On the official Status Quo site you can read that Rick uses a 1981
Zemaitus for Forty Five Hundred Times tuned to a B tuning with a
.60 gauge bottom string: B B D G B E. The upper four strings are in
standard tuning. The "A"-string is tuned one whole step up to B and
the bottom string is tuned a fourth down to B. So it's tuned an octave
below the "A"-string. That is low! And that's why Rick is using a real
heavy gauge string for this song. But it's a hell of a tuning, long
before all these metal bands started to tune their guitars that low!
In the first sixteen bars Rick incorporates the melody of the verse in
the chords and creates this very interesting guitar-intro:
Count: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|2-------2---2---2-------2p0-----|2--p0---------------------------|
B|0-------0---0---0-------0---3---|0-------3---0---------------0---|
G|4-------4---4---4-------4-------|2---------------2---------------|
D|4-------------------------------|------------------------0-------|
B|0-------------------------------|--------------------0-----------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|0-------0-------0-------0---2---|x-------2-----------------------|
B|0---3-------3-------3-------0---|x-------0-----------------------|
G|1---------------------------4---|x-------4-----------------------|
D|----------------------------4---|x-------4-----------------------|
B|--------------------------------|x---0---0-------0-------0---0---|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|2-------2---2---2-------2p0-----|2--p0---------------------------|
B|0-------0---0---0-------0---3---|0-------3---0---------------0---|
G|4-------4---4---4-------4-------|2---------------2---------------|
D|4-------------------------------|------------------------0-------|
B|0-------------------------------|--------------------0-----------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|0-------0-------0-------0---2---|x-------2-----------2---2p0-----|
B|0---3-------3-------3-------0---|x-------0-----------0---0---3---|
G|1---------------------------4---|x-------4---------------4-------|
D|----------------------------4---|x-------4-----------------------|
B|--------------------------------|x---0---0-----------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|----0---0-------0---0-------0---|--------------------------------|
B|----0---0-------0---0-------0---|--------------------0-----------|
G|4-----------4-----------4-------|7p6p4-------4-------------------|
D|6-----------6-----------6-------|------------6-------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------0---------------0h2h3---|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|------------2-------------------|------------2---------------0---|
B|----0---0---0-------0-----------|------------0-------0-4/5-------|
G|------------4-----------7---6---|4-----------4---------3/4-------|
D|------------4-----------7---6---|4-----------4-------------------|
B|0-------------------------------|----0---------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------0-----------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|0---0---0---0-------0---0-------|------------0-------------------|
B|0---0---0---0-------0---0-------|------------0-------0-----------|
G|4---4---4---4-------4---4-------|7p6p4-------4-------------------|
D|6---6---6---6-------6---6-------|--------6---6-------------------|
B|--------------------------------|------------------------0h2-0---|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
d d d u u d
E|2-------2-----------------------|--------------------------------|
B|0-------0-----------------------|--------------------------------|
G|2-------2-----------------------|--------------------------------|
D|0-------0-----------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
You can clearly hear that the guitar is doubled. In bar 10 and 14 the
guitars aren't playing exactly the same thing but it's very difficult
to separate them. So I'm sure bar 10 and 14 are not identical to
the record, but it's musically correct.
Frame comes in with his country-like intro-solo on bar 17. Rick plays
the following chords as a backing for this solo.
B5 A5/B E/B
BBDGBE BBDGBE BBDGBE
004402 002200 002100
I write down the first bar as an example of the rhythm.
Count: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|2---2-2-2---2-2-2-2-2-2-2---2-2-|
B|0---0-0-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-|
G|4---4-4-4---4-4-4-4-4-4-4---4-4-|
D|4---4-4-4---4-4-4-4-4-4-4---4-4-|
B|0---0-0-0---0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-|
B|--------------------------------|
Strokes: d d u d d u d u d u d d u
Rick sometimes also hits the bottom B-string.
