Pictures of Matchstick Men
"Pictures of Matchstick Men" | ||||
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Pye, London[1] | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:09 | |||
Label | Pye | |||
Songwriter(s) | Francis Rossi | |||
Producer(s) | John Schroeder[1] | |||
The Status Quo singles chronology | ||||
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Official audio | ||||
"Pictures of Matchstick Men" (Mono Version) on YouTube |
"Pictures of Matchstick Men" is the first hit single by British rock band The Status Quo. It was released on 5 January 1968.[citation needed]
The Status Quo version
The song reached number seven on the
There are two versions, one in stereo and another in mono, with significant differences: the original single was in mono and has the trademark wah-wah guitar in the breaks between lyrics, but this is omitted in stereo.
The song opens with a single guitar repeatedly playing a simple four-note riff before the bass, rhythm guitar, organ, drums and vocals begin. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" is one of a number of songs from the late 1960s which feature the flanging audio effect. The band's next single release, "Black Veils of Melancholy", was similar but flopped, which caused a change of musical direction.[8]
Rossi (living in a prefab in Camberwell at the time)[9] later said of the song:
I wrote it on the bog. I'd gone there, not for the usual reasons...but to get away from the wife and mother-in-law. I used to go into this narrow frizzing toilet and sit there for hours, until they finally went out. I got three quarters of the song finished in that khazi. The rest I finished in the lounge.[10]
The "matchstick men" reference is to the paintings of Salford artist L. S. Lowry.[10]
"Pictures of Matchstick Men" is featured in
Releases
- 1968: Pictures of Matchstick Men / Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Cafe [Promo] 45 rpm Vinyl 7"; Pye / 7N 17449
- 1969: Retrato de hombre con bastón / El café del caballero Joe 33 rpm, Mono Vinyl 7"; Music Hall / MH 31.101 Argentina
- 1973: Pictures of Matchstick Man / Ice in the Sun 45 rpm Vinyl 7"; Pye / 12 746 AT
Other versions
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2017) |
- In 1983, the Slickee Boys released the first cover of the song on their album Cybernetic Dreams of Pi'.
- In 1989, Camper Van Beethoven scored a number 1 hit on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in the United States with their version from the album Key Lime Pie. One of the instruments played in this rendering is a violin.[11] It is played at the end of the Ray Donovan episode, "If I Should Fall from Grace with God" (2017; season 5, episode 7).[12]
- In 1996, Arjen Anthony Lucassen recorded a cover of this song for his cover album Strange Hobby.
- In 1997, a take by the American gothic metal band Type O Negative was recorded, featuring vocals by Ozzy Osbourne, and released on the Private Parts: The Album soundtrack.
- In 2007, Kasabian covered the song.
- In 2018, Florida-based gothic metal band October Noir released it as a non-album single.[13]
Charts
Chart (1968) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Singles (Kent Music Report)[14] | 19 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[15] | 18 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[16] | 18 |
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[17] | 8 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[18] | 7 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] | 3 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] | 5 |
7 | |
US Billboard Hot 100[22] | 12 |
See also
References
- ^ a b "BI's Chart Fax" (PDF). Beat Instrumental (4): 17. April 1968.
- ISBN 0-634-05548-8.
- ^ https://www.goldradiouk.com/features/song-lists/status-quo-songs-best-ranked/
- ISBN 0-7935-4042-9.
- ^ "BBC - Music / Profiles - Status Quo". BBC. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2006. Archived from the original on 10 October 2006. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
- ^
"The enduring appeal of Status Quo". British Broadcasting Corporation. 9 December 2005. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
- ^
staff (12 November 2008). "Cue The Quo". OCLC 29379669. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
- ^
Rawlings, Terry (1 November 2002). Then, Now and Rare British Beat 1960-1969 (illustrated ed.). London, England: OCLC 50272043. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
- ^ "Prefabs - Camberwell Borough Council". camberwellboroughcouncil.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ a b Headon, Tanya (17 December 2002). "Songs About Laurence Stephen Lowry". FreakyTrigger. Tom Ewing. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
- ^ Akamatsu, Rhetta (11 February 2014). "Music Review: Camper Van Beethoven – Key Lime Pie [Reissue]".
- ^ Tallerico, Brian (24 September 2017). "Ray Donovan Recap: Confessions". Vulture. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- ^ October Noir Pictures of Matchstick Men (RIPeter) (Single) - Spirit of Metal Webzine (fr)
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Status Quo – Pictures of Matchstick Men" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "Status Quo – Pictures of Matchstick Men" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5841." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "Status Quo – Pictures of Matchstick Men" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
- ^ "Status Quo – Pictures of Matchstick Men" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ "Status Quo – Pictures of Matchstick Men". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ "Status Quo Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
External links
- Status Quo - Pictures Of Matchstick Men (BBC Radio 2 In Concert) on YouTube- live acoustic version in 2014