BLOG 78 7th August 2012

Back again and Jurgen Adametz is back from his family holiday in Croatia and chasing me now to send him over everything he needs to do the monthly update of my website.

July and August in the music industry is often the time when many take their summer breaks and so it’s actually been a reasonably quiet past four or five weeks which is quite pleasant. Last month I managed to get eight days away in Majorca with family and friends, staying at the beautiful villa in Port Andrax of our very good buddies Ray and Gwen Jenkins. The weather was great and as much as I love England the rain over the past few weeks has been quite miserable so I was very happy to get away although I’m pleased it’s cleared up a lot now that the splendid Olympic Games 2012 has started. And what a brilliant first week the Brits have had and I get the feeling it’s lifted the spirits of the whole nation which, let’s face it, has been going through a pretty tough year or two along with most of the rest of the world. Maybe it’s a positive mini turning point for a lot of people. Let’s hope so.

I’m sure many of you reading this will be aware of Australia’s Coles Supermarkets ads featuring Status Quo’s classic song ‘Down Down’ which I’ve always been proud to have written it with Francis forty years ago in 1972. The TV and radio ad has been running over there for a very long time and has just started its third year. Maybe you’ve also seen the very funny YouTube ads created by Coles and featuring all of the Quo members performing the song with amended lyrics and filmed in Abbey Road Studios in London (re-recorded in Francis’ studio) Rick Parfitt and Francis What this Ad does is highlight the fact that the band has never lost it’s sense of humor and fun that has played an important role in the half a century of rock and roll since Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster started the band at school. You can also watch it on the Quo website www.statusquo.co.uk

My sister Jane and her husband Simon who live in Sydney came to visit us last month following the several weeks they’ve just spent on their friends ocean going yacht sailing in the Mediterranean. They’re now talking about doing a four months sail across the Atlantic Ocean. I’ll try and dig out some photos off their Facebooks.

My good friend Maksim, the Croatian classical pianist, emailed me recently to ask if I would go with him to China in a few months when he does his next big tour. I’m quite sure I’ll do it as it’ll be a chance to meet up again with many of the good friends I’ve made over there in my previous several visits. And also importantly it’s always a lot of fun travelling and touring with such a big superstar that he is particularly in Asia and Japan.

Before China though I’ll be heading over to Australia to stay with Ciaran Gribbin and his wife and also visit some business associates and a few of the many good friends and family I have over there. Ciaran, who I’ve managed for ten years as you’ll know from my website, is the singer and songwriter with the legendary Oz band INXS. I’ll also certainly be meeting up again in Sydney with Quo’s original bass player Alan Lancaster. We usually chat on Skype a couple of times a week but good to see him and his wife Dayle in their lovely home over there.

A friend of mine is the manager of a brilliant UK band called Will And The People and if you get a chance do check them out. Excellent songs and building up a really strong live following around the world www.willandthepeople.com/ Take a look at their brilliant performance at this years Pink Pop Festival in Holland ...watch the video

The Status Quo action/drama/comedy movie ‘Bula Quo’ is all being put together in edit which is going to take a few more months and I’m really looking forward to the finished film which includes not only many Quo classic songs but also many new ones written especially for it. Filmed on location in Fiji it’s going to look stunning.

The Quo documentary film ‘Hello Quo’ written and directed by Alan G. Parker and charting the fifty years of the band since starting at school, is also almost finished and will be a must see for not only the harder core fans of the band but also anyone interested in checking out the bands amazing journey and what it’s taken to get them this far. It also includes the Quo Frantic Four Francis, Alan, Rick and John getting together for the first time in thirty years and playing /jamming together. Very special moment and a privilege to have been in the room while it was all taking place and being filmed.

It’s been great to have the new Quo single ‘The Winner’ do so well on radio having just spent three weeks on Radio 2’s ‘B’ List and another four weeks on it’s ‘A’ List.

So time to get all the other bits together and off to Jurgen to get my web site up to date in the next few days.

Catch you all soon.
Cheers
Bob x