Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley - CHESS Records - GCH 8026
Originally released 1958

Side A
Bo Diddley
I'm A Man
Bring It To Jerome
Before You Accuse Me
Hey! Bo Diddley
Dearest Darling

Side B
Hush Your Mouth
Say Boss Man
Diddley Daddy
Diddy Wah Diddy
Who Do You Love
Pretty Thing

Where would we be without Bo Diddley, it hardly bears thinking about. There are very few bands that do not owe a direct or indirect debt to him. Along with Chuck Berry his music influenced a generation of beat groups and British R&B groups who in turn influenced US garage bands, who all went on to influence psychedelia and rock in all its many forms on both sides of the Atlantic. It's safe to say the musical landscape of the last 60 years would have been very different without the 'Bo Diddley Beat'.

Bo signed to Chess in 1955 and his first release 'Bo Diddley/I'm A Man' was an instant success reaching No.1 in the US R&B charts. His third single 'Pretty Thing/Bring It To Jerome' was also released in the UK in 1963 and got to No.34 in the charts, giving a certain bunch of long haired musicians from London a name for their new band. This is Bo's first album, released by Chess Records in 1958 and is made up entirely from the A and B sides of singles released between 1955 and 1958. There's not a bad track on it, it's all top notch R&B and should live in everyone's record collection. If you don't already have it, get yourself to your nearest record dealer and buy a copy, it's essential listening!

Here are my two favourite tracks from the album, 'Dearest Darling' and 'Who Do You Love' and a live version of 'Bo Diddley' performed on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1955......