Francis Rossi: Single ‘Money Don’t Matter’ released from ‘The Way We Were Vol. 1’ album
30th April 2025‘Money Don’t Matter’ was originally released on Status Quo’s 2002 album ‘Heavy Traffic’. The original demo version, out today, captured the very essence of the song so well that it even made Rossi reconsider the released version: “Oh I loved this, thought it was marvellous. The demo was great, the playing is so relaxed. I have to say, when the track was finished and the album had been out for a little while, I came to realise that I liked that ‘full and finished’ version less. Sometimes, the special effects of the recording studio can take something away from a song or idea’s simple origins, you end up losing some of the initial magic.”
‘The Way We Were Vol.1, a fantastic collection of hand-picked demo recordings of Francis Rossi and Status Quo songs, will be released on May 2nd.
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Francis Rossi of Status Quo will release ‘The Way We Were Vol. 1’ on May 2nd, 2025, via earMUSIC on CD, 2LP and Digital formats. This 17-track album is an illuminating collection of previously unreleased demo recordings, all taken from his own personal archive, and written by the powerhouse songwriting team of Francis Rossi and Bob Young. Five songs are previously unreleased, and have never before been heard outside the studio, whilst others went on to appear on a Status Quo or Francis Rossi album. These early versions capture the purity of the initial ideas and provide a fascinating window onto the creative process that they then underwent, as they evolved into a final version.
Francis Rossi says, “People say you just can’t recreate a demo; it’s a real moment in time often with a relaxed feel that comes across in the song. A chord sequence or an idea can really shine. Collected on this album are demo recordings that I really like, or even that I now think are better than the recorded versions that people know already, and some alternate takes that really work in this format. Every so often, I would hear these versions and just really feel that they deserved to be heard, and I hope that the fans like them as much as I do.”
There are songs featured that went on to appear on a series of Status Quo albums: 2002’s ‘Heavy Traffic’, 2005’s ‘The Party Ain’t Over Yet’, 2004’s ‘XS All Areas’, ‘In Search Of The Fourth Chord’ (2007), and Francis’ well-received second solo album of 2010 ‘One Step At A Time’.
A variety of styles, and indeed intentions, is on display here. What the songs all have in common is that they are presented in the manner in which they first emerged. There’s a purity and a simplicity to these recordings, and whilst some went on to become rowdy rabble rousers, having received the full classic Quo treatment on some well-loved albums, here they are in the first blush of youth.
Whilst all of these songs are indeed demo versions, they have been carefully and comprehensively laid down – these are much more than sketches. ‘The Way We Were Vol. 1’ lifts the lid on the creative process that has seen Francis Rossi, over an extraordinary career, create some of the greatest Rock music ever.
TRACKLISTING
1. Gotta Get Up And Go [The Party Ain’t Over Yet] 2. Pennsylvania Blues Tonight [In Search Of The Fourth Chord] 3. Scary Mary [Unreleased] 4. You’ll Come ’Round [XS All Areas] 5. Tongue Tied [In Search Of The Fourth Chord] 6. Electric Arena [In Search Of The Fourth Chord] 7. I Don’t Wanna Hurt You Anymore [In Search Of The Fourth Chord] 8. If You Believe [One Step At A Time] 9. Tallulah’s Waiting [One Step At A Time] 10. Money Don’t Matter [Heavy Traffic] 11. Faded Memory [One Step At A Time] 12. Another Day [Heavy Traffic] 13. Why I’m Walking [Unreleased] 14. Load On My Mind [Unreleased] 15. Strike Like Lightning [One Step At A Time] 16. Can’t Change The World [Unreleased] 17. Life Has Changed [Unreleased]
