We have some truly spectacular news on the Status Quo front!
Mark your calendars for 16th May 2025, as Edsel Records is bringing us Status Quo – Live!: a Super Deluxe 8CD edition that finally lets us hear all three nights of the legendary 1976 Glasgow Apollo Theatre concerts in full.
This set is a 7″ box jam-packed with the original ‘Live!’ album, newly mastered, plus the full concert recordings from 27th, 28th, and 29th October 1976—nothing left on the cutting room floor this time. The result? A monumental release Classic Rock magazine has already called “the holy grail for fans of the ‘Frantic Four’ line-up.”
What’s in the Box?
8 CDs in total: the original ‘Live!’ album (newly mastered) with the original mixes, plus the complete uncut sets from each of the three nights.
Deluxe 7” box with fold-out wallets to house the discs.
A 24-page booklet featuring brand-new sleeve notes by Dave Ling from Classic Rock, recounting how the album took shape and the impact it had. Expect a feast of photos, memorabilia from the shows, and a piece from Andy Gamble (AVP Studios) on the forensic tape hunt and mastering process.
A Little Extra for Record Store Day 2025
On top of that, we’re getting a 2LP coloured vinyl edition featuring the complete newly mixed and mastered audio from the first gig (27th October 1976). It’ll come in a single-sleeve package with printed inners and a 5mm spine. And if that isn’t tempting enough, you can choose from ticket stub mint or blue 140g vinyl versions!
Recovered Master Tapes and a Funny Label
What makes this release even more legendary is the detective work that went on behind the scenes. One of the multi-track tapes—found to be mislabeled with “Peters and Lee”!—yielded exactly what Francis Rossi had hoped for: a chance to improve on the original sound. Using the Rolling Stones’ Mobile Studio truck (the RSM) from 1976 as the source, AVP Productions have used the 24-track tapes for a fresh, dynamic mix, with Francis himself giving it the thumbs-up.
Why This Matters
If you’ve ever cranked up Quo’s original Live! album (which soared into the UK Top 3) and relished its raw, noisy, foot-on-the-monitor vibe, imagine that times three. This is Status Quo at the absolute height of their powers—roaring through their set lists over three consecutive nights. The “Frantic Four” line-up is immortalized here without any edits or amalgamations. It’s everything they played, exactly as it happened, for every show.
Final Thoughts
We’ve always known Status Quo’s Live! to be a high watermark in 70s rock concert recordings. But this new Super Deluxe box goes well beyond the classic album, telling the story behind those glorious nights in Glasgow and letting us experience each performance in all its unfiltered, raucous glory.
TRACKLISTING / ‘Status Quo Live – Super Deluxe Edition’
DISC ONE: Live!
Junior’s Wailing
Backwater
Just Take Me
Is There A Better Way
In My Chair
Little Lady
Most Of The Time
Rain
Forty-Five Hundred Times
DISC TWO: Live!
Roll Over Lay Down
Big Fat Mama
Don’t Waste My Time
Roadhouse Blues
Caroline
Bye Bye Johnny
DISC THREE : 27th October 1976
Junior’s Wailing
Backwater
Just Take Me
Is There A Better Way
In My Chair
Little Lady
Most Of The Time
Rain
Forty-Five Hundred Times
DISC FOUR: 27th October 1976
Roll Over Lay Down
Big Fat Mama
Don’t Waste My Time
Roadhouse Blues
Caroline
Bye Bye Johnny
DISC FIVE : 28th October 1976
Junior’s Wailing
Backwater
Just Take Me
Is There A Better Way
In My Chair
Little Lady
Most Of The Time
Rain
Forty-Five Hundred Times
DISC SIX: 28th October 1976
Roll Over Lay Down
Big Fat Mama
Don’t Waste My Time
Roadhouse Blues
Caroline
Bye Bye Johnny
DISC SEVEN : 29th October 1976
Junior’s Wailing
Backwater
Just Take Me
Is There A Better Way
In My Chair
Little Lady
Most Of The Time
Rain
Forty-Five Hundred Times
DISC EIGHT: 29th October 1976
Roll Over Lay Down
Big Fat Mama
Don’t Waste My Time
Roadhouse Blues
Caroline
Bye Bye Johnny
Status Quo – Live! (Super Deluxe 8CD Edition)
Release Date: 16 May 2025
Label: Edsel Records (Cat No EDSL0234)
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
