I’ve had one song on my “to blog about” list for this year and today is the day to put it out there. In my mind, the definitive version of “Going Down” was recorded by blues guitarist Freddie King. (I think I really came to know King’s name when Eric Clapton covered “I’m Tore Down”). Rollicking is the word I would use to describe the feel of this song.
Another thing I noticed about this song is the chord changes are descending or “going down” as King is singing the same thing in the lyrics. I wonder if there’s a fancy musical term for that?
The song was actually written by a musician named Don Nix. From what I’ve read, Nix was born in Memphis and had ties to Stax Records. The driving piano on the Freddie King version was played by Leon Russell.
Like many listeners, I didn’t know about any other versions out there. It turns out a group named Moloch actually recorded the original one. It has a heavier feel than the blues-tastic version by King.
The beauty of this song is there are close to 80 other versions out there. Some of those include The Who, Deep Purple, Tab Benoit, and Gary Hoey. Perhaps I’ll re-blog some time.
Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!
Mojo Horizon 