Live! | ||||
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Live album by | ||||
Released | 4 March 1977 [1] | |||
Recorded | 27–29 October 1976 | |||
Venue | Apollo Theatre, Glasgow | |||
Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal | |||
Length | 92:14 | |||
Label |
Vertigo (UK) Capitol (USA) | |||
Producer | Status Quo assisted by Damon Lyon-Shaw | |||
Status Quo chronology | ||||
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Live! is the first live album by British rock band Status Quo. The double album is an amalgam of performances at Glasgow's Apollo Theatre between 27 and 29 October 1976, recorded using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio.
Despite being ranked at #6 on Classic Rock's list of the 50 Greatest Live Albums Ever, [2] guitarist and singer Francis Rossi has described Live! as "the worst album we ever made", continuing, "I always thought we were better than that. Rick Parfitt and I were left to mix it, and we went through the recordings of the three nights we played, only to pick the first one." Parfitt disagreed, saying, "There are bits of the live album that still give me goosebumps." [3]
"Unlike every other live album from those days, there are absolutely no overdubs on that album. No going back and fixing the bum notes. Nothing other than what we actually put out there on stage at the time. We wanted to prove we weren't like the others: we weren't cheating. But every time I listen to it now, all I can hear are the mistakes. I sit here cringing, thinking, 'I wish we'd put fucking overdubs on.'" – Francis Rossi [4]
The album includes a typically extended version of " Forty Five Hundred Times". "The first part of the song was the song, but we'd make the extra bits up…" recalled Parfitt. "You'd just know when to get softer and then take it somewhere heavier. It was incredible. You'd be swept away by this rollercoaster of music. The only way to end it was to nod, 'Shall we finish it here?'" [5]
The original album included the full gig minus the crowd singing " You'll Never Walk Alone" before the encore, but swapped around to accommodate the running times of a double vinyl album. The USA release featured a different cover. The 2005 remaster by Tim Turan re-sequenced the concert in gig order. In 2014, a box set was released that included the live album plus two additional bonus discs. For this release (remastered by Andy Pearce), the original packaging was adapted to the CD format, and the tracklisting went back to the original vinyl order. The unreleased disc 4 "Australia '74" re-used the artwork of the US "Live!" release.
Side one
Side two
Side three
Side four
Originally Japan-only live album, recorded at Sunplaza Hall 1976. First international CD release.
Soundboard recording from Quo tour. A part of Roadhouse Blues is missing.
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia ( ARIA) [6] | 2× Platinum | 100,000^ |
France ( SNEP) [17] | Gold | 100,000* |
Germany ( BVMI) [18] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Netherlands ( NVPI) [19] | Gold | 25,000 [19] |
Switzerland ( IFPI Switzerland) [20] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom ( BPI) [21] | Gold | 100,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |