“Slow Ride” by Foghat isn’t just a song; it’s a raw, pulsating slice of 1970s rock and roll excess. From its suggestive lyrics to its extended runtime, the track became a signature tune for the British band who found fame and fortune in the US. But what’s the real story behind this classic Song Slow Ride? Let’s delve into the creation and impact of Foghat’s iconic hit.
The song kicks off with a primal drum beat, reminiscent of the rhythmic banging of a headboard, immediately setting a suggestive tone. A sleazy slide guitar riff slithers in, followed by Dave Peverett’s vocals, urging his “slow-ridin’ woman” to “slow down, go down, hold me, roll me…” As drummer Roger Earl frankly admits, the innuendo is hardly subtle. “Of course Slow Ride is about sex,” he laughs. “All rock’n’roll songs are about sex, aren’t they? It’s either ‘I’ve just done it’ or ‘I’m thinking about doing it’ or ‘Thank you for letting me do it.’ It was inspired by women. We were very popular back then. It was the middle of the 70s, the band was doing really well and we had more money than sense.”
By 1975, Foghat was enjoying the fruits of their labor in the US, but the departure of bassist Tony Stevens threatened to derail their momentum. Earl describes them as feeling like a “three-wheeled Cadillac.” However, their long-time producer, Nick Jameson, stepped in to fill the void. “Our long-time producer, Nick Jameson, had played bass in his first band, so I said: ‘You want to join a band?’” Earl recounts. The magic happened during a jam session in the basement of a house Earl shared with guitarist Rod Price on Long Island. It was there that “Slow Ride” began to take shape.
“We played for five or six hours that day,” Earl continues. While Dave Peverett is officially credited as the songwriter, Earl reveals the collaborative nature of its creation. “Everybody wrote Slow Ride. If anybody should get something, Nick should, because he wrote the middle-eight and all the bass parts, and said: ‘Go bang at the start, Rog.’ He’s a talented bastard.” The rhythmic foundation of the song was inspired by the legendary John Lee Hooker. Earl clarifies, “The rhythm was a John Lee Hooker riff that we sort of straightened out. It wasn’t copied, it was inspired. You only get in trouble if you steal people’s melodies and words, as Led Zeppelin did.” The band’s deep appreciation for blues pioneers like Hooker, Elmore James, and Robert Johnson heavily influenced their sound.
The raw energy of that basement jam was initially captured on cassette. Recognizing the song’s potential, Foghat secured funds from Bearsville Records to refine it. They sought a secluded environment to focus on perfecting “Slow Ride”. Earl and Jameson packed their gear into a station wagon and headed to Suntreader Studio in Sharon, Vermont, nestled “right on the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere.” They spent a month immersed in recording.
The recording process wasn’t without its challenges. “We got halfway through recording Slow Ride when the power went out, as it often did up there, when the locals would drive into a power line or a bear ran into them,” Earl remembers. This unexpected interruption forced a three-week hiatus. Upon their return, they seamlessly picked up where they left off. “When the power came back, we turned on the machines, I sat down in the drum room and got the tempo and Nick punched me in. We had a three-week break before finishing the song.” Earl expresses a particular fondness for the studio version, appreciating the subtle nuances like “the old telephone dial tone you can hear in the middle.”
After mixing “Slow Ride” and “Save Your Loving,” Foghat presented them to Paul Fishkin, head of Bearsville Records. Despite liking the tracks, Fishkin was hesitant about releasing an eight-minute single, believing rock radio favored ballads. Earl and Jameson stood their ground. “Nick and I said: ‘Fuck off. Yes we can.’ He said: ‘But it’s a rock’n’roll song, people want ballads.’ And we said: ‘Fuck off. It’s gonna be the single.’” “Slow Ride” became the only song Foghat ever insisted on releasing as a single. While they won the battle, radio stations ultimately edited the track for airplay.
Released in late 1975, “Slow Ride” proved to be a pivotal moment for Foghat. It climbed to No. 20 on the US charts, a significant achievement even though they never charted in the UK. Interestingly, its success coincided with the disco era. As Peverett noted in 1995, “The disco years were the best years for Foghat. It was almost like a counter-movement… the whole ‘disco sucks’ thing.” Earl vividly recalls the first time he heard “Slow Ride” on the radio while in Louisiana. Walking into a fish and chip store, he was greeted by their own song playing on the airwaves.
The financial success of “Slow Ride” allowed Earl to indulge in a 1971 Lamborghini Miura SV. He reflects on the perks of fame, “It was terrific being well-known. We weren’t like some bands, where you can’t go out and have dinner or get drunk and be stupid. Success with music is what we all strive for… I loved it. It’s much better to be rich than to be poor.” While guitarist Rod Price struggled with fame, Earl embraced it.
Even today, “Slow Ride” retains its popularity, partly due to its use in various commercials and video games like Guitar Hero. Earl notes, “Honda used it in a commercial, Guitar Hero brought in a whole new audience, various hamburger joints have used it.” Despite its commercial applications, the song’s raw energy remains potent. In 2009, VH1 recognized its enduring appeal, ranking it as the 45th best rock song in history. As the sole original member still in Foghat, Earl expresses his satisfaction with the song’s lasting impact. “Oddly enough, Slow Ride is as popular today as it was back then, probably more so. Even now, when there are 10,000 people out there screaming their heads off, it’s difficult not to get chills. I find that really gratifying, because it means that maybe the music we wrote back in the 70s actually means something and has stood the test of time.” “Slow Ride” is more than just a song; it’s a testament to the enduring power of rock and roll.
