Lowdown
Websites:
No
Origin:
London, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:
Lowdown formed in London, Ontario, in early 1982 when Doug Varty (guitar, vocals) and Brian Salt (drums, vocals) joined forces with Ted Floyd (bass). Floyd had been leading the band in earlier incarnations since the mid-1970s, but it was the arrival of Varty and Salt that completed the definitive lineup and set the group on course for national recognition.
Drawing on Varty’s experience with Sea Dog, Southcott, and Stutz, and combining it with Salt’s soaring falsetto and Floyd’s solid groove, the trio developed a radio-friendly mix of melodic rock, soul, and pop hooks. Their tight musicianship and polished harmonies quickly built a following across Ontario, leading to sessions for their debut independent album Love Ya in 1982 on Lady Records.
The follow-up, Gimme Some (1983), marked their commercial breakthrough. Its title track, written by Varty, reached #1 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart in December 1983, holding the top spot for ten weeks. The group signed a distribution deal with Globe Records the following year, extending their reach nationwide. A string of singles followed — “How Can You Say,” “I’m So Happy,” “The Girl’s Already Gone,” “No Doubt About It,” and “Baby I Know” — four of which hit the national Top 5 between 1983 and 1985.
Recorded at Wellesley Sound in Toronto and produced by Dee Long, “No Doubt About It” captured the band at its peak, balancing strong melodic sensibility with a crisp, modern pop/rock sound. RCA distributed the single and its B-side “The Girls Already Gone,” both of which became crowd favourites on tour.
From 1982 through 1996, Lowdown toured Canada extensively, performing from northern B.C. to the Maritimes and appearing regularly on Saskatchewan’s Telemiracle telethon for five consecutive years. They were fixtures at community fundraisers for the Kinsmen, Kinettes, Lions, and Rotary Clubs, and opened for The Beach Boys, John Mellencamp, Roy Orbison, Neil Sedaka, The Four Seasons, Del Shannon, Peter Noone, John Allan Cameron, Shirley Eikhard, Valdy, and B.J. Thomas.
By the early 1990s, Lowdown had evolved into one of Canada’s most dependable live acts, maintaining a steady schedule of club and festival shows before winding down in 1996. Their chart success, versatility, and relentless touring made them one of the most successful independent adult-contemporary bands of the 1980s — and an essential chapter in Doug Varty’s long musical journey.
-Robert Williston
