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.
Re-issue: Courtney Barnett - Depreston
Action Bronson - The Chairman's Intent
Jhené Aiko - Sativa (feat. Swae Lee)
Re-issue: CHVRCHES - Clearest Blue
Yo La Tengo - Here You Are
Wolf Alice - Don't Delete the Kisses
Re-issue: Kelela - Rewind
Jon Hopkins - Luminous Beings
Liz Phair - Divorce Song
Arcade Fire - Put Your Money On Me
Kimbra - Top of the World
Jack Johnson - You Can't Control It
Ludwig Göransson - Black Panther
Natalie Prass - Short Court Style
Moses Sumney - Quarrel
Bleachers - I Miss Those Days
Julien Baker - Appointments
The Roots - It Ain't Fair (feat. Bilal)
R.E.M - Try Not to Breathe
Nine Inch Nails - The Lovers
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