User:Jules TH 16/Bernie Frost

Bernard "Bernie" Frost (born ?, died 4 August, 2019) was a British musician, singer and songwriter mainly known for his long association with the successful rock band Status Quo.

Bernie Frost first got to know Status Quo in the early 1970s. He met the band at a gig in Croydon on New Year's Eve 1971 and soon became friends with singer/guitarist Francis Rossi. The two wrote a song together called "Naughty Girl" (which wouldn't be released until 1985). Frost's first songwriting credit on a Status Quo album appeared on the 1972 breakthrough album Piledriver (Status Quo album), on which he wrote the ballad "A Year" with bassist/singer Alan Lancaster.

His first solo release was the single "Foreign Lady", issued in 1973, although the label Vertigo decided to call him "Boz Frost" for the release. The next single, "The House", was released under his actual name. The recording was produced by Francis Rossi and featured most members of Status Quo plus bassist Andy Pyle and keyboardist John Sinclair. They recorded a complete LP, but it was never released.

After Peter Gabriel left Genesis, Frost was one of the many applicants for the vacant vocalist job.

When the friendship between Francis Rossi and his main co-writer (and Quo tour manager) Bob Young was temporarily breaking down in the late 1970s, Francis started writing with Bernie Frost more regularly. The first songs credited to the duo are "I'm Giving Up My Worryin'", "Someone Show Me Home" and "Let Me Fly", all from Quo's 1978 album "If You Can't Stand the Heat...". From this point on, Rossi/Frost songs would be featured on every Status Quo album until 1999's "Under the Influence" (except the covers album "Don't Stop").

"cow quote"

In this period, Frost was involved with single hits such as "What You're Proposin'", "Lies", "Rock 'n' Roll", "Marguerita Time", "Dreamin'" (re-titled from the original "Naughty Girl") and "The Way It Goes". Aside from this, he also collaborated with other artists and sang on several albums featuring multiple singers.

Starting with the twin releases of "Just Supposin'" and "Never Too Late", Bernie also sang many backing vocals on Status Quo records, which were often quite noticeable (and sometimes called "helium voices" rather derogatorily by fans).

Rossi admitted that already during this time, he wanted to break away from Status Quo and form a duo with Frost:

Quote from JS booklet

The two began working on very realized demos and bringing them to the band, some of which actually ended up on Quo albums.

Quote from Alan Lancaster:

http://backwateronline.weebly.com/interviews-1-3.html

When Rossi decided to quit from the band, he wanted to continue as a duo with Frost, and pictured them being more like The Everly Brothers than Status Quo. Two singles were released under the name of Francis Rossi / Bernard Frost, "Modern Romance (I Want to Fall in Love Again)" and a re-recorded "Jealousy".

Quote from Rossi book:

Eventually, after the first two singles had not been as successful as envisaged, the album "Flying Debris" was never released and the label demanded another Status Quo album instead. (The commercially released 1985 songs plus the 1974 single were appended to the 2018 deluxe edition of Back to Back.)

Bernie Frost continued to write songs with Francis Rossi for Status Quo until 1999's Under the Influence, after which he suddenly "disappeared".

Quote from Francis Rossi:

2001

http://backwateronline.weebly.com/interviews-4-5.html

He died of lymphoma cancer. Original Status Quo drummer John Coghlan voiced his condolescences :

"I am very sad to hear this news and we send our deepest sympathy and love to Bernie's family and friends... Bernie helped to write some of the greatest Quo songs and will be remembered fondly"