A-part
For the first verse Rick uses the same rhythm as for the intro-solo
and is playing the following chords:
B5 E/B D6
BBDGBE BBDGBE BBDGBE
004402 002100 XX0202
Backing for the second verse:
E|----------------|----------------|0-0-x-0-0---2---|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|0-0-x-0-0---3---|----------------|
G|4-4-x-4-4-4---7-|4-4-x-4-4-4---7-|1-1-x-1-1---2---|4-4-x-4-4-4---7-|
D|4-4-x-4-4-4-7-7-|4-4-x-4-4-4-7-7-|2-2-x-2-2---0---|4-4-x-4-4-4-7-7-|
B|0---x-0-0-0-5---|0---x-0-0-0-5---|----------------|0---x-0-0-0-5---|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
d u d d d d d u d u d d d d d u d u d u d d
E|----------------|----------------|0-0-x-0-0---2---|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|0-0-x-0-0---3---|----------------|
G|4-4-x-4-4-4---7-|4-4-x-4-4-4---7-|1-1-x-1-1---2---|4-4-x-4-4-4---7-|
D|4-4-x-4-4-4-7-7-|4-4-x-4-4-4-7-7-|2-2-x-2-2---0---|4-4-x-4-4-4-7-7-|
B|0---x-0-0-0-5---|0---x-0-0-0-5---|----------------|0---x-0-0-0-5---|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|0-0-x-0-0---0---|0-0-x-0-0---0---|----------------|----------------|
B|0-0-x-0-0---0---|0-0-x-0-0---0---|----------------|----------------|
G|1-1-x-1-1---1---|1-1-x-1-1---1---|4-4-x-4-4-4---7-|4-4-x-4-4-4---7-|
D|2-2-x-2-2---2---|2-2-x-2-2---2---|4-4-x-4-4-4-7-7-|4-4-x-4-4-4-7-7-|
B|----------------|----------------|0---x-0-0-0-5---|0---x-0-0-0-5---|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|0-0-x-0-0---0---|0-0-x-0-0---0---|2---2-----------|----------------|
B|0-0-x-0-0---0---|0-0-x-0-0---0---|0---0-----------|----------------|
G|1-1-x-1-1---1---|1-1-x-1-1---1---|2---2-----------|----------------|
D|2-2-x-2-2---2---|2-2-x-2-2---2---|0---0-----------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B-part
note: the notes under the dots (.) are supposed to be played short.
. . . . . . . .
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|4-4-6---7---6-7-|4-4-6---7---6-7-|4-4-6---7---6-7-|4-4-6---7---6-7-|
D|4-4-6---7---6-7-|4-4-6---7---6-7-|4-4-6---7---6-7-|4-4-6---7---6-7-|
B|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
. . . . . . . .
E||-----------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------||
B||*----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------*||
G||-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|4-4-6---7---6-7-|4-4-6---7---6-7--||
D||-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|4-4-6---7---6-7-|4-4-6---7---6-7--||
B||*0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-*||
B||-----------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------||
. . . .
E||-----------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------||
B||*2---2---2---2-0-|----0---0-0-0-0-|----------------|----------------*||
G||-2---2---2---2-1-|----1---1-1-1-1-|4-4-6---7---6-7-|4-4-6---7---6-7--||
D||-2---2---2---2-2-|----2---2-2-2-2-|4-4-6---7---6-7-|4-4-6---7---6-7--||
B||*----------------|----------------|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-*||
B||-----------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------||
Repeat the whole thing to complete the B-part
The 1st solo-part begins with that fantastic unisono (Alan, Francis and
Rick!) played lick. One of the most exciting in rock-history if you
ask me. It has always been the prove for me that Alan could do more
than the dragging monotone lines he always played. He obviously sacrificed
as an individual for the sound of the band.
And let's not forget Rick who joins here in a tuning that makes the
pattern of the lick quite unguitaristic. He has shift rapidly from
the second position to the fourth and back. In the studio you can here
two guitars all the time. But nobody knows how it is recorded but ...
on the live-album you can clearly here Rick come in on bar 9 of the
lick and he IS playing in this B-tuning. So I guess I've always under-
estimated Rick as a sologuitarist.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|----------------4---------4-----|6b8-6---4-------------4---------|
D|----------4-6-------6-4-6-------|------------6---6-4-6-----------|
B|0---0-2-4-----------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|6b8-6-4-6-4-----6b8-6-4-6-4-----|6b8-6-4-6-4---------------------|
D|--------------------------------|------------6---4---------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------4---0-------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------4---------------4-------|----6---4---6---6b8-6b8---------|
D|--4-6-------------4-6-----------|--4-----------------------------|
B|4---------------4---------------|4-------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------4---------------4-------|--------4-----------------------|
D|--4-6-------------4-6-----------|--4-6-------6---4---------------|
B|4---------------4---------------|4-------------------4---0-------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
Backing for first solo-part
. . . . 7x . .
E||------------------||----------------|
B||*----------------*||----------------|
G||-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--||4-4-4-4-2-2-1-1-|
D||-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--||4-4-4-4-2-2-2-2-|
B||*0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-*||0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
B||------------------||----------------|
d u d u d u d u
1 + 2 + 3 + 4
. . . 3x . .
E||----------------------|| E|----------------|
B||*--------------------*|| <-play semiquavers B|----------------|
G||-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--|| on the third beat G|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
D||-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--|| D|4-4-4-4-6-6-4-4-|
B||*0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-*|| B|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
B||----------------------|| B|----------------|
. . . . 3x . .
E||------------------||----------------|
B||*----------------*||----------------|
G||-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--||4-4-4-4-2-2-1-1-|
D||-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--||4-4-4-4-2-2-2-2-|
B||*0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-*||0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
B||------------------||----------------|
. . > . 8x (> = emphasize)
E||------------------||
B||*----------------*|| in these eight bars you can feel
G||-4-4-4-4-4---4-4--|| that the rhythm is going slowly
D||-4-4-4-4-4---4-4--|| from a straight eight-feel to a
B||*0-0-0-0-0---0-0-*|| shuffle.
