This band is still going strong nearly 50 years after their establishment in 1962; Status Quo contains one original member, lead guitarist Francis Rossi. In addition, guitarist Rick Parfitt, who played on today’s selection, is also with the band. The current line-up has remained fairly consistent since reforming in 1986. No longer with Status Quo are others who performed on the 1967 recording: bassist Alan Lancaster, keyboardist Roy Lynes, and drummer John Coughlin.
The term “matchstick men” came from the artwork of L.S. Lowry who often painted industrial scenes of Northern England with his characterization of the people being termed as “matchstick men and women.” There are actually two versions of the song – the mono single mix and the stereo album mix that appeared on their debut LP titled “Messages from The Status Quo featuring Pictures of Matchstick Men” in the US and “Picturesque Matchstickable: Messages from the Status Quo” in the UK
Besides the orientation (monaural vs. stereophonic), the differences between the single and album mixes can be heard on the single version. The single uses wah-wah pedal on the guitar between the verses and there is a prominent usage of tape flanging. While the flanging is present on the album mix, it is not as discernible.
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