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.
Kelly Lee Owens - On
Black Pumas - Colors
The 1975 - The Birthday Party
Waxahatchee - Fire
Khruangbin - So We Won't Forget
Apparat - Goodbye (Theme from "Dark")
Mobb Deep - Shook Ones, Pt. II
Re-issue: Michael Kiwanuka - Black Man in a White World
100 gecs - Money Machine
Laura Marling - Song for Our Daughter
Tame Impala - It Might Be Time
FKA twigs - Mirrored Heart
Nathaniel Rateliff - And It's Still Alright
Eric Nam - Love Die Young
Soccer Mommy - Circle the Drain
Caribou - Home
Vagabon - Water Me Down
Semisonic - Closing Time
Vampire Weekend - Harmony Hall
Intro Theme and Thao's Farewell
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