Caroline (Status Quo song)
| "Caroline" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Status Quo | ||||
| from the album Hello! | ||||
| B-side | "Joanne" | |||
| Released | 31 August 1973 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:43 | |||
| Label | Vertigo | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Francis Rossi, Bob Young | |||
| Producer(s) | Status Quo | |||
| Status Quo singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Caroline" on YouTube | ||||
| Status Quo singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Caroline" is a single released by the British rock band Status Quo in 1973. It was included on the band's 1973 album Hello![3]
Background and release[edit]
The song was written by band leader Francis Rossi and roadie / harmonica player Bob Young on a table napkin in the dining room of a hotel in Perranporth, Cornwall, in 1971. A demo was cut with Rossi playing guitar and bass, with Terry Williams on drums. The group changed the arrangement from a slow blues song, doubling the tempo, and recorded it mostly live using their stage gear and amplifiers.[4] On the single release, the song fades out, while the album version is about thirty seconds longer and has a conclusive ending.
The song became one of the opening numbers in Quo's live setlist for over 25 years.[4] It was the second number played at their Live Aid gig in 1985[5] and it inspired Apollo 440's 1999 single "Stop the Rock".[6]
The song was reprised, in 2014, for the band's thirty-first studio album Aquostic (Stripped Bare). It was featured in the ninety-minute launch performance of the album at London's Roundhouse on 22 October, the concert being recorded and broadcast live by BBC Radio 2 as part of their In Concert series.[7][8]
Singles[edit]
- 1973: "Caroline" (Rossi/Young) (3.43) / "Joanne" (Lancaster) (4.06) 45 rpm Vinyl 7", Vertigo / 6059 085 Germany, United Kingdom
- 1985: "Caroline" / "Down Down" 45 rpm Vinyl 7", Old Gold / OG 9566 United Kingdom
Album tracks[edit]
- 1973, on the vinyl album Hello! - track 5, 4:16.[3]
- 2014, on the album Aquostic (Stripped Bare), track 8, 3:13 (acoustic version)
- 2015, on the CD album Hello!, CD1, track 5, 4:16; the 2015 re-issue bonus disc has four different versions: original demo fast, original demo slow, mono version and stereo version.
Charts[edit]
Original release[edit]
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles (Kent Music Report)[9] | 31 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[10] | 49 |
| French Singles (SNEP)[11] | 63 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[12] | 36 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[13] | 11 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[14] | 5 |
Live version[edit]
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[15] | 12 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[16] | 13 |
Certifications[edit]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[17] | Silver | 250,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References[edit]
- ^ "Hello! - Status Quo". AllMusic.
- ^ https://returnofrock.com/status-quo-songs-ranked/
- ^ a b "Status Quo discography". statusquo.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
- ^ a b "How we made: Caroline - Status Quo". The Guardian. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ Caroline (Live Aid 1985) on YouTube
- ^ Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). The Complete Book of the British Charts. London: Omnibus Press. p. 75. ISBN 1-84449-058-0.
- ^ "Status Quo Concert Setlist at Roundhouse, London on October 22, 2014 - setlist.fm". setlist.fm. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ "Status Quo - Acoustic". Radio 2 In Concert. BBC. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Status Quo – Caroline" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "Le Détail des Chansons de chaque Artiste – S". Infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2012. Select Status Quo from the menu, then press OK.
- ^ "Status Quo – Caroline" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Caroline". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Caroline (Live)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ "British single certifications – Status Quo – Caroline". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
