THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

656-Boz Scaggs-Lowdown.

1976-Number 28 single.

Best Bit-At 3.19. The makers of the film ‘Saturday Night Fever’ approached the management of Boz Scaggs, asking if they could use this song on the soundtrack of their new film. Scaggs’ management said no, instead taking up the offer of another film called ‘Looking for Mr. Goodbar, released around the same time. The ‘Saturday Night Fever’ soundtrack to date has sold in excess of 23 million copies worldwide.

Boz Scaggs was born William Royce Scaggs, on June 8th, 1944, in Canton, Ohio, United States, he acquired the nickname ‘Bosley’ while at school, which was later shortened to ‘Boz.’ At the age of 15 he attended the same school as Steve Miller, (see also best songs 715) the pair would later attend the same university. Boz Scaggs played on both of Steve Millers first two studio Albums, ‘Children of the Future,’ (1968) and ‘Sailor’ (1968.) Between 1965-1974 Boz Scaggs released six solo studio Albums, which all met with poor sales, it wasn’t until the release of his seventh Album ‘Silk Degrees’ in 1976, that things changed.

The discography of Boz Scaggs includes 19 solo studio Albums released between 1965-2018, and six official compilation Albums, that have been issued between 1980-2019. He has also released 17 singles between 1971-1994, of which eight have reached the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart top 40, with ‘Lowdown’ peaking the highest at Number 3, while in the UK he has charted within the top 40 on four occasions, with ‘What Can I Say’ from 1976, charting the highest at Number 10.

‘Lowdown’ was the second of four singles released from ‘Silk Degrees,’ the seventh solo studio Album from Boz Scaggs, from February 1976, the song was co-written by Boz Scaggs, and David Paich, with the production being by Joe Wissert. ‘Silk Degrees’ was initially a slow burner, but after the release of ‘Lowdown,’ sales quickly began to pick up, and at the time of writing it has sold in excess of five million copies in the United States. As well as the Album’s hit singles, which also included, ‘It’s Over,’ ‘What Can I Say,’ and ‘Lido Shuffle,’ was the song ‘We’re All Alone,’ which when covered by the American singer Rita Coolidge, reached Number 7 in America, and Number 6 in the UK. Boz Scaggs has spoken about how the Album’s title came about,’It was just something I had scribbled on the side of a page. The last thing I do after I record an album is name it. Silk Degrees doesn’t mean anything specifically. It’s just an image I couldn’t get out of my head.’

‘Lowdown’ was co-written by David Paich, who was born on June 25th, 1954, in Los Angeles, California, United States. In 1977 he was one of the co-founders of the American Rock group ‘Toto,’ and he is best known as their principal songwriter, and keyboardist. With ‘Toto’ he has sold in excess of 40 million records worldwide, with the songs he has written, or co-written for ‘Toto’ including, ‘Hold the Line,’ (1978-Billboard Number 5 & UK Number 14) ‘Rosanna,’ (1982-Billboard Number 2 & UK Number 12) and ‘Africa,’ (1982-Billboard Number 1 & UK Number 3.) Other notable work, away from ‘Toto’ include, co-writing the ‘Disco’ track ‘Got to Be Real,’ which made Number 12 on Billboard for the American singer Cheryl Lynn in 1978, and also working as a session musician, and musical arranger on Michael Jackson’s 1982 Album ‘Thriller’ (see also best songs 511 and 191.) David Paich had been brought in by Boz Scaggs to help him create a change in direction, in order to achieve commercial success, Scaggs also brought in Jeff Porcaro, (1954-1992) (drums) and David Hungate, (bass) who would both join up later with Paich to form ‘Toto.’

Boz Scaggs has explained his early working experience with David Paich, ‘We took off for a weekend to this getaway outside of LA, where there was a piano. and stayed up all night banging around ideas. We hit on ‘Lowdown,’ and then we brought it back to the band and recorded it. We were just thrilled with that one. That was the first song that we attempted, and it had a magic to it.’ As for the songs meaning, the word ‘Lowdown’ is a popular slang word meaning, a summary of what’s going on for real. The song is about a girl who doesn’t appreciate what her man gives her. The ‘dirty lowdown’ is the honest truth.

‘Baby’s into running around, hanging with the crowd, putting your business in the street. Talking out loud, saying you bought her this and that, and how much you done spent. I swear she must believe it’s all heaven sent.’