Diddley Daddy

"Diddley Daddy"
Single by Bo Diddley
B-side	"She's Fine, She's Mine"
Released	June 1955 (1955-06)[1]
Format	7" 45 RPM, 10" 78 RPM
Recorded	May 15, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois[2]
Genre	Rhythm and blues
Length	2:28
Label	Checker 819[1]
Writer(s)	Ellas McDaniel, Harvey Fuqua
Producer	Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Bo Diddley[2]
Bo Diddley singles chronology
"Bo Diddley" (April 1955) "Diddley Daddy" (June 1955) "Pretty Thing" (September 1956)

"Diddley Daddy" is a song by rock and roll musician Bo Diddley. The song was issued as a single on Checker Records in June 1955.^[1] It was Bo Diddley's second single, and followed on the heels of the success of "Bo Diddley." The song spent four weeks on the Billboard R&B chart in the summer of 1955,^[3] peaking at #11.^[4]

Writing and recording

The song was recorded on May 15, 1955 in Chicago. Originally called "Diddy Diddy Dum Dum,"^[5] it started out as a Billy Boy Arnold composition, which Leonard Chess, owner of Chess Records (Checkers was a subsidiary label of Chess), had heard Arnold play and wanted Diddley to record. However, Arnold had just signed a contract with Vee-Jay Records, and had recorded the song the day before at Universal Studios. When Chess wanted Arnold to sing the song, the latter realized he had a contract, responding, "I can't do it...I just recorded it for Vee-Jay." Chess responded, "Goddam! Ain't this a bitch!" A solution, however, was found on the spot: Diddley and Harvey Fuqua, who happened to be around, rewrote the lyrics.^[6]

As it happened, the harmonica player Little Walter was in the studio, and he asked Billy Boy Arnold for his harp; Walter plays the long solo after the first verse (Arnold plays harmonica on the B-side, "She's Fine, She's Mine"). Also decided at "the spur of the moment" was to have Chicago doo-wop group The Moonglows sing background vocals.^[6]

Critical praise

One of Bo Diddley's signature songs, "Diddley Daddy" evidenced Diddley's maturation process as an artist.^[7] It was described as a "terrific nugget"^[8] and an "infectious" "upbeat rocker".^[9] The Chicago Sun-Times said it combined "outrageous braggadocio with a beat that resounds like an endless sexual shudder."^[10]

Marking Diddley's popularity in England, the Rolling Stones, who early in their career often played Diddley songs live,^[11] covered the song (along with Diddley's "Road-Runner") on their first demo, recorded on March 11, 1963.^[12][13]

Bo Diddley, Diddley Daddy

The title of the song has come to stand for Bo Diddley himself, as evidenced from articles about Diddley by Val Wilmer^[14] and Stuart Colman.^[15] After Diddley's death, in 2008, the phrase directly referred to Diddley in various obituaries;^[16] the usage reflected Diddley's habit of self-reference^[17] as well as the way others talked about him, such as Tom Petty: "Elvis is King. But Diddley is Daddy."^[18]

Reissues

A Bo Diddley compilation CD issued in 1988 is also called Diddley Daddy.^[19] The song is featured on many greatest hits albums by Bo Diddley including 16 All-Time Greatest Hits and His Best.

Personnel

• Bo Diddley – lead vocals, lead guitar
• Little Walter – harmonica^[6]
• Jerome Green – maracas
• Clifton James – drums
• The Moonglows – backing vocals^[6]

Notable covers

• Chris Isaak, on Heart Shaped World (1989)^[9][20]
• The Pretty Things & Yardbirds Blues Band, on Chicago Blues Jam 1991 and Wine, Women & Whiskey (1994)^[21]
• Rolling Stones, first demo^[12][13]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Reviews of New R&B Records". Billboard: 47. June 11, 1955. http://books.google.com/books?id=iRwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47&dq=%22Diddley+Daddy%22&hl=en&ei=xD4OTaeKKMrnnQfNitTDDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=%22Diddley%20Daddy%22&f=false. Retrieved December 18, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} (1997) Album notes for His Best by Bo Diddley [CD liner]. United States: Chess Records/MCA Records (CHD-9373).
3. ^ Pruter, Robert (1996). Doowop: the Chicago scene. University of Illinois Press. p. 72. ISBN 9780252065064. http://books.google.com/books?id=j06dhDdsgioC&pg=PA1956-IA2&dq=%22Diddley+Daddy%22&cd=9#v=onepage&q=%22Diddley%20Daddy%22&f=false. 
4. ^ "Bo Diddley: Rhythm 'n' blues guitarist who was a formative influence on the development of rock 'n' roll". The Telegraph. 2008-06-02. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/2066171/Bo-Diddley.html. Retrieved 2009-12-13. 
5. ^ Living Blues 113-118: 27. 1994. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d} Glover, Tony; Scott Dirks, Ward Gaines (2002). Blues with a feeling: the Little Walter story. Routledge. pp. 147–48. ISBN 9780415937115. 
7. ^ Dalton, David; Lenny Kaye (1999). Rock 100: the greatest stars of rock's golden age. Cooper Square Press. p. 23. ISBN 9780815410171. 
8. ^ Loder, Kurt (February 12, 1987). Bo Diddley: The Rolling Stone Interview. Jann S. Wenner. p. F.2. Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20080606011121/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/21023405/bo_diddley_the_rolling_stone_interview/2. Retrieved 2009-12-10. 
9. ^ ^{a b} Roos, John (1998-06-13). "Better Off Dread: Chris Isaak's Gift Is Pain". Los Angeles Times: p. F.2. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/30170876.html?dids=30170876:30170876&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+13%2C+1998&author=JOHN+ROOS&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=POP+MUSIC+REVIEW%3B+Better+Off+Dread%3A+Chris+Isaak%27s+Gift+Is+Pain&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2009-12-10. 
10. ^ Mcleese, Don (1986-09-12). "Diddley Spurs Trip to Heart of Rock Jungle". Chicago Sun-Times: p. 3. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB36D21E77A19BD&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2009-12-10. 
11. ^ Paytress, Mark (2003). The Rolling Stones: off the record. Omnibus Press. p. 31. ISBN 9780711988699. http://books.google.com/books?id=toSbe1xQxToC&pg=PA31. 
12. ^ ^{a b} Wyman, Bill; Ray Coleman (1997). Bill Wyman, Stone alone: the story of a rock 'n' roll band. Da Capo Press. p. 123. ISBN 9780306807831. http://books.google.com/books?id=Zi79b9a2o0sC&pg=PA123. 
13. ^ ^{a b} Stout, Gene (1986-02-07). "Bo Diddley Keeps Rock Rolling Along Path He Blazed Years Ago". Seattle Post-Intelligencer: p. 9. http://www.seattlepi.com/archives/1986/8601030848.asp. Retrieved 2009-12-10. 
14. ^ Wilmer, Valerie (1979-05-06). "The Grand Diddley Daddy of Rock 'n' Roll". The Observer. 
15. ^ Stuart Colman, "Bo Diddley: The Diddley Daddy," in "They Kept on Rockin'; The Giants of Rock 'n' Roll". Poole: Blandfort. 1982. pp. 73–82. 
16. ^ "Diddley Daddy: Rock Pioneer Fathered More Than a Beat". Washington Times. 2008-06-06. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=121263AB7744DD60&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2009-12-10. 
17. ^ Larkin, Colin (1995). The Guinness encyclopedia of popular music, Volume 2. Guinness. p. 162. ISBN 9781561591763. 
18. ^ "Rockers mourn Diddley the Daddy". The Standard. 2008-06-04. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=18&art_id=66740&sid=19190512&con_type=1. Retrieved 2009-12-10. 
19. ^ Strong 303.
20. ^ Strong, Martin Charles; John Peel (2004). The great rock discography. Cannongate. p. 743. ISBN 9781841956152. http://books.google.com/books?id=_WoRAPJQ58sC&pg=PA743. 
21. ^ Strong 841.