Another great War song is "Slippin' Into Darkness". Incredibly soulful vocals over a stripped down reggae like groove. Sooooooo good. Stank face worthy 👍
The main "horn riff" is actually a harmonica riff played by their full-time harmonica player Lee Oskar, who later became famous for his Lee Oskar harmonica line.
Back in the 70's it was not unusual to have a full time percussionist ,a full time harmonica player, and assorted horns and keyboards along with a pumping rhythm section like this band ( and The J Geils Band too !) It pays off when when you hear the full sonic saturation with so much to listen to ! Even as youngsters we tried to figure out how these big lineup bands got decently paid when you have twelve guys (or more ) in the band like Mandrill , The Trammps,Tower of Power ,Santana , Chicago , Blood Sweat and Tears and The Ohio Players .
They had several big hits including The world is a ghetto,why can’t we be friends,Summertime,Cisco kid,etc! There are several versions they have of this song also!
Yup! Totally agree! Gives me sort of the same feeling as "It Never Rains in Southern California"-- not so much musically, but emotionally. That one is also a good 1-hit wonder they should hear!
I think this song is the closest to "universally loved" I can think of. Never met a person who didn't love it, like it, or think it was cool. I'm sure those people are out there, I don't know any of them.
All the ways this song has been used over the years, and no one has mentioned "Dazed and Confused". TWO volumes of soundtrack album. The definitive Class of '77 chronicle set on the day they/we became seniors. As for myself, I was stone deaf that day because of the Paul McCartney & Wings concert at the Seattle Kingdome the night before.
The song ends too quickly; it always leaves me wanting much more. That sax at the end should have been a solo and then a callback to the hypnotic main riff. Why Can't We Be Friends by War was one of my favourite songs when I was almost a teen in 1975. You should react to it. Its message is still relevant, unfortunately.
In high school when this came out and didn't think much of it except at least it wasn't disco. I appreciate it much more decades later. At the time I was so much more into melody. now I can totally appreciate it for the groove.
I forgot about Me And Baby Brother. Another great song. I saw “War” perform once in a postgame concert one after a Didgers game but as with a lot bands that have been around a long time there may have been one original member in the group.
An absolute classic. I remember, growing up, the local Radio Shack, would use this song to demonstrate the capabilities of their stereo speakers. It was either Low Rider or Dark Side of The Moon.
It's funny how Lee Oskar drove this song completely on his harmonica! Yes, his use of articulation and tone is horn like in this song. He can also play like butter. I'm traveling right now to see him live tonight. :)
Low Rider is an all time classic. Cisco Kid and Why Can't We Be Friends are a couple other classics by War. Also check out their work with Eric Burdon. Spill The Wine is another classic.
Yep, when I was little, people would play this song while driving their lowriders. In the 70s they were a big thing in California... atleast where I was.
I love the reaction, I will be the first to admit this I have a 1990 Cadillac Brougham its a big car and I have a CD that I have this song as the first one and on days I have no where to go to I just play that song with the windows rolled down and cruise and love every minute of it.
CHEECH & CHONGS - UP IN SMOKE & also GEORGE LOPEZ tv show was another use of this fun song. Never fails to make the Latin surface out of everyone in one way or another!
Another funk group that putout some great music is The Brothers Johnson. Please choose one of their songs i.e. Stomp!, I’ll be good to you, Strawberry letter 22 ,etc. The essence of funk!
I'm going to be surprised if you guys have never heard this somewhere but if you haven't I'm really looking forward to watching you dig this. This is the ultimate overall groove song.
These guys used to rehearse at the Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach California… growing up as a kid, taking swimming lessons we heard them jamming all the time… the background soundtrack of my childhood…
...and the intro to Cheech&Chong's UP IN SMOKE. But this song takes me back to the summer I graduated HS - it was an instant classic. It always feels cut down for time. Try Eric Burdon & War - SPILL THE WINE from 1970. It's just so very fine.
My own personal opinion is Don’t Let No One Get You Down is the stone cold classic off Why Can’t We Be Friends. War was so critical to early and mid seventies music.
Back in the day I convinced my little brother this was Carlos Santana. He believed that for decades. He was salty when found out the truth but I still think it was hilarious
War is a criminally overlooked group. Ex Animals lead singer Eric Burdon helped form the group. They were actually originally called Eric Burdon and War. Their best hits include: "Slipping Into Darkness", "Summer", "Why Can't We Be Friends", "All Day Music", "The World Is A Ghetto", "The Cisco Kid" and an incredible duet with Eric Burdon, "Spill The Wine".
