Bo Diddley

[steelyman]

I don't recall if I told this before (apologies if I did). A friend ran a recording studio (he still owns it).

One time, Bo Diddley booked time to record his next CD. My friend acted as producer, which means you get the session band together. He picked some wise guys who wanted to play a joke on the drummer.

They told him Bo "wanted to go in new directions, not the old Bo Diddley beat. So whatever you do, don't play the Bo Diddley beat!". So the drummer exorcised it from his brain.

The session started and Bo had a new songlist.

He said "Gimme some of that Bo Diddley beat", The drummer froze.

"You don't know the Bo Diddley beat? I'm Bo Diddley, man!!!"

 

[ERD50]

I hope Bo Diddley thought it was funny!

-ERD50

 

[steelyman]

I hope Bo Diddley thought it was funny!



-ERD50

i bet he did. I wasn't at the session, but it's been one my favorite stories for 25 years!

 

[pb4uski]

Was he Diddley Squat's cousin?

 

[candrew]

Sorry......couldn't resist.

 

[steelyman]

Sorry......couldn't resist.

Thanks for posting - classic!

 

[steelyman]

That same beat has been used by so many other people, it's not funny. I remember going "Yeah!" when I heard Clapton doing it on "Willie And The Hand Jive".

 

[Nemo2]

Circa 1967 I worked for a musical instrument importer in Toronto......Bo was in town, (he used to play at the Coq d'Or and I rarely missed a show), and they wanted to have him endorse a guitar.......I picked him up at his kinda rundown hotel....adjacent rooms, girls in one, guys in the other.......(got to see 'Cookie' (unfortunately the late Cookie now), who was still a doll at the time).

We hopped into my VW Bug, (Bo's nephew, the bass player, aged about 17 IIRC, and about 6'7" tall, sat in the back with his knees almost touching the roof) - "Off we go in the Dune Buggy" yelled Bo!

 

[steelyman]

Here's some Mo of that Bo Diddley beat for 2015, the same tune but one more recent, followed by the original.

http://youtu.be/fC4A-AM5Fic

http://youtu.be/lu3VTngm1F0