Released April 1971 Genre Rock Label Columbia | Format 7" Length 3:35 | |
B-side "Loneliness Is Just a Word" | ||
"Lowdown" is a song written by Peter Cetera and Danny Seraphine for the rock band Chicago and recorded for their third album Chicago III (1971). It was the second single released from this album, and peaked at #35 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Cetera provided lead vocals while guitarist Terry Kath used a fuzzbox and wah-wah pedal for his guitar solo and Robert Lamm made prominent use of the Hammond organ. A Japanese-language version of the song was recorded in 1972 for the Japan market and released as a single. It would be released digitally on the Japan-only compilation CD The Heart of Chicago 1967-1971 Volume II Special Edition (green cover), which also contains "Questions 67 and 68" sung in Japanese.
The group performed the song live with the Japanese lyrics during tours of Japan in 1972, documented on the Live in Japan album.