Slow Down (Larry Williams song)
| "Slow Down" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Larry Williams | ||||
| A-side | "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" | |||
| Released | March 1958 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Genre | Rock and Roll | |||
| Label | Specialty 626 (USA) London HLU 8604 (UK) |
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| Writer(s) | Larry Williams | |||
| Larry Williams singles chronology | ||||
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| "Slow Down" | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP track by The Beatles | |||||||
| Released | 19 June 1964 | ||||||
| Recorded | 1 June 1964 | ||||||
| Genre | Rock and roll | ||||||
| Length | 2:55 | ||||||
| Label | Parlophone GEP 8913 (mono) |
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| Writer | Larry Williams | ||||||
| Producer | George Martin | ||||||
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| "Slow Down" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Beatles | ||||
| from the album Something New | ||||
| A-side | "Matchbox" | |||
| Released | 24 August 1964 | |||
| Format | 7" (1964) | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| The Beatles singles chronology | ||||
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"Slow Down" is a 24-bar blues written and performed by Larry Williams. Released as a single in 1958, it was a rhythm and blues hit that influenced the growing Rock & Roll movement of the time. It was released as a 7" single (45RPM). The A-Side was "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" and the B-Side was "Slow Down", which were both covered by The Beatles in 1965 and 1964, respectively.
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[edit] The Beatles version
The Beatles covered the song early in their career and eventually recorded a version and released it on their Long Tall Sally EP single in the UK. Not long after, the song was released in the U.S. on its own, as the B-side of 1964's "Matchbox" single (also a 12-bar blues, from the Long Tall Sally EP), reaching #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also included in the 1988 Past Masters and 1994 Live at the BBC compilation albums.
Ian MacDonald criticised the performance as "one of the Beatles' least successful rock-and-roll covers", lacking "bottom, drive and basic cohesion" and stated that "[Lennon's] guitar solo is embarrassing and the sound balance a shambles". He also pointed out the edit at 1:14 whereupon the piano momentarily disappears and McCartney's bass becomes inaudible. [1] Starr can likewise be heard to lose time during the song.
[edit] Personnel
- John Lennon – vocals, lead guitar
- Paul McCartney – bass
- George Harrison – rhythm guitar
- Ringo Starr – drums
- George Martin – piano
- Personnel per The Beatles Bible[2]
[edit] Other cover versions
The Jam recorded a version on their debut album, In the City. It was also a regular feature of their early live sets.
Led Zeppelin performed an abridged, searing hard-rock cover of the song during their June 25, 1972, concert at the The Forum (Inglewood, California), as part of the medley following Whole Lotta Love. The recording is featured on the popular bootleg Burn Like a Candle but not on the officially-released album of the show, How the West Was Won.
Hawkwind offshoot Inner City Unit frequently covered the song at live shows. In the months prior to his death in 1980, former Tyrannosaurus Rex percussionist Steve Peregrin Took had been frequently providing guest lead vocals on the song.
The Dutch rock band Golden Earring recorded a version on their 1981 2nd Live album and also released "Slow Down" as a single.
The song was covered as a part of the Backbeat soundtrack by a supergroup consisting of Dave Grohl, Dave Pirner, Thurston Moore, Mike Mills, Greg Dulli and Don Fleming (of Gumball).
Brian May recorded a version in 1997, intending to release an album of covers, tentatively called Heroes. He changed the nature and approach of the album, dropping the "covers" idea and focusing on his collaborations and new songs of the time. "Slow Down" survived the change and appeared on the new album, Another World, released in 1998. This version features May on vocal and lead guitar, Cozy Powell on drums, Jamie Moses on guitar, Spike Edney on keyboards and Neil Murray on bass. It was recorded on the same day as the five recorded covers of "Maybe Baby", "It's Only Make Believe" and "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame", all for the Heroes album. The first two tracks ended up as B-sides to various singles from the album and "Marie" was not released, though it was leaked to the public (much to May's consternation)[3] in 2006.
American rock band Zebra covered the song on their debut album, as did the King Earl Boogie Band on their live album Loaded & Live, released in 2009.
A version also appears on the joint album by Jools Holland and Tom Jones released in 2005.
The Japanese band Carol (featuring Eikichi Yazawa on vocals and bass) performed a cover quite similar to the version recorded by the Beatles, sans piano.
