Lowdown (Boz Scaggs song)
Encyclopedia
"Lowdown" is a Billboard hit originally recorded in 1976 by Boz Scaggs
for his mainstream-breakthrough album, Silk Degrees
. The song was co-written by Scaggs and David Paich
. Paich, along with fellow "Lowdown" session musicians David Hungate
and Jeff Porcaro
, would later help form the band Toto
.
, sent the song to other R&B-oriented radio stations for airplay. It began receiving airplay on Top 40 Pop
stations as well, and when it was officially released as a single in June 1976, it went on to become Scaggs' first major hit, eventually peaking at number three on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. It was also successful on the R&B and Disco Singles charts, peaking at number five on both and was also a minor hit in the UK, reaching #28. Scaggs is quoted as saying that the success of "Lowdown" was 'an accident' and that, even though it was their favorite from Silk Degrees, he and the others involved in the making of the song thought there 'wasn't a chance in hell' that the song would have been released as a single. The single was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of one million copies and would go on to win the Grammy Award for Best R&B song of 1976.
"Dual Drum Tracking" and hard-panning, was a technique used on the multi-track recording session of "Lowdown". Jeff Porcaro's eight-note "hi-hatting" can clearly be heard on one stereo channel, where his sixteen-note interpretation is present only on the opposite side.
on background vocals. The song was released on his album "360 Urban Groove." Another cover was recorded by Incognito for the album Transatlantic R.P.M. (2010) featuring singers Chaka Khan
and Mario Biondi. Miki Howard recorded a cover version on her Pillow Talk album in 2006.
asked for permission to use "Lowdown" but Scaggs' manager turned them down and instead used it in the movie Looking for Mr. Goodbar
.
Also, this song was used in the David Fincher
movie Zodiac
in a scene depicting real life character Robert "Bob" Graysmith telling Inspector Dave Toschi what he knew about the Zodiac Killer.
The song was also used in the episode "Gimme An O!" of the J.J. Abrams television series Felicity, where Noel (Scott Foley
) is doing sit-ups in preparation for his date with Felicity (thinking that they're going to have sex afterwards), and "Lowdown" is playing on his little stereo.
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
for his mainstream-breakthrough album, Silk Degrees
Silk Degrees
Silk Degrees is the seventh album by Boz Scaggs, released on the Columbia Records label in 1976. The album reached #2 on the U.S. pop albums chart.-Reception:The album marked Scaggs' commercial zenith, mainly spearheaded by the R&B/Soul hit "Lowdown"...
. The song was co-written by Scaggs and David Paich
David Paich
David Frank Paich is a session musician, keyboard player, recording producer, arranger, vocalist and main composer of the Los Angeles-based rock/pop band Toto. David is the son of the late jazz composer, musician, and arranger Marty Paich...
. Paich, along with fellow "Lowdown" session musicians David Hungate
David Hungate
David Hungate is a bass player noted as a member of Los Angeles pop-rock band Toto from 1977-1982. Boz Scaggs's Silk Degrees album of 1976 included Hungate and several other future members of Toto...
and Jeff Porcaro
Jeff Porcaro
Jeffrey Thomas "Jeff" Porcaro was an American session drummer and a founding member of the Grammy Award winning band Toto. Porcaro was one of the most recorded drummers in history, working on hundreds of albums and thousands of sessions...
, would later help form the band Toto
Toto (band)
Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...
.
Release and reaction
Initially, Silk Degrees received a lukewarm commercial response and, similarly, the first single released from the album, "It's Over" just barely cracked the top 40 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, peaking at #38. One day, however, a Cleveland R&B radio DJ began playing "Lowdown" straight off the album. This was during a time period when DJs had much more say in what got played. Public response was very positive and soon Scaggs' record label, ColumbiaColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, sent the song to other R&B-oriented radio stations for airplay. It began receiving airplay on Top 40 Pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
stations as well, and when it was officially released as a single in June 1976, it went on to become Scaggs' first major hit, eventually peaking at number three on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. It was also successful on the R&B and Disco Singles charts, peaking at number five on both and was also a minor hit in the UK, reaching #28. Scaggs is quoted as saying that the success of "Lowdown" was 'an accident' and that, even though it was their favorite from Silk Degrees, he and the others involved in the making of the song thought there 'wasn't a chance in hell' that the song would have been released as a single. The single was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of one million copies and would go on to win the Grammy Award for Best R&B song of 1976.
