"Slow Down" is a 24-bar blues written and performed by Larry Williams. Released as a single in 1958, it was a rhythm and blues hit that influenced the growing Rock & Roll movement of the time. It was released as a 7" single (45RPM). The A-Side was "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" and the B-Side was "Slow Down", which were both covered by The Beatles in 1965 and 1964, respectively.

The Beatles version[link]

The Beatles covered the song early in their career and eventually recorded a version and released it on their Long Tall Sally EP single in the UK. Not long after, the song was released in the U.S. on its own, as the B-side of 1964's "Matchbox" single (also a 12-bar blues, from the Long Tall Sally EP), reaching #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also included in the 1988 Past Masters and 1994 Live at the BBC compilation albums.

Ian MacDonald criticised the performance as "one of the Beatles' least successful rock-and-roll covers", lacking "bottom, drive and basic cohesion" and stated that "[Lennon's] guitar solo is embarrassing and the sound balance a shambles". He also pointed out the edit at 1:14 whereupon the piano momentarily disappears and McCartney's bass becomes inaudible. ^[1] Starr can likewise be heard to lose time during the song.

Personnel[link]

• John Lennon – vocals, lead guitar
• Paul McCartney – bass
• George Harrison – rhythm guitar
• Ringo Starr – drums
• George Martin – piano

Personnel per The Beatles Bible^[2]

Other cover versions[link]

The Jam recorded a version on their debut album, In the City. It was also a regular feature of their early live sets.

Led Zeppelin performed an abridged, searing hard-rock cover of the song during their June 25, 1972, concert at the The Forum (Inglewood, California), as part of the medley following Whole Lotta Love. The recording is featured on the popular bootleg Burn Like a Candle but not on the officially-released album of the show, How the West Was Won.

Hawkwind offshoot Inner City Unit frequently covered the song at live shows. In the months prior to his death in 1980, former Tyrannosaurus Rex percussionist Steve Peregrin Took had been frequently providing guest lead vocals on the song.

The Dutch rock band Golden Earring recorded a version on their 1981 2nd Live album and also released "Slow Down" as a single.

The song was covered as a part of the Backbeat soundtrack by a supergroup consisting of Dave Grohl, Dave Pirner, Thurston Moore, Mike Mills, Greg Dulli and Don Fleming (of Gumball). Grohl played drums in a live cover of the song with The Unseen.

Brian May recorded a version in 1997, intending to release an album of covers, tentatively called Heroes. He changed the nature and approach of the album, dropping the "covers" idea and focusing on his collaborations and new songs of the time. "Slow Down" survived the change and appeared on the new album, Another World, released in 1998. This version features May on vocal and lead guitar, Cozy Powell on drums, Jamie Moses on guitar, Spike Edney on keyboards and Neil Murray on bass. It was recorded on the same day as the five recorded covers of "Maybe Baby", "It's Only Make Believe" and "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame", all for the Heroes album. The first two tracks ended up as B-sides to various singles from the album and "Marie" was not released, though it was leaked to the public (much to May's consternation)^[3] in 2006.

American rock band Zebra covered the song on their debut album, as did the King Earl Boogie Band on their live album Loaded & Live, released in 2009.

A version also appears on the joint album by Jools Holland and Tom Jones released in 2005.

The Japanese band Carol (featuring Eikichi Yazawa on vocals and bass) performed a cover quite similar to the version recorded by the Beatles, sans piano.

Also covered by The Rascals and by Crow.

References[link]

Larry Williams (May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980^[1]) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Williams is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to 1959 for Specialty Records, including "Bony Moronie", "Short Fat Fannie", "High School Dance" (1957), "Slow Down", "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" (1958), "Bad Boy" and "She Said Yeah" (1959), which were later covered by British Invasion groups and other artists.^[2] John Lennon, in particular, was a fan of Williams, recording several of his songs over the course of his career. "Bony Moronie" is listed as one of the Top 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll.^[3]

Williams lived a life mixed with tremendous success and violence-fueled drug addiction. He was a long-time friend of Little Richard.^[4]

Career[link]

As a child in New Orleans, Williams learned how to play piano.^[1] When he was a teenager, he and his family moved to Oakland, California, where he joined a local R&B group called the Lemon Drops.^[1] In 1954, Williams went back to New Orleans for a visit. He began work as Lloyd Price's valet^[1] and played in the bands of Price, Roy Brown and Percy Mayfield.^[5] In 1955, Williams met and developed a friendship with Little Richard Penniman, who was recording at the time in New Orleans.^[6] Price and Penniman were both recording for Specialty Records. Williams was introduced to Specialty's house producer, Robert Blackwell, and was signed to record.^[1]

In 1957, Little Richard was Specialty's biggest star, but bolted from rock and roll to pursue the ministry. Williams was quickly groomed by Blackwell to try to replicate his success. Using the same raw, shouting vocals and piano-driven intensity, Williams scored with a number of hit singles.^[1][6]

Williams' three biggest successes were "Short Fat Fannie", which was his first hit, reaching #5 in Billboard's pop chart, "Bony Moronie", which peaked at #14, and its flip "You Bug Me Baby" which made it to #45. "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" charted at #69 on Billboard the following year. Both "Short Fat Fannie" and "Bony Moronie" sold over one million copies, gaining gold discs.^[7]

Several of his songs achieved later success as revivals, by The Beatles ("Bad Boy", "Slow Down", and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy"), The Rolling Stones ("She Said Yeah") and John Lennon ("Bony Moronie" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy").

