The band War formed in 1969, in Long Beach, California. “Low Rider” is from their 1975 album Why Can’t We Be Friends? The song was a hit as soon as it came out. It went to #1 on the Billboard R&B charts. And it’s just had tremendous lasting power ever since. Besides being in Dazed and Confused, where I heard it, it’s been sampled by The Beastie Boys, it was covered by Korn, and it was the theme song for all six seasons of The George Lopez Show.
For this episode, I talked to War’s bandleader Lonnie Jordan, and their producer Jerry Goldstein. The two of them told me how “Low Rider” was made in the studio, through a combination of improvisation and meticulous editing.
For more, visit songexploder.net/war.
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Danny Brown - Y.B.P. (feat. Bruiser Wolf)
Rhiannon Giddens - You Louisiana Man
Re-issue: Arlo Parks - Black Dog
Green Day - Basket Case
The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight (Deluxe Anniversary Edition)
Foo Fighters - The Teacher
Raye - Escapism (feat. 070 Shake)
Sampha - Spirit 2.0
Paramore - Liar
Kesha - Eat The Acid
Alvvays - Archie, Marry Me
Laufey - From The Start
Re-issue: Janelle Monáe - So Afraid
Siddhartha Khosla - Only Murders in the Building (Main Title Theme)
Local Natives - Dark Days
Bakar - Hell N Back
Natalie Merchant - Sister Tilly
Re-issue: Julien Baker - Appointments
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