"Down Down"
Artwork for Dutch vinyl release
Single by Status Quo
from the album On the Level
B-side"Nightride"
Released29 November 1974 (1974-11-29)
Genre
Length3:49 (single version)
5:24 (album version)
LabelVertigo
Songwriter(s)Francis Rossi
Bob Young
Producer(s)Status Quo
Status Quo singles chronology
"Break the Rules"
(1974)		 "Down Down"
(1974)		 "Roll Over Lay Down"
(1975)
Video
"Down Down" on TopPop on YouTube

"Down Down" is a song by English rock band Status Quo. 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.[3] It was released on 29 November 1974 on the Vertigo label, paired with the B-side song "Nightride". Both songs came from the album On the Level, 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.

Song information

"Down Down" was inspired by T. Rex's debut single "Debora".[4] 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.[5]

Towards the end of his life, DJ John Peel was known for playing "Down Down" as part of his eclectic DJ sets.[6]

In 1986 co-writer Bob Young recorded a country style version of the song to open his solo album In Quo Country.[7]

In July 2012, Status Quo reworked the lyrics to create a three-minute promotional song for the Australian supermarket chain Coles.[8] The chorus chants, "down down, prices are down". This was released on television and YouTube, the most notable of which depicted a mince rally.[9][10]

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.[11][12]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1975) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[13] 4
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[14] 14
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[15] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[16] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[19] 8
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 2
UK Singles (OCC)[21] 1
West Germany (Official German Charts)[22] 7

Year-end charts

Chart (1975) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[23][24] 15
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[25] 18
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[26] 13
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 14
Germany (Official German Charts)[28] 27
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] 11

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.goldradiouk.com/features/song-lists/status-quo-songs-best-ranked/
  2. 1 2 Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "Some Kind of Monster: Metal". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 568. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  3. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 309. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ↑ Forbes, Sorrell (31 May 2019). "Status Quo Facts: 8 Essential Things You Need To Know". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  5. ↑ "Norfolk's Status Quo top 10 songs". BBC Norfolk. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  6. ↑ Mugan, Chris (2002-12-07). "John Peel's comments on playing 'Down Down'". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  7. ↑ "Back In Quo Country: Expanded Edition". Cherry Red Records. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  8. ↑ Alex Hayes (11 July 2012). "Status Quo rock for Coles commercial". B&T. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "Coles Mince is Staying Down with Status Quo - Coles TV Ad". YouTube. 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-07-24. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  10. ↑ Hicks, Robin (11 July 2012). "Brit rockers Status Quo perform 'Down, deeper and down' for Coles". Australia: Mumbrella.
  11. ↑ "Status Quo Concert Setlist at Roundhouse, London". setlist.fm. October 22, 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  12. ↑ "Status Quo - Acoustic". Radio 2 In Concert. BBC Online. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  13. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  14. ↑ "Status Quo – Down, Down" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "Status Quo – Down, Down" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  16. ↑ "Status Quo – Down, Down" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  17. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 11, 1975" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  18. ↑ "Status Quo – Down, Down" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  19. ↑ "Status Quo – Down, Down". VG-lista. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  20. ↑ "Status Quo – Down, Down". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  21. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  22. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Status Quo – Down, Down" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  23. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 427. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  24. ↑ "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. 29 December 1975. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  25. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1975". Ultratop. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  26. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1975". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  27. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1975". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  28. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  29. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1975". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  30. ↑ "British single certifications – Status Quo – Down Down". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
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