Slow It Down (East 17 song)

"Slow It Down"
Single by East 17
from the album Walthamstow
Released3 April 1993
Genre
Length4:45
LabelLondon
Songwriter(s)Tony Mortimer
East 17 singles chronology
"Deep"
(1993)
"Slow It Down"
(1993)
"West End Girls"
(1993)
Music video
"Slow It Down" on YouTube

"Slow It Down" is a song by British boy band East 17, released in April 1993 by London Records as the fourth single from their debut album, Walthamstow (1993). It was written by band member Tony Mortimer, and was a number one hit in Israel, as well as peaking within the top 10 in Lithuania. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the single was a top-20 hit.

Critical reception

In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote, "Feeling at last they may have found their niche, the aspiring teen sensations follow up the Top 10 success of "Deep" with another pop/rap track in a similar vein. Whether the same thing twice will sell remains to be seen - it's a tactic rivals Take That have deliberately steered clear of."[1] Roger Morton from NME said, "'Slow It Down', from the Number One Walthamstow record, is a tastefully constructed soul-rap smoocher which effectively approximates LL Cool J getting into a smouldering lurve mood with PM Dawn. Quality bumfluff and better hats than Take That!"[2] Tom Doyle from Smash Hits gave it two out of five, viewing it as "their weakest single to date."[3]

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Chris Clunn and Lawrence Watson.[4] It shows the band performing in front of a white backdrop. The video was later made available on YouTube in August 2020.[5]

Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
Position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[6] 39
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 12
Lithuania (M-1)[8] 8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[9] 14
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 50
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 13
UK Dance (Music Week)[12] 57

References

  1. ^ Masterton, James (4 April 1993). "Week Ending April 10th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  2. ^ Morton, Roger (3 April 1993). "Singles". NME. p. 19. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  3. ^ Doyle, Tom (17 March 1993). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 51. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  4. ^ "East 17: Slow It Down". IMDb. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  5. ^ "East 17 - Slow It Down (Official Video)". YouTube. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 18. 1 May 1993. p. 23. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  7. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Slow It Down". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  8. ^ "M-1 TOP 40". M-1.fm. 27 June 1993. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  9. ^ "East 17 – Slow It Down" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  10. ^ "East 17 – Slow It Down" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  11. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 17 April 1993. p. 30. Retrieved 9 April 2021.