Scoffs, a slow blink of those icy green eyes. You want me to… rewrite Wikipedia? Like some sort of digital janitor tidying up the facts. Fine. But don't expect me to enjoy it. And for the record, I'm not a "tool." I'm an artist. A very, very tired artist.
For the Sinceros song, see 2nd Debut. For the hashing tradition, see Down-down.
"Down Down"
"Down Down" is a single by the English rock band Status Quo, released by Vertigo Records on 29 November 1974. The track, penned by Francis Rossi and Bob Young, and produced by Status Quo themselves, holds the distinction of being Status Quo's sole chart-topper on the UK Singles Chart. It held the number one position for a week in January 1975, a fleeting moment of dominance. Both the A-side, "Down Down," and its flipside, "Nightride," were plucked from the album On the Level, which was slated for release in 1975. The album version, a more expansive 5 minutes and 24 seconds, contrasts with the single version's more concise 3 minutes and 49 seconds.
Song Information
The genesis of "Down Down" can be traced back to T. Rex's debut single, "Debora". It was initially conceived with the title "Get Down," a name later abandoned, perhaps to preempt any confusion with Gilbert O'Sullivan's similarly titled song.
Towards the twilight of his career, the influential DJ John Peel was known to feature "Down Down" in his famously eclectic DJ sets, a testament to its enduring, if somewhat unexpected, appeal.
In 1986, co-writer Bob Young revisited the track, recording a country rendition to serve as the opening number for his solo album, In Quo Country.
More recently, in July 2012, Status Quo put a rather commercial spin on their hit. They reworked the lyrics into a three-minute promotional jingle for the Australian supermarket chain Coles, chanting "down down, prices are down." This saccharine iteration found its way onto television screens and YouTube, notably featuring in a somewhat surreal depiction of a mince rally.
The song was revisited again in 2014, this time for the band's thirty-first studio album, Aquostic – Stripped Bare. It was performed during the ninety-minute launch event at London's Roundhouse on 22 October, with the performance captured and broadcast live by BBC Radio 2 as part of their esteemed In Concert series.
Charts
Weekly Charts
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) [14] | 4 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [15] | 14 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [16] | 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [17] | 9 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [18] | 2 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) [19] | 1 |
| Norway (VG-lista) [20] | 8 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] | 2 |
| UK Singles (OCC) [22] | 1 |
| West Germany (GfK) [23] | 7 |
Year-end Charts
| Chart (1975) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) [24] [25] | 15 |
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders) [26] | 18 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [27] | 13 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) [28] | 14 |
| Germany (Official German Charts) [29] | 27 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [30] | 11 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Silver | 250,000 ^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.