WAR has a HUGE library of great tunes you must get a listen to. I had the good fortune to see the Original band lineup LIVE twice , Once at the ol' Reseda Club, then at the Sunset House Of Blues! Always was a great fun time seeing them JAM OUT on stage! Great tunes by them you should also check "Me And Baby Brother", "You Got The Power", "Outlaw", and "Heartbeat"....!!
I'm 7-8, mom driving down State street, South Gate, Los Angeles, blonedest family ever, stooping down, low riding, just digging this song 😁 Please, please listen to "Summer" - literally perfect for Summertime .(Oh Sly & the family Stone - Hot Fun in the Summertime - get that playlist ready! ✌)
This was the consummate summer song back in the day!I really would love if you would check out another overlooked song by Earth, Wind & Fire... check out "That's the Way of the World" ... I guarantee you will get lost in the sauce in that beautiful song!
My girlfriend and I watched George Lopez all the way through last year. Neither of us had really seen it since childhood. It's a damn good sitcom. Underrated.
Was fortunate enough to see War perform at a small, dive club in the San Fernando Valley, CA long after their hey day. They were perfection. As good as I remembered them, only better. Lee Oskar on harmonica was incredible. Check out The World is a Ghetto, Slippin' into Darkness or All Day Music come to mind. Wonderful band.
"Cisco Kid" is another great War track.
When I was young, I watched the Cisco Kid, so I guess he is a friend of mine too.
That is a great tune.
Another great War song is "Slippin' Into Darkness". Incredibly soulful vocals over a stripped down reggae like groove. Sooooooo good. Stank face worthy 👍
This!!
Preach!
This song was so different from all other songs when it came out. Funky sound, great beat and the horns!
One of the best percussion and rhythm songs in my view. Such a classic.
You gotta watch the 'Low Rider' scene from 'Up in Smoke.' It's some classic Cheech, set to the perfect song.
Yes! I know they saw the movie but that would be a good scene to revisit. It was much funnier to me back then... it was a scream. Haha!
That's the image glued to this song for me. Cheech in his crop top and beanie polishing his classic low rider.
I’m 61, this song has just always been around. So many ways it just pops up. Thank God
57 I"m with ya brother
The main "horn riff" is actually a harmonica riff played by their full-time harmonica player Lee Oskar, who later became famous for his Lee Oskar harmonica line.
Whaaaattttt???? No way
Back in the 70's it was not unusual to have a full time percussionist ,a full time harmonica player, and assorted horns and keyboards along with a pumping rhythm section like this band ( and The J Geils Band too !) It pays off when when you hear the full sonic saturation with so much to listen to ! Even as youngsters we tried to figure out how these big lineup bands got decently paid when you have twelve guys (or more ) in the band like Mandrill , The Trammps,Tower of Power ,Santana , Chicago , Blood Sweat and Tears and The Ohio Players .
So...how did they...get paid?
WAR has a HUGE catalog of classic hits.
They had several big hits including The world is a ghetto,why can’t we be friends,Summertime,Cisco kid,etc! There are several versions they have of this song also!
spill the wine
Slippin’ Into Darkness
Love The World Is A Ghetto
Andy and Alex. Please check out "Keep on smiling" by Wet Willie. You might just love it
Yeah, love Jimmy Hall. Great harmonica!
Yup! Totally agree! Gives me sort of the same feeling as "It Never Rains in Southern California"-- not so much musically, but emotionally. That one is also a good 1-hit wonder they should hear!
A great vibe any time 🤗
@@gramps6334Blackberry Smoke’s version of Keep On Smiling is great and has Jimmy Hall on vocals and harmonica
😊great Southern band. Were a great live band
there song "why can't we be friends" feels SO good
I used to ride thru town with this cranked on my Pioneer 8 track , 200watt amp and 6 x 9 rear speakers.
In a rusty Datsun 210 lol
@@vampfashions 68 Dodge Dart 😁
This was our ultimate 8-track cassette cruise tune back then...😎
I think this song is the closest to "universally loved" I can think of. Never met a person who didn't love it, like it, or think it was cool. I'm sure those people are out there, I don't know any of them.
This was used in the opening of Cheech and Chong's 'Up In Smoke' movie. Now it's forever inseparable in my mind.
All the ways this song has been used over the years, and no one has mentioned "Dazed and Confused". TWO volumes of soundtrack album. The definitive Class of '77 chronicle set on the day they/we became seniors. As for myself, I was stone deaf that day because of the Paul McCartney & Wings concert at the Seattle Kingdome the night before.
The song ends too quickly; it always leaves me wanting much more. That sax at the end should have been a solo and then a callback to the hypnotic main riff. Why Can't We Be Friends by War was one of my favourite songs when I was almost a teen in 1975. You should react to it. Its message is still relevant, unfortunately.
Well you have to listen to the long version!
