Status Quo – Whatever You Want

“Whatever You Want” – Single by Status Quo from the album Whatever You Want
B-side “Hard Ride”
Released 14 September 1979
Label Vertigo
Songwriters Rick Parfitt and Andy Bown
Producer Pip Williams
Charted No.1 in UK; No.5 in Ireland; No.11 i n Austria; No.12 in West Germany.

Video – End Of The Road ’84, The Farewell Concert
From Status Quo End Of The Road Tour – live at the Milton Keynes Bowl, on 21st July, 1984 (DVD)
© Tahuna LTD. 1984
A Keef & Co. Production
Produced and Directed by Keef
Associate Producer – Annie Russel
Executive Producers – Bill Curbishley & Joe Brown
Consultant – Colin Johnson
Management – Quarry Productions LTD.
VideoForm // A Heron International Company

Audio;
Original sound recording made by Phonogram Ltd.

It was written by guitarist Rick Parfitt and keyboardist Andrew Bown who got drunk whilst writing it. After writing, Bown took their work upstairs in order to “Quo it up” by removing some chords, leaving just two during the verses! He came back down and claimed – “I think I’ve done it!”

Francis Rossi claims he was never really very happy with his guitar solo on the track.

The lyrics can be interpreted as a commentary about conspicuous consumption – and ironically the song has been used in many commercials – but it is more likely to be about the excesses of a rock star lifestyle, being able to have “whatever you want, whatever you like… whatever you need, whatever you use”. Whatever they mean – see that? – the lyrics seem to “go” with the music, a necessity for any memorable song.

Status Quo
Francis Rossi – guitar, vocals
Rick Parfitt – guitar, vocals
Alan Lancaster – bass, vocals
John Coghlan – drums