATUS QUO . We’ve got 4 new numbers at the moment which is more than we’ve ever done ( laugh) and we’ll get two more in on to Christmas, I hope, I hope. The " Oriental "…zsk..zsk.. It obsesses people …

Bruno P : " On the Heavy Traffic tour you played in shirts and black trousers. What have you done with those ol’ rag blue jeans you used to wear? "

Francis Rossi : ( Big laugh ) They’re in the water backstage . It was just something we went out with the new stage and something and somebody said " we could wear black jeans ! " why not !

We can’t do that ! we did it ! and everybody is comfortable and they’re the same jeans . they’re just black , they’re even the same model , they’re just black and it works on the stage at the moment . so I hope it just don’t upset too many people . I don’t really care to be honest with me !

Francis Rossi: I don’t know. We’re not in England yet. The British are funny . you know , you stood on your left foot and see…Don’t do that ! What ? They’re funny .

Eric F : " Tomorrow will be your 87th concert in France! The first one was back in 1973. Has there been a concert or event in France with special memories for you? "

Francis Rossi: All the tours we did in France , because in the 70’s , France was not as efficient as others places. And we would come into France and then go into Germany and France was always hard work. We had to travel and get on the road while the trucks stopped ………so you could not travel further then you could not get to eat anywhere so France was always very hard work. Good for touring, sometimes we went into Germany then came to France and it was very , very difficult . I’ve always liked the French audience . They’re kind of snobby , really, I suppose, you play a tune they like say " RAOTW " " WYW" and they say " YYEAaah ! " and then they stop and go : " What’s next ? " . Whereas most audiences , once you get them with a number , they like the next number a bit better than they would have done . The French don’t do that . " I love that now , Show me the next one ! " And so it makes you really work harder . It’s very good for discipline .

So I always liked working in France. Andrew and I used to love working in France. It’s such a big country but as I say for the moment , the tax makes it almost impossible , so you need to make twice as many shows as you would to make money. I like money, I’m sorry . I do. I love money . It’s very good .

Bruno P : " You're playing a 1,000-seater venue tomorrow, and the concert is sold out, but back in April, you were on stage at the Olympia. Do you prefer small, city-centre gigs, or do you relish the bigger crowds at out-of-town stadium concerts… or does that aspect not really matter to you?"

Francis Rossi: They said we could do 3 nights so what the fuck we are doing here ? I dont know !!!

I would rather play the Olympia , plus who ever bought the Olympia recently, they do up the front bit where the money comes in for the people . and whoever bought the Olympia has done up the backstage and it’s fantastic …And the stage is fantastic …So I’d much rather play there. I quite like that venue .

But over 25000 or 30000 , it’s difficult. And places like that ( La Cigale) it’s difficult..

Eric F : " You had been scheduled to do a record signing and show case at a big record shop in Paris this afternoon. Can you tell us why that has been cancelled? "

Francis Rossi : It was even smaller than this. No it was too small. Too small !!!!

Bruno P : "" Bruce Springsteen performed in Paris last Monday. What do you think of musicians who try to put out a social or political message? ""

I think some people think it’s expected of them. And I think some people feel they genuinely want to say something . I think some people think it’s good for their image but I think they’re in show business . however, we have said certain things over the years in certain ways about social, making social comments on…..That’s just what he does. Luckily, he sounds very commercial and I like the way he sounds , particularly his new album . I don’t really think people want to go on stage and see someone they love say ( singing) : " Your life is shit , you don’t get enough money , I’m fucking rich "". They know that . The audience know that life is shit . The audience know that the politicians are shitting on them . They already know this , that for me anyway to bring them in and make them pay money to come and see you to tell them that their life is shit…..I don’t …I’d rather take them out an we have fun for two hours…We don’t that way and we go and that way I get a hard on occasionally as well ….That’s good …Did I just say that ? """

Eric F: " Which musician or performer, living or dead, would you most like to work with? "

Jeff Lynne. I’ve known Jeff a long time. I just like everything he does , the bastard . I don’t care what he does. I like it so . I’m kind of blind of it , somewhat like the Everly Brothers, whatever they did …I…..and so Jeff Lynne…, he’s got , there’s a new George Harrison album coming out that he’s done . That I want

Anything he does, Ricardo and I both have everything he does. He’s fantastic…

Bruno P : " We conducted a survey, and it turns out that French Quo fans have more daughters called Caroline than the national average! Are you in any way responsible for this statistical anomaly? ""

Well ! I have children very easily so it could be possible yeah ! I’ve got a lot of children so they could be mine…. Na ! It’s just people like the name Caroline . It suits the french . I think . I don’t know any Caroline.

We would like to thank all people at Universal for making this interview possible.

Thank you to Quo’s management……and to the band, last but not least : Thank you for the Music…