2. Interview with Bob Young (2.1.2005)
1.:
Talking about the recording sessions for the QUO albums in the past.
Obviously there were more songs recorded than were finally issued on the albums
would you agree and will they ever be released? And can you tell us more about
the song "Didn't have to lie" from the Whatever You Want-sessions? (Dave Oxley
mentioned in his book "Rockers Rollin")
2.: Is there any possibility of a Status Quo concert with Bob Young on stage?
3.: Wouldn't it be great if Bob was given the task of putting together THE
live DVD compilation of QUO's history - they could start with all the late 60's
early 70's live TV performances and then go on with live footage Marquee Club
late 72 /early 73, Empire Pool NYE 1975, Stafford Bingley Hall 1977 ?
4.: Are you in contact with Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan? And how about a
release of all the stuff done together John Coghlanss Diesel?
5.: 5. How come that you appeared on the Georgia Satellites album "In the land of salvation and sin"?
6.: On the new re-released album "Ma Kellyss Greasy Spoon" track 19 "Need
your love" (BBC session) there is a strange voice singing? Is it you who is singing and is this version which appeared on a mexican E.P. credited to you?
7.: In various reports and books it is told that in the late 60ss the band
had to play those poppy songs that the record company wanted, but the band
itself wanted to do a different kind of music. A music which the band did on
rehearsing etc. Obviously there were songs written or played live much earlier than
they were issued on an album. For example "Caroline" or on one bootleg of 1970
there is a 32 minutes version of "Gotta go home" showing sequences of "4500
Times". In Dave Oxleys book we learned that "Bye bye Johnny" was played live
from the beginning of the 70's but its album entry was much later in 1975.Tell
us more about how the musical direction came to surface and how it changed.
8.: There is the song "Gerdundula" credited to Manston/James which we know
was no other than Francis and you. This song was written in Bielefeld/Germany
and is out of the names Gerd and Ula who were 2 german fans and they say the
song is dedicated to them. Can you tell us more about these two fans who must
have been very devoted and how it came to this song?
9.: 9.Are there any plans in the pipeline for a solo project with Francis? Maybe
after the rigours of 2005.
10.: . Any there plans for a real archive DVD box-set release..?
11.: Tell us something about the songwriting process between you and Francis.
Who comes up with what and in which order? What instruments are involved?
Basically, how the hell do you guys write such good stuff.
12.: How much input will you have on the re-mastered CDs? And will we ever
hear
the full length Rossi/Young demos anytime?
13.: What do you think is the best song you ever (co)wrote for Quo? (and do
you think Bernie Frost did as good a job as yourself?)
14. : What are your plans for Relish, the Irish band you've signed to your
management label?
15.: Is there any plan to publish a book compiling all the Quo stuff you have
accumulated over the years such as passes, merchandise, unpublished photos,
contracts, memorabilia etc.
(Questions by many fans mainly from the Message board - thanks to Günter Röder for the connection to Bob Young.)
Bob Young: Generally speaking there were not too many additional songs recorded when
making the albums. Of course there were different takes of each song which
will have never been heard before. I'm sure that any 'extra' songs recorded will
eventually be released in some form or another but more so as a general
interest in unheard Quo material (if they can be found...)
I have no recollection of the song 'Didn't Have To Lie'. I'll have to ask
Francis to remind me about that one...
Bob Young: Never say never. Maybe next year during the 40th Anniversary Tour they
might let me jump on stage for a quick rendition of 'Roadhouse Blues'. Who
knows....
Bob Young: That's quite a good idea. An all 'live' DVD could be interesting. I'll
mention it to Simon Porter. As you know the XS All Areas 'Greatest Hits' DVD was
recently released and has been doing exceptionally well. It went to Number 2
in the DVD charts just behind Oasis and ahead of Robbie Williams, Guns n'
Roses, Led Zeppelin and the Eagles.
Bob Young: I haven't spoken to Alan for over a year. In fact the last time was a
brief phone conversation we had Christmas 2003 when my wife and I were in
Australia and New Zealand on holiday.
John usually keeps in touch and has called a few times this year as he's been
working on his biography. He rang initially to ask me if I could remember
some of the things he did in the 70's.....The book came out in November and is
called 'Coghlan and Quo' and is written by Steve Myatt who also talked to myself
and Andy Bown amongst others. I've read it and its very good with no negative
bad feelings from John and very different to Francis and Rick's new
autobiography 'XS All Areas' which is doing incredibly well. '
XS..' is a really good book not only for Quo fans but for anyone interested
in things that can happen when a band has been together for 40 years.
The Diesel Band album which was recorded in Sweden a few years ago I listened
to again the other day and is actually very good so maybe its time it was
released. I'm surpised it hasn't been bootlegged yet....
Bob Young: The Satellites were always big Quo fans and we became friends when they
first came over to England on tour and we kept in touch over the years.
Bob Young: Yes I'm sorry to have to admit it is me singing on this track. I seem to
remember doing it as a guide vocal while the band recorded the backing track
and Francis (I think it was) then recorded the 'real' vocal afterwards although
somehow or other this version managed to escape. I guess I hoped nobody would
ever find it. It's pretty crap isn't it. Oh well....
I'm not aware of the Mexican version.
Bob Young: When 'Matchstick Men' became a hit in 1968 the clothes and image was all
part of the package. They were a part of the fickle Pop era and many artists
had no-where else to go particularly once the hits started to dry up. Quo began
to write and play the music which they felt most natural with and to wear
their every day clothes instead of dressing up and pretending to be something
which they were not. It got very tough to make a living but it seemed nothing was
going to stop them becoming successful with credibility. Changing Record
Labels from Pye to Vertigo was an important piece of the jigsaw as was the change
of management at the time. I just happened to be in the right place at the
right time when I first met the band in 68' and happy to have made a
contribution to their progress and development.
Bob Young: We got to know Gerd and his lovely girlfriend Ula around 1969/70 when we
used to tour Germany for many weeks at a time. It seemed like we were always
over there playing in very small clubs and bars. In England it was difficult to
get much work as the old pop image was difficult to shake off and the German
audiences didn't really know to so much about the band's musical history and
seemed to accept the very rough and raw music which had evolved. It was these
seemingly endless trips over to Germany which really helped the band to improve
their earlier music and live performances.
Bob Young: My guess is that Francis will do a solo album in 2006 if the time allows.
We've written about 50 new song in the past couple of years and only about 25%
of those have been used for Quo recordings. We also have a lot more started
which we'll hopefully get finished this year so by 2006 we'll have a lot to
choose from for Francis' solo album.
Bob Young: No plans at present but I'm sure there will be in the future.
Bob Young: The process is very simple and has never really changed too much. We just
sit together in his music room. He plays guitar while we both try out new
ideas or work on old ones which we've had lying around for some time. We always
record them on to a very basic, old cassette recorder and certain things will
quite naturally begin to work and others we just keep for a later date.We
might have a few lyric ideas which we both write down in our own lyric books.
When we think we have enough good things started we then go into the recording
studio in the house with Francis' son Nicholas who acts as both engineer and
bass player while we record the new demos. We usually finish off the lyrics
together when the backing track is recorded and we have definitive formats to the
songs. Some songs feel like they could be right for Quo and others will be kept
for Francis solo album or for covers with other artists.
Bob Young: I'll leave the re-mastering to the experts. Maybe in a couple of years
Francis and I might decide to release the demos on CD. We're very pleased with
the way they've been recorded. Very raw and quite basic. Some of them remind me
very much of the sounds of the 'Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon' album.
Bob Young: Best song is difficult as many of them have special memories. For instance
'Down Down' being the first number one. 'Caroline' when we wrote it on
holiday in 1970 I think it was. 'NaNaNa' so simple and basic. 'Never Say Never' very
Quo and one of the new batch of songs Francis and I wrote after we got
together again 4 years ago. From the songs I wrote with Rick my favourites are
'Mystery Song' and 'Living On An Island'. It's impossible for me to pick a best
ever co-written Quo song.
Bernie and I have very different writing styles. He and Francis wrote some
excellent songs.
Bob Young: I actually co-manage two Irish bands, Relish (www.relishmusic.com) and
Leya (www.leya.co.uk). Coincidentally they are both from Belfast. Relish are in
the studio recording their third album and Leya are currently recording their
first album. They are both quite different musically but have excellent songs
and great live performances. They'll be touring after the Summer when the
albums are finished and released.
Bob Young: Yes I've been talking recently to Simon Porter and Francis and Rick and
we're hoping to have a book like this ready before the end of 2005.