| "Low Rider" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US single picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by War | ||||
| from the album Why Can't We Be Friends? | ||||
| B-side | "So" | |||
| Released | May 14, 1975 | |||
| Recorded | 1974 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:11 | |||
| Label | United Artists | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| War singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| Low Rider on YouTube | ||||
"Low Rider" is a song written by American funk band War and producer Jerry Goldstein, which appeared on their album Why Can't We Be Friends?, released in 1975. It reached number one on the Billboard R&B singles chart, peaked at number seven on the Hot 100 singles chart, and number six in Canada.
According to the AllMusic review of the song, "the lyric takes the cool, laidback image of the lowrider—the Chicano culture practice of hydraulically hot-rodding classic cars—and using innuendo, extends the image to a lifestyle". The song features a driving bass line by B. B. Dickerson, which is present almost throughout, and an alto saxophone and harmonica riff by Charles Miller, who also provides lead vocals and a saxophone solo towards the end of the song that includes a siren-like noise. Lee Oskar plays harmonica throughout the song doubling the alto sax line. [4] This song is the theme song for the TV series George Lopez, which ran from 2002 to 2007. [5]
The song was covered by nu metal band Korn on their 1996 studio album Life Is Peachy.
In 2014, the 1975 release of "Low Rider" by War on the United Artists label was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [6]
Charts
| Chart (1975–1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles ( RPM) [7] | 6 |
| UK Singles ( OCC) [8] | 12 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 [9] | 7 |
| US Hot Soul Singles ( Billboard) [10] | 1 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom ( BPI) [11] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States ( RIAA) [12] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Huey, Steve. "War | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
-
^
"Less Is More On Sade's New Album". News & Record. December 2, 2000. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
...The "Conspiracy" song in that tradition is "Original Prankster", which features a sample of War's Latin-rock standard "Low Rider" and an appearance by rapper Redman.
- ^ Eddy, Chuck (22 March 1997). "Automotive Rock". The Accidental Evolution of Rock 'n' Roll: A Misguided Tour Through Popular Music. Da Capo Press. p. 273. ISBN 0-306-80741-6.
- ^ Brown, Andrea (2019-10-22). "Harmonica honcho Lee Oskar, 71, still rocks 'Low Rider'". HeraldNet.com. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "Classic Tracks: Los Angeles Edition - Mixonline". www.mixonline.com. October 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
- ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ " Top RPM Singles: Issue 7264." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ "War: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ "War Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
- ^ "War Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ "British single certifications – War – Low Rider". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- ^ "American single certifications – War – Low Rider". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
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