B||------------------||
C-part
. . . . 14x
E||--------------------------||
B||*------------------------*||
G||-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4--||
D||-4---4-6---4-4---4-6---4--||
B||*0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-*||
B||--------------------------||
Backing for the verse
. . . . 4x . . . .
E||--------------------------||------------------------|
B||*------------------------*||------------------------|
G||-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4--||7---7-7---7-7---7-7---7-|
D||-4---4-6---4-4---4-6---4--||7---7-9---7-7---7-9---7-|
B||*0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-*||------------------------|
B||--------------------------||------------------------|
. . > >
E|------------------------|------------------------|
B|------------------------|------------------------|
G|9---9-9---9-7-----6-----|4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4-|
D|9---9-9---9-7-----7-----|4---4-6---4-4---4-6---4-|
B|------------------------|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|
B|------------------------|------------------------|
E|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|4---2-2---7-7---6-6-----| Repeat the whole thing
D|4---2-2---7-7---7-7-----| to complete part C.
B|0-----------------------|
B|------------------------|
Second solo part
. . . . 16x
E||--------------------------||
B||*------------------------*|| from bar 13 to 16
G||-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4--|| you can feel it's
D||-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4--|| going to a straight
B||*0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-*|| eight-feel again
B||--------------------------||
. . . . 2x
E||--------------------------||
B||*------------------------*|| these are the last two bars
G||-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4--|| in the shuffle-feel and the
D||-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4--|| last beats in bar 2 are actually
B||*0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-*|| straight eights
B||--------------------------||
Straight eights: *stop this note immediately with
. . . . . . . . your available lefthandfingers.
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|4-4-4-4-4-4-4---|-*4-----4-------|-*4-----4-------|
D|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-3/|4-4-----4-----3/|4-4-----4-----3/|
B|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|0-0-0-0-0-0-0---|--0-----0-------|--0-----0-------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
d u u d u u
6x
E||-----------------|-----------------||----------------|
B||*----------------|----------------*||----------------|
G||--*4-----4-------|-*4-----4--------||--4-4-----4-4---|
D||-4-4-----4-----3/|4-4-----4-----3/-||4-4-4-3/4-4-4---|
B||*--0-----0-------|--0-----0-------*||----0-------0---|
B||-----------------|-----------------||----------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|x-4-x-4-x-4-x-4-|x-4-x-4-x-4-x---|----------------|
D|x-4-x-4-x-4-x-4-|x-4-x-4-x-4-x-3/|----------------|
B|x-0-x-0-x-0-x-0-|x-0-x-0-x-0-x---|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|
4x
E||-----------------|-----------------||
B||*----------------|----------------*||
G||--*4-----4-------|-*4-----4--------||
D||-4-4-----4-----3/|4-4-----4-----3/-||
B||*--0-----0-------|--0-----0-------*||
B||-----------------|-----------------||
. . 4x
E||-----------------|-----------------||
B||*----------------|----------------*||
G||---4-----4-------|--4-----4--------||
D||-4-4-6---4-----3/|4-4-6---4-----3/-||
B||*----0---0-------|----0---0-------*||
B||-----------------|-----------------||
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|--4-----4-------|--4-x-4-x-4-x---|--4-----4-------|--4-----4-------|
D|4-4-6---4-----3/|4-4-x-4-x-4-x-3/|4-4-6---4-----3/|4-4-6---4-----3/|
B|----0---0-------|----x-0-x-0-x---|----0---0-------|----0---0-------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
46x
E||------------------||
B||*----------------*||
G||------------------|| Heavily muted with
D||---4--------------|| your righthand palm
B||*0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-*||
B||-0---0-0-0-0-0-0--||
d u d d d d d d
12x
E||------------------|| Heavily muted with
B||*----------------*|| your righthand palm
G||---4-----4--------||
D||---4-----4--------|| Gradualy increase volume!
B||*0---0-0---0-0-0-*||
B||-0---0-0---0-0-0--||
d u d d u d d d
. . 16x
E||------------------||
B||*----------------*|| Muted
G||-----6---4--------||
D||-----6---4--------||
B||*0-0-----------0-*||
B||-0-0-----------0--||
6x
E||-----------------|-----------------||
B||*----------------|----------------*||
G||-----x-----x-----|x-----x----------|| Heavily muted
D||-----x-----x-----|x-----x----------||
B||*0-0-x-0-0-x-0-0-|x-0-0-x-0-0-0-0-*||
B||-0-0-x-0-0-x-0-0-|x-0-0-x-0-0-0-0--||
Repeat and fade out
E||------------------||
B||*----------------*||
G||-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--|| Heavily muted
D||-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--||
B||*0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-*||
B||-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--||
PLAY TOO ..