The Way We Were Vol. 1 [Compact disc]

Francis Rossi is the founder, songwriter, guitarist, and singer of Status Quo, as well as a solo artist. Together with Rick Parfitt, he has been part of one of the most successful and iconic duos in rock and roll history for decades. With a career built on remarkable success, the music of Status Quo has remained true to its essence over the years.

This 17-track album is an illuminating collection of previously unreleased demo recordings, all taken from Francis Rossi’s 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.”