"Dual Drum Tracking" and hard-panning, was a technique used on the multi-track recording session of "Lowdown". Jeff Porcaro's eight-note "hi-hatting" can clearly be heard on one stereo channel, where his sixteen-note interpretation is present only on the opposite side.
Renditions
In 2001, saxophonist Jimmy Sommers recorded a cover with rapper CoolioCoolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
on background vocals. The song was released on his album "360 Urban Groove." Another cover was recorded by Incognito for the album Transatlantic R.P.M. (2010) featuring singers Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
and Mario Biondi. Miki Howard recorded a cover version on her Pillow Talk album in 2006.
Usage in film
The producers of the movie Saturday Night FeverSaturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
asked for permission to use "Lowdown" but Scaggs' manager turned them down and instead used it in the movie Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Looking for Mr. Goodbar is a 1975 novel by Judith Rossner. Rossner based the novel on the events surrounding the brutal murder of Roseann Quinn, a 28-year-old New York City schoolteacher in 1973.-References:...
.
Also, this song was used in the David Fincher
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
movie Zodiac
Zodiac (film)
Zodiac is a 2007 American mystery-thriller film directed by David Fincher and based on Robert Graysmith's non-fiction book of the same name. The Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros...
in a scene depicting real life character Robert "Bob" Graysmith telling Inspector Dave Toschi what he knew about the Zodiac Killer.
The song was also used in the episode "Gimme An O!" of the J.J. Abrams television series Felicity, where Noel (Scott Foley
Scott Foley
Scott Kellerman Foley is an American actor. He is known for roles in television shows such as The Unit and Felicity, and in films such as Scream 3...
) is doing sit-ups in preparation for his date with Felicity (thinking that they're going to have sex afterwards), and "Lowdown" is playing on his little stereo.
Personnel
- Boz ScaggsBoz ScaggsWilliam Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
- Lead vocals - David PaichDavid PaichDavid Frank Paich is a session musician, keyboard player, recording producer, arranger, vocalist and main composer of the Los Angeles-based rock/pop band Toto. David is the son of the late jazz composer, musician, and arranger Marty Paich...
- Keyboards, Mini-Moog & ARP - Jeff PorcaroJeff PorcaroJeffrey Thomas "Jeff" Porcaro was an American session drummer and a founding member of the Grammy Award winning band Toto. Porcaro was one of the most recorded drummers in history, working on hundreds of albums and thousands of sessions...
- Drums - David HungateDavid HungateDavid Hungate is a bass player noted as a member of Los Angeles pop-rock band Toto from 1977-1982. Boz Scaggs's Silk Degrees album of 1976 included Hungate and several other future members of Toto...
- Bass - Fred TackettFred TackettFred Tackett, an American native of Arkansas, is an accomplished songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Originally a session player on guitar, mandolin, and trumpet, he is best known for his longevity as a member of the band Little Feat....
- Guitar - Louie Shelton - Guitar
- Carolyn Willis - Background vocals
- Marty McCall - Background vocals
- Jim GilstrapJim GilstrapJim Gilstrap is an American singer best known for his work as a session musician and his 1975 solo hit single "Swing Your Daddy", as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series Good Times.-Career:...
- Background vocals - Augie Johnson - Background vocals
- Joe WissertJoe WissertJoe Wissert is an American record producer. His credits include albums by artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Helen Reddy, The J. Geils Band, Gordon Lightfoot, Boz Scaggs, The Sinceros and The Turtles....
- Producer