Williams had been involved with underworld activity since his early teens, and had reputedly been a pimp before he ever recorded music. After 1957 Williams did not have much success selling records. He recorded a number of songs in 1958 and 1959, including "Heebie Jeebies", with band members such as Plas Johnson on tenor sax and Jewel Grant on baritone, Rene Hall on guitar, Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Ernie Freeman or Williams himself on piano, and Earl Palmer on drums. He was convicted of dealing narcotics in 1960 and served a three-year jail term, setting back his career considerably.^[1]

Williams made a comeback in the mid-1960s with a funky soul band that included Johnny "Guitar" Watson, which paired him musically with Little Richard who had been lured back into secular music. He produced two Little Richard albums for Okeh Records in 1966 and 1967, which returned Little Richard to the Billboard album chart for the first time in ten years and spawned the hit single "Poor Dog".^[8] He also acted as the music director for the Little Richard's live performances at the Okeh Club. Bookings for Little Richard during this period skyrocketed.^[8] Williams also recorded and released material of his own and with Watson, with some moderate chart success. This period may have garnered few hits but produced some of his best and most original work.

Williams also began acting in the 1960s, appearing on film in Just for the Hell of It (1968), The Klansman (1974), and Drum (1976).^[9]

In the 1970s, there was also a brief dalliance with disco, but Williams' wild lifestyle continued. By the middle of the decade, the drug abuse and violence were taking their toll. In 1977, Williams pulled a gun on and threatened to kill his long-time friend, Little Richard, over a drug debt. They were both living in Los Angeles and addicted to cocaine and heroin. Little Richard bought drugs from him, arranged to pay him later, but did not show up because he was high. Williams was furious. He hunted him down but ended up showing compassion on his long-time friend after Little Richard repaid the debt.^[10] This, along with other factors, led to Little Richard's return to born again Christianity and the ministry, but Williams would not escape LA's seedy underworld.

Death[link]

On January 7, 1980, Williams was found dead from a gunshot wound to his head in his Los Angeles, California home.^[1] He was 44 years old. The death was deemed suicide, though there was much speculation otherwise.^[1] No suspects were ever arrested or charged.

Martin Allbritton as Larry Williams[link]

A Southern Illinois drummer and blues singer by the name of Martin Allbritton claims to be Larry Williams, alive and well. This claim originated at about the time Larry Williams was found dead. He did record and perform as a drummer for Bobby "Blue" Bland in the 1960s.^[11] Albritton has toured the country performing under the moniker of "Big" Larry Williams, and has gone so far as to claim that he recorded the hits "Bony Moronie" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy". He did record an album in 1990 called Street Party with the Mellow Fellows band, previously headed by Big Twist.^[11] While touring with the Mellow Fellows in Chicago, Allbritton was confronted by Etta James, who knew Larry Williams.

Williams' family members have asked him to cease any future reference to "Larry Williams". Allbritton has so far refused, and presently continues to use the name.^[12]

Selective list of recorded cover versions[link]

• "Bony Moronie": John Lennon, Johnny Burnette, Dr. Feelgood, Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels, Johnny Winter, Little Richard, Paul Jones,Bobby Comstock Showaddywaddy, The Who, Jumpin' Gene Simmons, The Shadows, Ritchie Valens, Bill Haley & His Comets, The Creation, Freddy Fender, The Aztecs, The Rebel Rousers, The Standells, Hush.
• "Bony Moronie" (plus Spanish version as "Popotitos"): Mike Ríos con Los Relámpagos, Alejandra Guzmán, Serú Girán, Luis Miguel, Dúo Dinámico, Ricky Martin
• "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy": Plastic Ono Band, The Beatles, New York Dolls, Flying Lizards, The Saints
• "She Said Yeah": The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Paul McCartney, Russ Ballard, Flamin' Groovies, The End, Pussy Galore
• "Slow Down": Alvin Lee, Blodwyn Pig, Episode Six, The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Johnny Hallyday, The Jam, Brian May, The Young Rascals
• "Short Fat Fannie": Little Richard, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, The Dovells, The Beatles
• "Groovy Little Suzy": Little Richard
• "Bad Boy": The Beatles, Rush, Teengenerate.

Singles[link]

• 1966 "This Old Heart (Is So Lonely)" / "I'd Rather Fight Than Switch" (Okeh#7259)
• 1967 Johnny Watson and Larry Williams - "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" / "A Quitter Never Wins" (Okeh#7274)
• 1967 "You Ask For One Good Reason / "I Am The One" (Okeh#7280)
• 1967 Johnny Watson and Larry Williams - "Too Late" / "Two For The Price Of One" (Okeh#7281)
• 1967 "Just Because" / "Just Because" (Okeh#7294)
• 1967 Johnny Watson and Larry Williams - "Find Yourself Someone To Love" / "Nobody" (Okeh#7300)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Biography at Concordmusic.com
• Fan website
• Article with a picture at NNDB
• Larry Williams discography
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Top 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll
• [1]
• Larry Williams at Find a Grave