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Released in 1964

Slow Down

Written by Larry Williams

Last updated on March 13, 2016

Album This song officially appears on the Long Tall Sally EP.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1964

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Other Larry Williams songs interpreted by McCartney

From Wikipedia:

“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

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 compilation. The song likewise appeared on the Capitol album “Something New“. A performance specifically recorded for broadcast by the BBC was released on the album Live at the BBC in 1994.

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 “The 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. Starr can likewise be heard to lose time during the song. […]

From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:

  • [a] mono 4 Jun 1964.
    UK: Parlophone GEP 8920 (EP) Long Tall Sally 1964, Parlophone PSLP 261 and PCM 1001 Rarities 1978-79.
    US: Capitol 5255 single 1964, Capitol T 2018 Something New 1964.
    CD: EMI EP box set 1991.
  • [b] stereo 22 Jun 1964.
    US: Capitol ST 2018 Something New 1964, Capitol SKBO-11537 Rock and Roll Music 1976.
    UK: Parlophone PCSP 719 Rock and Roll Music 1976.
    CD: EMI CDP 7 90043 2 Past Masters 1 1988.

Stereo [b] has the vocal and piano much louder (or one might say the rest is softer), and a cry “ow” is heard only in [b] just before the guitar at the end.

The vocal has a doubletracking error at what should be “now you got a boyfriend down the street” in verse 2. This is heard less distinctly in mono [a], as if the bad track were mixed down at that point, but it is there, marking it as the same vocal and not different as reported elsewhere. The bad vocal track seems to have “girlfriend” for “boyfriend”– however, on the BBC radio version (11 months earlier than this EMI recording) John sings “now you don’t care a dime for me”, which is possibly what is here too.

Lyrics

Well, come on pretty baby, won't you walk with me?

Come on, pretty baby, won't you talk with me?

Come on pretty baby, give me one more chance

Try to save our romance

Slow down

Baby, now you're moving way too fast

You gotta gimme little loving gimme little loving

Ow! If you want our love to last

Well, I used to walk you home, baby, after school

Carry your books home, too

But now you've got a boyfriend down the street

Baby what you trying to do?

You better slow down

Baby, now you're moving way too fast

You gotta gimme little loving, gimme little loving

Brrr! If you want our love to last

Well you know that I love you, tell the world I do

Come on, pretty baby, why can't you be true?

I need your loving baby, oh so bad

The best little woman I ever had

Slow down

Baby, now you're moving way too fast

You gotta gimme little loving, gimme little loving

Ow! If you want our love to last

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Slow Down”

Bootlegs

Live performances

“Slow Down” has been played in 1 concerts.

Latest concerts where “Slow Down” has been played

Paul McCartney writing

Talk more talk, chat more chat

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