Down Down
1974 single by Status Quo
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"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" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Artwork for Dutch vinyl release | ||||
| Single by Status Quo | ||||
| from the album On the Level | ||||
| B-side | "Nightride" | |||
| Released | 29 November 1974 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:49 (single version) 5:24 (album version) | |||
| Label | Vertigo | |||
| Songwriters | Francis Rossi Bob Young | |||
| Producer | Status Quo | |||
| Status Quo singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Video | ||||
| "Down Down" on TopPop on YouTube | ||||
Song information
"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]
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[14] | 4 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[15] | 14 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[16] | 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[17] | 9 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[18] | 2 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] | 1 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[20] | 8 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] | 2 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[22] | 1 |
| West Germany (GfK)[23] | 7 |
Year-end charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[31] | Silver | 250,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||