It's impossible to be depressed when this is playing. One of the best road songs ever!
In high school when this came out and didn't think much of it except at least it wasn't disco. I appreciate it much more decades later. At the time I was so much more into melody. now I can totally appreciate it for the groove.
1)Cisco Kid
2) "Me and Baby Brother"
3) Slipping into Darkness
4) Why Can't We be friends
Cisco Kid is a great song
I forgot about Me And Baby Brother. Another great song.
I saw “War” perform once in a postgame concert one after a Didgers game but as with a lot bands that have been around a long time there may have been one original member in the group.
three guys and a bass in the rhythm section who aren't tied to a grid, gets you this sauce.
This was my ringtone for years.
I lived near Los Angeles in the early 70s. There were lots of lowriders around. Fun memories!
Just one of those fun, upbeat songs everyone should have on rotation. I’ve loved this song since it first came out.
The performance & recording technique are incredible on this tune.
WAR : All Day Music. Such a kick back song
I always listen for that long sax note at the end. Love that.
An absolute classic. I remember, growing up, the local Radio Shack, would use this song to demonstrate the capabilities of their stereo speakers. It was either Low Rider or Dark Side of The Moon.
I saw them live in the 70's and Lee Oskar the Harmonica player stole the show!
Slippin into darkness - amazing song, long version
Alex you're over thinking it... stay in the pocket with Andy n groove...
Yeah some songs are just meant to be played with no analysis.
This song is soooo much fun to play on bass! The song had a great beat to it, and is oh so funky!
They have such an eclectic mix of hits- Spill the Wine, Cisco Kid, Why Can't We Be Friends, The World is a Ghetto, Summer, and Low Rider
They should definitely listen to "Spill The Wine"!
Don't forget "Galaxy"😳
winner of the 1975 mtv music award for best use of a cow bell in a rock video.
Good song to play really loud when you are driving.
You two have been doing this for years, can’t believe you just listened to this for the first time.
I am shocked that you haven't heard this before. A goto song to get in a funky mood.
Try by them a pure slice of funk with "Galaxy" and "Me and Baby Brother"
Brilliant.
Slipping Into Darkness.
It's funny how Lee Oskar drove this song completely on his harmonica! Yes, his use of articulation and tone is horn like in this song. He can also play like butter. I'm traveling right now to see him live tonight. :)
tower of power ❤😮 blood sweat n tears...great stuff thar mates...
My favorit War song is Summer. I would cruise the beach in my old Mustang convertible with a C.B. radio
I was first introduced to this song either watching VH1 Classic music videos or watching the movie “Dazed and Confused.”
Cisco Kid for more WAR
For that extended groove version of Low Rider check out some of Blues Travelers live covers.
All Day Music
by War
Low Rider is an all time classic. Cisco Kid and Why Can't We Be Friends are a couple other classics by War. Also check out their work with Eric Burdon. Spill The Wine is another classic.
Greatest bass riff ever of all time
You never heard Blondie's Atomic then...
WAR - Cisco Kid next fo sho!
I LOVE WAR (the band)!!!!! You should totally listen to "All Day Music" next!
All Day Music. Love that song
You have to check out the rest of their hits!! All day music, Summer, Spill The Wine.
Yep, when I was little, people would play this song while driving their lowriders. In the 70s they were a big thing in California... atleast where I was.
I love the reaction, I will be the first to admit this I have a 1990 Cadillac Brougham its a big car and I have a CD that I have this song as the first one and on days I have no where to go to I just play that song with the windows rolled down and cruise and love every minute of it.
CHEECH & CHONGS - UP IN SMOKE & also GEORGE LOPEZ tv show was another use of this fun song. Never fails to make the Latin surface out of everyone in one way or another!
Another funk group that putout some great music is The Brothers Johnson. Please choose one of their songs i.e. Stomp!, I’ll be good to you, Strawberry letter 22 ,etc. The essence of funk!
Yeah I suggested Stomp for a great bass line
Cisco kid and why can’t we be friends are my two favourite songs by War. Especially Cisco Kid
Never met one person that didn’t love this song!
Best party songs with the neighbors!!!!
I'm going to be surprised if you guys have never heard this somewhere but if you haven't I'm really looking forward to watching you dig this. This is the ultimate overall groove song.
Summertime was my fav...but always enjoyed when this song came on the radio! We kids would scream it out from the back seat.
This was a good one-groovy. I had forgotten all about it, thanks for the trip.
A&A, you'll love their "The Cisco Kid" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?" !!
These guys used to rehearse at the Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach California… growing up as a kid, taking swimming lessons we heard them jamming all the time… the background soundtrack of my childhood…
...and the intro to Cheech&Chong's UP IN SMOKE. But this song takes me back to the summer I graduated HS - it was an instant classic. It always feels cut down for time. Try Eric Burdon & War - SPILL THE WINE from 1970. It's just so very fine.
