The immense legacy of the Bo Diddley guitar rhythm has now influenced musicians for greater than 60 years. However for about two of these, the trailblazer from McComb, Mississippi was a sizzling property himself on the American R&B singles chart.
He made his indelible debut with the self-titled and sometimes self-reverential “Bo Diddley,” backed with “I’m A Man.“ Then on July 16, 1955 , he followed that brilliant single on the Chess subsidiary Checker into the charts with “Diddley Daddy.”
The equally infectious tune might not have been in a position to mirror the success of Diddley’s debut, which topped the R&B bestsellers for 2 weeks and would ultimately win a spot within the Grammy Corridor of Fame. However “Diddley Daddy” was, however, an all-star occasion.
Alongside Bo’s deathless guitar, it boasted two fellow acts from the Chess secure, with a solo by the harmonica grasp himself, Little Walter Jacobs. The R&B chart common had simply topped the countdown together with his signature “My Babe.” Backing vocals have been by the Moonglows, themselves having fun with their third hit on the time with “We Go Together.”
As an illustration of the close-knit construction of the Chess and Checker rosters, that Moonglows tune had a joint lead vocal by group member Harvey Fuqua, who co-wrote “Diddley Daddy” and naturally went on to be a key determine within the early rise of Motown.
Take heed to the Blues For Freshmen playlist on Spotify.
By comparability to his debut hit, Diddley’s new single spent a modest 4 weeks on the survey, peaking at No.11. However “Diddley Daddy” maintained the influence he was making on many younger ears. That included these of the Rolling Stones, who lower the tune as a part of their first demo in February 1963, with Little Walter’s harmonica half performed by Brian Jones.
Purchase or stream “Diddley Daddy” on I’m A Man: The Chess Masters, 1955-1958.
