Lowdown (Boz Scaggs song)

Initially, Silk Degrees received a lukewarm commercial response; the first single released from the album, "It's Over", barely cracked the top 40 in the United States, peaking at #38. One day,^[when?] however, a Cleveland R&B radio DJ began playing "Lowdown" straight off the album;^[7] public response was very positive and soon Columbia Records sent the song to other R&B radio stations for airplay.

The song soon entered rotation on Top 40 stations as well, and when it was officially released as a single, it became Scaggs's first major hit, reaching #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 and number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also successful on the R&B and disco charts, peaking at number five on both. The song was also a major hit in Canada, peaking at number two; It was a minor hit in the UK, topping out at #28.

Scaggs is quoted as saying that the success of "Lowdown" was "an accident" and that, even though it was their favorite from Silk Degrees, he and the others involved in the making of the song thought there "wasn't a chance in hell" that it would be released as a single.^[7] The single was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of one million copies and would go on to win the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards.

• In 1978, studio disco collective Joe Thomas recorded a version that appeared on their "Get in the wind" album.
• In 1987, British jazzfunk duo Hindsight recorded a version of Lowdown for their album "Days like this". The song was released on a 12" single with "The Highlife" remix and the album version.
• In 1996 Scaggs recorded an unplugged jazz version for his Fade into Light album.^[8]
• In 2001 saxophonist Jimmy Sommers recorded a smooth jazz arrangement with rapper Coolio on background vocals. The song was released on his album 360 Urban Groove.^[9][10]
• In 2010, Incognito recorded a version of the song for their album "Transatlantic RPM", sung by Mario Bondi and Chaka Khan. The song was released as a single and 12".
• Also in 2010, Japanese jazz saxophonist Yaz, real name Yasuyuki Takagi, recorded a version for his "You can't say it in public" album.
• In 2020 the English band Disclosure sampled "Lowdown" in their track "Expressing What Matters".^[11]

• "Lowdown" plays in a singles bar in the 1977 American crime drama film Looking for Mr. Goodbar.
• "Lowdown" is heard in the David Fincher 2007 American mystery thriller movie Zodiac, in the diner scene depicting real life character Robert "Bob" Graysmith telling Inspector Dave Toschi what he knew about the Zodiac Killer.^[12]
• "Lowdown" plays out the end credits to William Friedkin's 2023 adaptation of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.
• John Travolta filmed a scene for Saturday Night Fever with Donna Pescow to the song "Lowdown"; however, Columbia Records refused to grant permission for the song to be used and a generic track was dubbed in place of "Lowdown".