Jojo, Loan Me A Dime. I’m On The Lowdown.
When Boz Scaggs came crashing into the Billboard Top 10 in August 1976 with his ultra-funky Lowdown (the second of eight consecutive Top 40 hits), he was an unknown to many who listened to the radio. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits lists him as a “pop/rock singer”; for most of us, he was a breath of fresh radio air amidst the pummeling, sappiness of disco at 120 B.P.M.
But, Boz Scaggs was far more than a disco-era overnight success. In fact, his career dated back to the late 50′s when he sang blues with the Marksmen, with his prep school friend, Steve Miller. After working in two more blues bands with Miller while at the University of Wisconsin, Scaggs bounced through a couple more bands in a couple more cities before landing on the street corners of Europe, singing for his supper (literally).
After a failed record for Mercury in 1965, he returned to Northern California where he rejoined Miller to record Children of the Future and Sailor. With the help of Jann Wenner, Scaggs signed a solo deal with Atlantic and recorded his eponymous debut. It was a critical but costly success: along with lackluster sales, the song Loan Me A Dime (featuring Duane Allman) became the subject of a (successful) lawsuit by bluesman Fenton Robinson, who claimed ownership of the song.
Scaggs’ career continued to amble along with some terrific albeit unnoticed records full of R&B and blues until 1976, when he teamed with a cadre of west coast studio cats (like David Paich, Jeff Porcaro and Tom Scott) to score big with Silk Degrees.
Scaggs is still around, still recording, looking youthful and energized. His Greatest Hits Live DVD, recorded at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, is particularly strong, featuring a variety of tunes from all eras of his career.
Boz Scaggs – Loan Me A Dime
Boz Scaggs -Lowdown
Boz Scaggs -JoJo
“Loan Me A Dime” was the first Boz I ever heard, on the first Duane Allman anthology. Time dithered on. And when “Silk Degrees” came out, I slowly began to collect Boz’ work. Some of it gives me chills, some just helps me chill. (Sorry!) All of it — even the much-maligned “Some Time” — is worth hearing. Nice post!
Thanks for the props, White. I have a Duane anthology on vinyl; might be the same one as you mention. I’ll have to dig it out. I recall some good stuff on it. Thanks, too, for dropping by AMD. (Upcoming: Steve Young — original version of “Seven Bridges Road” — and Hoyt Axton’s great take on “Gypsy Woman” — courtesy of Frisian.) Namaste. MJ@F45
I was turned on to Boz by the ‘Loan Me A Dime’ also. Still remains my favorite track by him, and I also posted it a while ago along with ‘Some Time’. Not fond of him jumping on to the ‘standards’ bandwago, but his earlier output is better than most know. Nice post!