| Down Down | |
| Cover: | DownDownNL.jpg |
| Caption: | Artwork for Dutch vinyl release |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Status Quo |
| Album: | On the Level |
| B-Side: | Nightride |
| Genre: |
|
| Length: | 3:49 (single version) 5:24 (album version) |
| Label: | Vertigo |
| Producer: | Status Quo |
| Prev Title: | Break the Rules |
| Prev Year: | 1974 |
| Next Title: | Roll Over Lay Down |
| Next Year: | 1975 |
"Down Down" is a song by English rock band Status Quo, released by Vertigo Records on 29 November 1974.[3] Written by Francis Rossi and Bob Young and produced by Status Quo, "Down Down" was Status Quo's only number one single on the UK Singles Chart. The single spent a week at the top of the chart in January 1975.[4] Both "Down Down" and its B-side "Nightride" were taken from the album On the Level (1975), which had yet to be released. The album version lasts 5 minutes and 24 seconds, whilst the single version is 3 minutes and 49 seconds.
"Down Down" was inspired by T. Rex's debut single "Debora".[5] Originally it was titled "Get Down", but this was changed before release, possibly to avoid confusion with the Gilbert O'Sullivan song of the same name.[6]
Towards the end of his life, DJ John Peel was known for playing "Down Down" as part of his eclectic DJ sets.[7]
In 1986 co-writer Bob Young recorded a country style version of the song to open his solo album In Quo Country.[8]
In July 2012, Status Quo reworked the lyrics to create a three-minute promotional song for the Australian supermarket chain Coles.[9] The chorus chants, "down down, prices are down". This was released on television and YouTube, the most notable of which depicted a mince rally.[10] [11]
The song was reprised, in 2014, for the band's thirty-first studio album Aquostic – Stripped Bare. It was featured in the ninety-minute launch performance of the album at London's Roundhouse on 22 October and recorded and broadcast live by BBC Radio 2 as part of their In Concert series.[12] [13]
| Chart (1975) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[15] [16] | 15 | |
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[17] | 18 | |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[18] | 13 | |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] | 14 | |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[20] | 27 | |
| Switzerland [21] | 11 |