Francis Rossi of Status Quo is baffled by the enduring popularity of the band, especially the song ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’.
Status Quo covered John Fogerty’s track in 1977 and though artists including Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and Bon Jovi have offered their take on the song over the years, the rockers’ version is viewed as the definitive one and remains one of their most popular anthems across the world.
Quo’s Francis Rossi said: “I don’t know why ours has become this classic ‘raaaawk’ song. We played Sweden Rock festival and all these people dressed head to toe in black were in front of the stage going, ‘This is great!’ I’m looking at them going, ‘What the fuck are you thinking?’…
“Fuck me, even my dental hygienist sent me something the other day to say they were all singing it at some wedding reception.”
Late guitarist Rick Parfitt has originally brought the track to their bandmates, who were sceptical.
Francis recalled: “It sounded a bid piddly, to be honest.
“But me and Rick used to joke that we could Quo-up anything with a guitar on it. So that’s what we did…
“Our old fans hated it. We had so much mail going, ‘What the fuck is this?’ But that song brought it loads more new fans.”
And Francis has particularly fond memories of kicking of Live Aid in 1985 with the song.
He told Classic Rock magazine: “Nobody wanted to go on first, so we went, ‘Fuck it, we’ll do it – get the fuck on, get the fuck off.’
“But when we started playing that song, there was a total sense of euphoria. Everything slotted in. The sense of love from the audience was something else.”
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