1.: After many years you have written some songs with Francis. Can you tell us how it came and if it was your intention to write songs who were "back to the roots" - back to the sound of the early 70'ies more bluesy, rocking songs?
Bob Young: When Franics rang me and suggested we do some writing again it took me about 2 seconds to think about it and agree that it might be fun to do. We've always remained friends but our roads took different directions for many years. So we got together and actually spent the first few weeks just talking. I guess there was so much to catch up on and we didn't force the writing. After endless cups of tea we started with no fixed agenda. What came out was completely relaxed and natural and we then continued to get together as often as we could. We'd often not write anything, just hanging out. We wrote as we always had, sometimes with Francis playing guitar and me suggesting a few ideas or one of us coming up with a lyric idea to expand on. Sometimes we'd talk through ideas over the phone and often when Francis was on tour he'd call me and play a riff or idea down the line which I'd record on a small hand tape machine to work on later. It seemed to work for us. Occasionally we'd go into Francis' studio in the house and lay tracks down with a drum machine, Nick Rossi on Bassguitar and Francis doing a few guitars, vocals and keyboard. Those demos are really quite raw and special and seem to have quite naturally captured a lot of the early Quo style and sound.

2.: You have been away from the QUO team for quite a while, but you certainly watched the career of Status Quo in all those years. What do you think aobut hte "Heavy Traffic " album - a milestone in QUO's career?
Bob Young: I personally love it as do the band, record company and thankfully a lot of the old as well as new fans.

3.: After you did some songs together with Francis, can we expect a further team-work with Francis and the band? And of course, new songs like the ones you did for the "Heavy Traffic" album?
Bob Young: Within several months we realised we had written and demo'd almost 30 new songs. It actually quite surprised us that we'd done as much without really making a conscious effort to do so. Some of those songs we're still changing while we continue to get other ideas together. So yes you can definitely expect to see a few more Rossi/Young songs in the future. I think we'll start to put a few of our songs out to other artists to record which is something we'd like to have got around to doing many years ago. Maybe the time is now right. And who knows,m at some time in the next couple of years Frnacis might even get around to doing a solo album of our material. That'd be fun.

4.: Bob you are working in the music business for a long time now and you really did a lot of things. Your steps were everywhere. You were with QUO for quite a while, you wrote books, you did cartoons, you worked with other musicians. Lookng back, what do you think are the highlights of your career and what changed over the years?
Bob Young: I've been extremely fortunate to have made a living in the music business for so many years. Its difficult to give highlights but of course meeting Quo in 1968 is obviously the first. After that being a part of the Band's struggle and eventual success around the world. Writing songs with Francis and those occasional ones with Rick such as "Mystery Songs" and "Living on an island" and others with the band. I get a lot of pleasure from the fact that my three kids are all making there way in the music business. Jamie travels the world as Tour Manager for Groove Armada and others. Kirstie is doing great in Marketing and Promotions at Warner Records and Sam is a tennis coach but also writing and recording some great songs which is what he wants to do full time. I seem to have been involved in so many different things over the years that it would take too much time here to list them all. whether it been the books, television documentary, work with Micky Moody, mangagement, touring and other things I've always tried to only do things which I find challenging and fun. As I say, I'm very lucky and particularly to have made so many good friends along the way.

font color=#00ff00>5.: Bob, if it comes to QUO memorablia you are known for your invaluable Quo collection. I guess there are some "pearls" in the vaults, which would be excellent material for an anthology project. For example live-recordings of the old days (the 40. min. versionof the sojng "Gotta go home".) Wouldn't it be interesting to publish something of these stuff? What do you think about it?
Bob Young: Yes it would be very good to put together a definitive Quo Anthology and I think that will eventually happen. And yes I certainly have a few "pearls" in the vaults.

6.: Do you have any own projects in the future? You did a lot together with Micky Moody, is there something to expect?
Bob Young: The past couple of years I've been incredibly busy working with a very good friend of mine, Marc Marot, in the new Artist Manaement company Terra Firma. We look after, amongst otheres, ex Verve mainman Richard Ashcroft, the worlds leading DJ Paul Oakenfold and a fantastic new duo callod Lemon Jelly. The Company is about to expand into Publishing and a new Record. label. Micky Moody and I haven't actually done too much together in the past two years but we're kindred spirits and I'm sure we'll get up to something else together when the time allows. In the meantime I'll just keep rolling along and take it all as is happens (including more cups of tea with Francis...)
Cheers Bob