Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo

Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo is the debut studio album by the English rock band Status Quo, released in September 1968. It features a large number of covers, including "Green Tambourine" by The Lemon Pipers.

Background

The album's lead single was originally intended to be "Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Café", with the original Francis Rossi composition "Pictures of Matchstick Men" as the b-side, but these songs were eventually swapped round. It reached #7 in the UK, and remains the band's only major hit single in the US, where it reached #12. It also reached #8 in Canada. A second single, Rossi's "Black Veils of Melancholy" (with organist Roy Lynes' non-album track "To Be Free" as the b-side), flopped and has even been called "a carbon copy of "Pictures of Matchstick Men"". The third single, "Ice in the Sun", was written for the band by Marty Wilde and Ronnie Scott (not the jazz musician), with the Rossi/Parfitt composition "When My Mind Is Not Live" as the b-side. It reached #8 in the UK, and #29 in Canada.

The album itself was released on 27 September 1968, and failed to make the UK album charts. The band planned to release a fourth single from the album - "Technicolour Dreams" backed with the Wilde/Scott composition "Paradise Flat" - but this was withdrawn after a few days in favour of a non-album single release early the following year. The new single, Rossi and Parfitt's "Make Me Stay a Bit Longer", with bassist Alan Lancaster's "Auntie Nellie" as the b-side, was released on 31 January 1969. As well as getting the "thumbs up" from a majority of the record reviewers, this single was also something of a landmark for the group, as it would be their final release to credit them as "the" Status Quo.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

Track listing US Version

"Black Veils of Melancholy" (Francis Rossi) – 3:17
"When My Mind Is Not Live" (Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt) – 2:50
"Ice in the Sun" (Marty Wilde, Ronnie Scott) – 2:13
"Elizabeth Dreams" (Marty Wilde, Ronnie Scott) – 3:29
"Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Café" (Kenny Young) – 3:01
"Paradise Flat" (Marty Wilde, Ronnie Scott) – 3:13
"Technicolour Dreams" (Anthony King) – 2:54
"Spicks and Specks" (Barry Gibb) – 2:46
"Sunny Cellophane Skies" (Alan Lancaster) – 2:47
"Pictures of Matchstick Men" (Francis Rossi) – 3:13

Bonus Tracks UK Version

"Sheila" (Tommy Roe) – 1:56
"Green Tambourine" (Paul Leka, Shelley Pinz) – 2:19

1994 Japan Bonus Tracks

"To Be Free" (Roy Lynes) – 2:36 B-side

"Make Me Stay A Little Bit Longer" (Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt) – 2:54 A-side
"Auntie Nellie" (Alan Lancaster) – 3:20 B-Side
"Face Without Soul" (Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt) – 3:08
"Mr.Mind Detector" (Anthony King) – 4:01

"Antique Angelique" (Alan Lancaster, Kenny Young) – 3:23
"Little Miss Nothing" (Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt) – 3:01
"Are You Growing Tired Of My Love" (Anthony King) – 3:37

"I (Who Have Nothing)" (Carlo Donida, Mike Stoller, Jerome Leiber) – 3:01

"Hurdy Guardy Man" (Alan Lancaster, Pat Barlow) – 3:16

"(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet" (Mike Esposito, Ron Gilbert, Ralph Scala) – 2:18

"I Want It" (Roy Lynes, John Coghlan, Francis Rossi, Alan Lancaster) – 3:02

"Almost But Not Quite There" (Francis Rossi, Pat Barlow) – 2:46
"Wait Just A Minute" (Roy Lynes) – 2:14
"Tune To The Music" (Bob Young, Francis Rossi) 3:10

"2009 Deluxe edition"

disc one - mono LP
Track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Black Veils of Melancholy" (mono version)	3:17
2.	"When my Mind is not Alive" (mono version)	2:51
3.	"Ice in the Sun" (mono version)	2:13
4.	"Elizabeth Dreams" (mono version)	3:29
5.	"Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Café" (mono version)	3:02
6.	"Paradise Flat" (mono version)	3:13
7.	"Technicolour Dreams" (mono version)	2:54
8.	"Sheila" (mono version)	1:57
9.	"Spicks and Specks" (mono version)	2:46
10.	"Sunny Cellophone Skies" (mono version)	2:47
11.	"Green Tambourine" (mono version)	2:19
12.	"Pictures of Matchstick Men" (mono version)	3:14
13.	"to Be Free" (B-side)	2:38
14.	"Make me Stay a Bit Longer" (A-side)	2:56
15.	"Auntie Nellie" (B-Side)	3:22
16.	"interview with Brian Matthew" (BBC session)	1:08
17.	"Pictures of Matchstick Men" (BBC session)	3:13
18.	"Things Get Better (Al Jackson, Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper)" (BBC session)	2:11
19.	"Spicks and Specks" (BBC session)	2:48
20.	"Judy in Disguise (with Glasses) (Andrew Joseph Bernard, John Fred Gourrier)" (BBC session)	2:45
21.	"(another) interview" (BBC session)	1:19
22.	"Make me Stay a Bit Longer" (BBC session)	2:48

