Status Quo are a British rock group best known in their home country for their heads-down 12-bar boogie rock which they have played since the 1970s. They enjoyed 22 Top 10 hits in the UK between 1968 and 1990, including one chart-topper in 1974's "Down Down." Their biggest American hit was the psychedelic "Pictures Of Matchstick Men," which reached #12 in 1968.
The origins of Status Quo lie in a group called The Scorpions, who were formed in 1962 by vocalist Francis Rossi and bassist Alan Lancaster at Sedgehill Comprehensive School, Catford, SE London, along with classmates drummer Alan Key and keyboardist Jess Jaworski. The Scorpions' first gig was at the Samuel Jones Sports Club in Dulwich, London in 1963. The band's whole set at that time consisted entirely of cover versions.
The band changed name to The Spectres in 1963 and began writing their own songs. It was Lancaster who originally started writing his own material - His first composition was a ditty called "You are My Girl." The Spectres signed a five-year deal with Piccadilly Records in July 1966 and released three singles, which all failed to make an impact on the charts
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