The Show Must Go On

D

uring this time the band worked on various solo

projects, with Freddie working on a solo album in

Germany, Roger learning the art of skiing, and John

surf boarding. A mildly amusing tale also came out of 1983, as

Roger was arrested and imprisoned at the Monaco Grand Prix

after getting drunk with Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt, as

Parfittt himself recounted, ‘Yeah, I went to Monaco with Roger

and we finished up in prison. It was quite a funny night, we were

accused of something we didn’t do, but we sat in prison all night

and it rained all the next day so we didn’t see the race. We had a

thoroughly bad time, but we came home laughing.’

After the failure of ‘Hot Space’, work progressed in earnest on

the band’s new album towards the end of the year and through

the early part of 1984. Eventually released in February 1984, ‘The

Works’ would bridge the gap between pop and rock with the likes