Tell me about the greatness of Bo Diddley.

In four decades of music listening, even during a long period when all i listened to was rock, or rock & roll the man wasn't even close to being on my radar. Sure i knew of him, mostly from the odd mention in some article i'd read, and hearing The Animals cover of ''Bo Diddley'' but honestly i've always assumed he must've been some one hit wonder, or novelty act like Chubby Checker, or ''gasp'' The Big Bopper.

So this week i get a bunch of old records from a friend's parents collection and one of them was a Chess Records original pressing of the debut album, sadly the record is pretty beat up, and not a keeper, but i was blown away by both the music and sonics. This to me is what rock & roll should be, and sound like, and even though this stuff is six decades old, it sounds incredibly fresh, at least to my ears.

I've decided i'm not gonna waste my time looking for good original copies, and have since ordered the Sundazed vinyl, and also the Friday Music release of the second album ''Go-Bo Diddley''. I can't wait till i get my hands on both.

 

The Jesus and Mary Chain have sung that Bo Diddley Is Jesus.
That’s high provocative praise!

 

I started a similar thread a few years back:

Bo Diddley was REALLY great!

 

The first two albums are essential to any music collection.

 

Always liked the performance in Pennebaker's Sweet Emotion. The start of the film has Hells Angels and The Doors (Ray Manzarek at 2.51) going to the Toronto festival. The 2nd half of the Youtube clip has Bo Diddley.

 

Sadly, all I have now of Bi Diddley is a two-CD compilation. It's a good set but I miss the albums I used to have.

 

I have the mid 80's Chess reissue of the debut. Great album.

 

Hey Steve Hoffman. I'm listening to Bo's Beach Party on Spotify. I'm wondering if you got a hold of the masters from those old live albums, what could you do with them? Would today's technology allow you to go in and get the most out of those recordings or is the quality of those masters too low to begin with to make a significant difference?

I'm not much of an audiophile so you might to dumb down your answer for me.

 

Was playing this a few days ago great stuff.

 

He's a god, really. You could even make the case that he's only slightly less important than Chess label-mate Chuck Berry. There are so many '60s bands who covered his songs (the Pretty Things named themselves after a Bo tune of course). If you're into garage rock, then more of those types of groups covered his material than Chuck's.

I'm not a vinyl guy but if you're into CDs then by all means try to pick up the three Hip O Select sets of Bo's '50s material, then the live album Bo Diddley's Beach Party. Essential for any rock 'n' roll collection.

 

Bo was king. Listen to the guitar insanity of “Bo’s Bounce” and you’ll get it. While Chuck Berry was giving us his classic hopped-up versions of T-Bone Walker and Gate Brown, Bo was off in the stratosphere, dishing out electric rave ups and elemental Bo Diddley beat anthems.

I got to meet Bo twice, once backstage when he opened for the Clash and once when he plopped down beside me at a hotel restaurant counter in Hollywood. Both times, he couldnt have been nicer. And during the backstage encounter, even Joe Strummer and Mick Jones sidled up to listen to his tales.

 

All-time best Bo comp.

 

Bo is awesome. His career, commercially and creatively, seems to have petered out in the 60s, like Little Richard (who did do some fine albums in the early 70s), and Chubby Checker (who did record the great Chequered in thee early 70s), effectively landing him in the oldies circuit. I had a horrible 80s cd with drum machines that he did. All based on my possible ignorance though!

 

Bo Diddley was truly great!

 

I’m not a music historian, so perhaps my ignorance will show by asking this question, but didn’t Diddley *invent* the “Bo Diddley beat” that you can hear in so many of his songs? Just as recognizable as a reggae beat or a disco beat. And yeah, he was really good.

 

Thank's to this forum, who led me.

 

Nah, that's called "Shave and a haircut." He popularized it though, and when you hear it in a song you associate it with him.

 

As in the old tune, “shave and a haircut, two bits”? You’re right, I can totally see that!

 

Yeah, he put a little spin on it, so that it's not exactly the same - so in that sense you could say he invented it.

 

love bo! I recommend tracking down the live album called "i'm a man". it has a 14 minute version of "hey, bo diddley" that is unbelievable.

 

Bo Diddley was also a Lover and a Gunslinger!

 

and a black gladiator!!

 

Bo, Little Richard and. Chuck Berry were the 3 kings of early rock.

 

He's also instrumental in the development of the blues lick "duh-duh, da - DUH." To wit:

Muddy Waters - "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" - 1954
Bo Diddley - "I'm a Man" - 1955

Muddy recorded the blues classic "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" in '54, though doubtless, the lick had been around before that. Bo, who was also on Chess, replied the next year with the immortal "I'm a Man," which used almost the same guitar lick. Both songs are about as elemental as blues or rock 'n' roll in the '50s got.

To further our story, next we have:

Yardbirds - "I'm a Man" - 1965
Count Five - "Psychotic Reaction" 1966

The Yardbirds rock up the blues with their epic cover of "I'm a Man" in which Jeff Beck creates one of the most iconic solos of the mid '60s. It also popularized the "rave-up" wherein the band plays faster and faster, reaching a crescendo, or peak, with a frantic Beck playing at the top of the neck. The Count Five copied this formula perfectly with the garage rock classic "Psychotic Reaction." Many other garage bands imitated this formula. It lasted well into the '70s. For example:

David Bowie - "Jean Genie" - 1973

Here we have Bowie's original song being modeled after the Yardbirds, with a little rave-up reminiscent of "I'm a Man." There's really no Bo Diddley left by this time. What we have here is a song in homage to a cover of a Bo tune.

I guess I should add that when Muddy heard Bo's "I'm a Man," he came up with the even more rough "Mannish Boy" which really utilized that blues lick.

 

I started with “Bo Diddley: 6 classic albums plus singles, sessions & live tracks” on Real Gone Records (a European public domain label)

four full cds if greatness at a bargain price.