Artist: STATUS QUO
Album: BACK TO BACK REMASTERED (CD)

Release date: 1983/ 2006
Media type: CD

Back To Back is an album by English rock band Status Quo and released in November 1983. For the first time in the group's history, it featured four singles, "Ol' Rag Blues" (highest position No. 9), "A Mess Of Blues", originally a hit for Elvis Presley (No. 15), "Marguerita Time" (No. 3), and "Going Down Town Tonight" (No. 20). The album entered the UK chart at its highest position of No. 9.

It was the last recorded before the group temporarily disbanded in 1984, and therefore the last to feature original bass guitarist Alan Lancaster and drummer Pete Kircher. Lancaster co-wrote the first single, "Ol' Rag Blues", and was angered when the production company declined to release the version featuring his lead vocal (which has since been made available as a bonus track on the 2005 remastered reissue), in preference to that featuring the voice of Francis Rossi. He also made no secret of his dislike of "Marguerita Time", which he thought was too pop-orientated for the group. When they appeared on BBC's Top of the Pops to mime to the single, his place was taken by Jim Lea of Slade, who were also on the programme that week.

TRACKLIST:

"A Mess of Blues" (Pomus/Shuman) - 3:23
"Ol' Rag Blues" (Lancaster/Lamb) - 2:51
"Can't Be Done" (Rossi/Frost) - 3:07
"Too Close to the Ground" (Parfitt/Bown) - 3:43
"No Contract" (Parfitt/Bown) - 3:40
"Win or Lose" (Rossi/Frost) - 2:35
"Marguerita Time" (Rossi/Frost) - 3:27
"Your Kind of Love" (Lancaster) - 3:24
"Stay the Night" (Rossi/Frost/Miller) - 3:02
"Going Down Town Tonight" (Johnson) - 3:33

2006 reissue bonus tracks:

"The Wanderer" (Maresca) - 3:27
"Going Down Town Tonight" (Johnson) - 3:38
"I Wonder Why" (Rossi/Frost) - 3:59
"Ol' Rag Blues" [Extended version] (Lancaster/Lamb) - 4:54
"A Mess of Blues" [Extended version] (Pomus/Shuman) - 4:48
"Cadillac Ranch" (Springsteen) - 4:15
"Ol' Rag Blues" [Alternate vocal version] (Lancaster/Lamb) - 2:49
"The Wanderer" [Sharon the Nag Remix] (Maresca) - 3:34

LINE-UP:

Francis Rossi - Vocals & lead guitar
Rick Parfitt - Vocals & guitar
Alan Lancaster - Bass & vocals
Andy Bown - Keyboards
Pete Kircher - Drums