"Lowdown" is a song originally recorded in 1976 by Boz Scaggs for his album Silk Degrees. The song was co-written by Scaggs and keyboardist David Paich. Paich, along with fellow "Lowdown" session musicians bassist David Hungate and drummer Jeff Porcaro, would later go on to help form the band Toto.
Release and reaction
Initially, Silk Degrees received a lukewarm commercial response and, similarly, the first single released from the album, "It's Over" 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 when DJs had much more say in what was played. Public response was very positive and soon Scaggs' record label, Columbia, sent the song to other R&B-oriented radio stations for airplay. It began being played on Top 40Pop stations as well and, when it was officially released as a single in June 1976, it became 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. The song was also a major hit in Canada, peaking at number two. It was 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 be 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 at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards.
Renditions
In 1996 Scaggs recorded an unplugged jazz version for his Fade into Light album.
In 2001 saxophonist Jimmy Sommers recorded a new arrangement with rapper Coolio on background vocals. The song was released on his album 360 Urban Groove.
Another version was recorded by Incognito, for the 2010 album Transatlantic R.P.M., featuring singers Chaka Khan and Mario Biondi. This rendition was also included on Biondi's 2013 album, Sun.
Miki Howard recorded another version for her Pillow Talk album in 2006.
U.S. house music producer Kenny Summit heavily sampled the song in his 2013 track The Dirty Lowdown.
More recently, in 2020, the English band Disclosure has sampled Lowdown in their track Expressing What Matters.
Usage in film
The producers of the movie Saturday Night Fever asked for permission to use "Lowdown" but Scaggs' manager turned them down and instead used it in the movie Looking for Mr. Goodbar.
The song was also used in the episode "Gimme an O!" of the J.J. Abrams television seriesFelicity, where Noel is doing sit-ups in preparation for his date with Felicity, and "Lowdown" is playing on his little stereo.
It was also used in the 2013 films Mood Indigo and .