disc two - stereo LP remixed "Proper"
Track listing
No.	Title	Length
23.	"Black Veils of Melancholy" (stereo remix)	3:17
24.	"When my Mind is not Alive" (stereo remix)	3:03
25.	"Ice in the Sun" (stereo remix)	2:15
26.	"Elizabeth Dreams" (stereo remix)	3:49
27.	"Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Café" (stereo remix)	3:02
28.	"Paradise Flat" (stereo remix)	3:16
29.	"Technicolour Dreams" (stereo remix)	3:19
30.	"Sheila" (stereo remix)	1:58
31.	"Spicks and Specks" (stereo remix)	2:54
32.	"Sunny Cellophone Skies" (stereo remix)	2:49
33.	"Green Tambourine" (stereo remix)	2:21
34.	"Pictures of Matchstick Men" (stereo remix)	3:17
35.	"Auntie Nellie" (bonus track)	3:34
36.	"Gloria (Van Morrison)" (BBC session, the Spectres)	2:47
37.	"Interview with Francis Rossi" (BBC session, the Spectres)	0:49
38.	"I (who have Nothing)" (BBC session, the Spectres)	3:03
39.	"Neighbour, Neighbour (Alton Joseph Valier)" (BBC session, the Spectres)	2:39
40.	"I don't want You (Brian Potter, Pete Dello)" (BBC session, Traffic Jam)	2:34
41.	"Almost but not Quite There" (BBC session, Traffic Jam)	2:38
42.	"Spicks and Specks" (BBC session, Traffic Jam)	2:47
43.	"Gloria" (BBC session, the Status Quo)	2:43
44.	"interview with Alan Lancaster" (BBC session, the Status Quo)	1:01
45.	"Black Veils of Melancholy" (BBC session, the Status Quo)	3:14
46.	"Bloodhound (Larry Bright)" (BBC session, the Status Quo)	2:05

Personnel

Francis Rossi - vocals, lead guitar
Rick Parfitt - vocals, rhythm guitar
Alan Lancaster - bass guitar
John Coghlan - drums
Roy Lynes - vocals, organ

Status Quo

Francis Rossi Rick Parfitt Andy Bown John 'Rhino' Edwards Leon Cave Alan Lancaster Jess Jaworski Alan Key John Coghlan Roy Lynes Pete Kircher Jeff Rich Matt Letley

Studio albums (UK)	Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo Spare Parts Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon Dog of Two Head Piledriver Hello! Quo On the Level Blue for You Rockin' All Over the World If You Can't Stand the Heat... Whatever You Want Just Supposin' Never Too Late 1+9+8+2 Back to Back In the Army Now Ain't Complaining Perfect Remedy Rock 'til You Drop Thirsty Work Don't Stop Under the Influence Famous in the Last Century Heavy Traffic Riffs The Party Ain't Over Yet In Search of the Fourth Chord Quid Pro Quo Bula Quo! Aquostic (Stripped Bare) Aquostic II: That's a Fact!

UK Top 20 singles	"Pictures of Matchstick Men" "Ice in the Sun" "Down the Dustpipe" "Paper Plane" "Mean Girl" "Caroline" "Break the Rules" "Down Down" "Roll Over Lay Down" "Rain" "Mystery Song" "The Wild Side of Life" "Rockin' All Over the World" "Again and Again" "Whatever You Want" "Living on an Island" "What You're Proposing" "Lies" / "Don't Drive my Car" "Something 'Bout You Baby I Like" "Rock 'n' Roll" "Dear John" "Ol' Rag Blues" "A Mess of Blues" "Marguerita Time" "Going Down Town Tonight" "The Wanderer" "Rollin' Home" "Red Sky" "In the Army Now" "Dreamin'" "Ain't Complaining" "Running All Over the World" "Burning Bridges" "The Anniversary Waltz (Parts One and Two)" "Come On You Reds" "Jam Side Down" "You'll Come 'Round" "The Party Ain't Over Yet"

Other singles	"Black Veils of Melancholy" "Make Me Stay a Bit Longer" "Are You Growing Tired of My Love" "The Price of Love" "In My Chair" "Tune to the Music" "Gerdundula" "Rockers Rollin' / Hold You Back" "Accident Prone" "She Don't Fool Me" "Who Gets the Love?" "Not at All" "Little Dreamer" "Can't Give You More" "Rock 'til You Drop" "Roadhouse Medley" "I Didn't Mean It" "Sherri, Don't Fail Me Now!" "Restless" "When You Walk in the Room" "Fun Fun Fun" "Don't Stop" "All Around My Hat" "The Way It Goes" "Little White Lies" "Twenty Wild Horses" "Mony Mony" "Old Time Rock and Roll" "All Stand Up" "Thinking of You" "All That Counts Is Love" "Beginning of the End" "It's Christmas Time" "Jump That Rock (Whatever You Want)"

See also	Status Quo discography Bob Young

Book

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