Way Down

"Way Down" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley. Recorded in October 1976, it was his last single released before his death on August 16, 1977. The song was written by Layng Martine, Jr. and was later covered by Status Quo and Cliffhanger.

Released as a single (with "Pledging My Love" on the B-side) on June 6, 1977, it was his current single when he died. It initially peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated August 6, 1977 and had fallen to number 53 on the chart for the week ending August 27, 1977. Thereafter it reversed direction and reached an even higher peak at #18 on 24 September - 1 October 1977. It reached #1 on the American Country chart the week he died and the British Pop charts a few weeks later, almost seven years after his previous UK #1 single, "The Wonder of You", in 1970. His previous single, "Moody Blue", had been a #1 hit on the US Country Charts earlier in 1977. "Way Down" was reissued in April 2005 and reached #1 on the UK singles chart.

The recording also features gospel bass singing legend J.D. Sumner singing the words "Way on down" at the end of each chorus, repeating the phrase at the end of the song while hitting a double low C note (three octaves below middle C). According to the Guinness Book of World Records it is the lowest recorded note ever produced by the human voice, first accomplished by Sumner in a 1966 recording of the hymn "Blessed Assurance."

Chart performance

See also

• List of posthumous number-one singles (UK)

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics