Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From '' Bo Diddley ''
Label: Paris Tower – PT-140
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1969
Tracklist
A Bo Diddley
Written-By – Bo Diddley
B By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Written-By – Jimmy Webb
Producer – Ron Resler
------------------------
"Bo Diddley" is a rhythm and blues and rock and roll song first recorded and sung by Bo Diddley at the Universal Recording Studio in Chicago and released on the Chess Records subsidiary, Checker Records in 1955.
It became an immediate hit single that stayed on the R&B charts for a total of 18 weeks, 2 of those weeks at No.1, and seven more weeks than its flipside (the B-side, "I'm a Man").
It was the first recording to introduce African rhythms into rock and roll directly by using the patted juba beat.
It was Bo Diddley's first recording and his first hit single.
The song is featured on many of Bo Diddley's compilation albums including His Best.
In 2012 the A and B-side pair were added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry list of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" American sound recordings.
Song
The song is rhythmically similar to hambone, a technique of dancing and slapping various parts of the body to create a rhythm and song.
It is lyrically similar to the traditional lullaby "Hush Little Baby". When Bo Diddley started playing with it, his electric guitar amplified the patted juba with his backup musicians on maracas and drums unifying the rhythm.
This combination of rock and roll, African rhythms and sanctified guitar chord shouts was a true innovation and is often called a Bo Diddley Beat.
He first titled his version "Uncle John" but before he recorded it, he changed the title to his own nickname Bo Diddly, with an "e" added to the song's title and his professional name by one of the Chess brothers.
Reception
Three weeks after Billboard magazine announced the release of "Bo Diddley", on April 30, 1955, the paper announced two remakes of "Bo Diddley" by the Joe Reisman Orchestra and by Jean Dinning.
The Harmonicats released their own version, an instrumental, a few weeks later.
"Bo Diddley" went on to became the 17th best selling R&B record of 1955, according to Billboard.
Legacy and awards
This first single was called a "double-sided monster" by All-Music Guide reviewer Richie Unterberger.
"Bo Diddley" was infused with waves of tremolo guitar, set to a children's chant.
The song was voted No.62 on Rolling Stone magazine's list, "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
The song is also a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that shaped Rock and Roll" list.
In 1998 "Bo Diddley" was given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
Cover versions
Buddy Holly Version
Buddy Holly recorded the song in 1956, but it was not released until the LP Reminiscing in 1963 and later became a single release.
Recording
Buddy Holly on vocals/guitar and Jerry Allison on drums recorded "Bo Diddley" at one of their earliest sessions with producer/engineer Norman Petty at his recording studio in Clovis, New Mexico sometime in 1956.
In 1962 Norman Petty overdubbed the demo of "Bo Diddley", as well as others, with the Fireballs.
------------------------
"You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" is a 1962 song by rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley.
Written by Willie Dixon, the song was one of Diddley's last record chart hits.
"You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" has been recorded by a variety of rock and other performers.
Original song
"You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" is based on a sixteen-bar blues structure that "boasts a beat that's utterly compulsive and primordial, but closer to a way-speeded up walking rhythm than to the standard Diddley pattern".
Willie Dixon's lyrics use "a series of metaphors of all sorts of things you can't judge by their appearances before landing on the title phrase".
In 1962, the song reached no.21 in the Billboard R&B chart and no.48 in the Pop chart.
Later renditions
An early lineup of the Rolling Stones made a demo recording of the song in October 1962.
In 1963, the Yardbirds with Eric Clapton recorded a live version of the song at the Crawdaddy Club in London during the sessions that produced the Sonny Boy Williamson and The Yardbirds album.
In 1964, the song was performed on Germany's Beat-Club television program by The Syndicats, featuring guitarist Steve Howe.
It was also regularly performed live by the Monkees and appeared on their Live 1967 album with lead vocals by Mike Nesmith.
Later versions include those by:
Cactus (1970),
the Beat Farmers (2003 Live at the Spring Valley Inn, 1983),
and the Fabulous Thunderbirds (1992).
Hank Williams, Jr. recorded it as a duet with Huey Lewis on his 1986 album, Montana Cafe and Roy Buchanan (with Delbert McClinton) (2011 Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection). The Strypes included a version on their 2012 debut EP Young Gifted & Blue.
From '' Bo Diddley ''
Label: Paris Tower – PT-140
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1969
Tracklist
A Bo Diddley
Written-By – Bo Diddley
B By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Written-By – Jimmy Webb
Producer – Ron Resler
------------------------
"Bo Diddley" is a rhythm and blues and rock and roll song first recorded and sung by Bo Diddley at the Universal Recording Studio in Chicago and released on the Chess Records subsidiary, Checker Records in 1955.
It became an immediate hit single that stayed on the R&B charts for a total of 18 weeks, 2 of those weeks at No.1, and seven more weeks than its flipside (the B-side, "I'm a Man").
It was the first recording to introduce African rhythms into rock and roll directly by using the patted juba beat.
It was Bo Diddley's first recording and his first hit single.
The song is featured on many of Bo Diddley's compilation albums including His Best.
In 2012 the A and B-side pair were added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry list of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" American sound recordings.
Song
The song is rhythmically similar to hambone, a technique of dancing and slapping various parts of the body to create a rhythm and song.
It is lyrically similar to the traditional lullaby "Hush Little Baby". When Bo Diddley started playing with it, his electric guitar amplified the patted juba with his backup musicians on maracas and drums unifying the rhythm.
This combination of rock and roll, African rhythms and sanctified guitar chord shouts was a true innovation and is often called a Bo Diddley Beat.
He first titled his version "Uncle John" but before he recorded it, he changed the title to his own nickname Bo Diddly, with an "e" added to the song's title and his professional name by one of the Chess brothers.
Reception
Three weeks after Billboard magazine announced the release of "Bo Diddley", on April 30, 1955, the paper announced two remakes of "Bo Diddley" by the Joe Reisman Orchestra and by Jean Dinning.
The Harmonicats released their own version, an instrumental, a few weeks later.
"Bo Diddley" went on to became the 17th best selling R&B record of 1955, according to Billboard.
Legacy and awards
This first single was called a "double-sided monster" by All-Music Guide reviewer Richie Unterberger.
"Bo Diddley" was infused with waves of tremolo guitar, set to a children's chant.
The song was voted No.62 on Rolling Stone magazine's list, "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
The song is also a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that shaped Rock and Roll" list.
In 1998 "Bo Diddley" was given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
Cover versions
Buddy Holly Version
Buddy Holly recorded the song in 1956, but it was not released until the LP Reminiscing in 1963 and later became a single release.
Recording
Buddy Holly on vocals/guitar and Jerry Allison on drums recorded "Bo Diddley" at one of their earliest sessions with producer/engineer Norman Petty at his recording studio in Clovis, New Mexico sometime in 1956.
In 1962 Norman Petty overdubbed the demo of "Bo Diddley", as well as others, with the Fireballs.
------------------------
"You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" is a 1962 song by rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley.
Written by Willie Dixon, the song was one of Diddley's last record chart hits.
"You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" has been recorded by a variety of rock and other performers.
Original song
"You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" is based on a sixteen-bar blues structure that "boasts a beat that's utterly compulsive and primordial, but closer to a way-speeded up walking rhythm than to the standard Diddley pattern".
Willie Dixon's lyrics use "a series of metaphors of all sorts of things you can't judge by their appearances before landing on the title phrase".
In 1962, the song reached no.21 in the Billboard R&B chart and no.48 in the Pop chart.
Later renditions
An early lineup of the Rolling Stones made a demo recording of the song in October 1962.
In 1963, the Yardbirds with Eric Clapton recorded a live version of the song at the Crawdaddy Club in London during the sessions that produced the Sonny Boy Williamson and The Yardbirds album.
In 1964, the song was performed on Germany's Beat-Club television program by The Syndicats, featuring guitarist Steve Howe.
It was also regularly performed live by the Monkees and appeared on their Live 1967 album with lead vocals by Mike Nesmith.
Later versions include those by:
Cactus (1970),
the Beat Farmers (2003 Live at the Spring Valley Inn, 1983),
and the Fabulous Thunderbirds (1992).
Hank Williams, Jr. recorded it as a duet with Huey Lewis on his 1986 album, Montana Cafe and Roy Buchanan (with Delbert McClinton) (2011 Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection). The Strypes included a version on their 2012 debut EP Young Gifted & Blue.