It just isn't summertime without War. You need to listen to their entire library of excellent music!
One of my favorite oldies!
Cruised many miles listening to Low Rider. Next listen to "All Day Music" and "Summertime"
Play this. Put your shades on. DRIVE!
My own personal opinion is Don’t Let No One Get You Down is the stone cold classic off Why Can’t We Be Friends. War was so critical to early and mid seventies music.
War has a lot of great songs that take me back to the 70s. All Day Music, You're Still a Young Man, and more... 👍👍👍
Wasn’t you’re still a young man tower of power?
Definitely unique! I put it in the same category with ZZ Top’s “La Grange”
You gents should listen to All Day Music (1971) and Summer (1976) by WAR.
Back in the day I convinced my little brother this was Carlos Santana. He believed that for decades. He was salty when found out the truth but I still think it was hilarious
I literally never noticed the guitar part of this song until the guy who is either Andy or Alex mentioned it.
Yeah, I was always too zoned in on the bass and percussion. Good observation by Alex!
War is a criminally overlooked group. Ex Animals lead singer Eric Burdon helped form the group. They were actually originally called Eric Burdon and War.
Their best hits include:
"Slipping Into Darkness", "Summer", "Why Can't We Be Friends", "All Day Music", "The World Is A Ghetto", "The Cisco Kid" and an incredible duet with Eric Burdon, "Spill The Wine".
They reacted to Spill the Wine long ago and knew the background at the time. Perhaps they forgot the Burdon involvement..
Right ! House of the Rising Sun!
"Why Can't We Be Friends" is a perfect late 70s pop song that sounds like it's from a totally different band.
Actually, Eric Burden was just paired with them due to circumstance. He didn't have anything to do with forming them.
@@ruelsmith He did have a big part of getting them known.
WAR has a HUGE library of great tunes you must get a listen to. I had the good fortune to see the Original band lineup LIVE twice , Once at the ol' Reseda Club, then at the Sunset House Of Blues! Always was a great fun time seeing them JAM OUT on stage! Great tunes by them you should also check "Me And Baby Brother", "You Got The Power", "Outlaw", and "Heartbeat"....!!
I always envision Cheech Marin dancing around his old Chevy in "Up In Smoke". The drummer said the upbeat was totally by mistake but it worked.
You guys NEED TO HEAR Green Onions by Booker T and the MG's. Promise you won't regret it.
Always fun! Don't miss, "City, Country, City".
I'm 7-8, mom driving down State street, South Gate, Los Angeles, blonedest family ever, stooping down, low riding, just digging this song 😁
Please, please listen to "Summer" - literally perfect for Summertime .(Oh Sly & the family Stone - Hot Fun in the Summertime - get that playlist ready! ✌)
Songs with full, rounded rhythm sections are generally more pleasing to my ear.
This was the consummate summer song back in the day!I really would love if you would check out another overlooked song by Earth, Wind & Fire... check out "That's the Way of the World" ... I guarantee you will get lost in the sauce in that beautiful song!
Oh my, yes!
Ahhhhhh...high school in the 70s. It was great.
My girlfriend and I watched George Lopez all the way through last year. Neither of us had really seen it since childhood. It's a damn good sitcom. Underrated.
That Harmonica player is a fella named Lee Oskar. When I want to relax, I reach for City, Country,City...and All Day Music!
Am I the only War fan who bought Lee Oskar's solo album??
@dickash1003 no, I had it too.
There's a video of them performing this live.
The fact no one here's mentioned waking up late at night to George Lopez with this song as the opening is actually criminal
This was a song I played cruising Whittier Blvd. when I was young. Great song.
There are 2 versions of this on The Best Of.
Listen to Summer; Cisco Kid; City, Country, City
It took me until adulthood to appreciate this song.
Cisco Kid is another War classic.
You’ll want to listen to All Day Music and Summer for those lazy grooves. All Day has some beautiful harmonizing and smooth organ work.
My favorite song featuring the cow bell.
This song is almost 50 yrs old and it's STILL played on the radio. That's gotta tell you something.
“Galaxy”is a kick butt song too by this group!!!
Now do Summertime. Their best song, IMO.
I'm with Andy on the groove. Changing this up would have ruined the vibe. In this one, it's all about the vibe.
Was fortunate enough to see War perform at a small, dive club in the San Fernando Valley, CA long after their hey day. They were perfection. As good as I remembered them, only better. Lee Oskar on harmonica was incredible. Check out The World is a Ghetto, Slippin' into Darkness or All Day Music come to mind. Wonderful band.
Check out War doing Cisco Kid