Earlier this month rock and roll fans lost the self-proclaimed “originator” when gunslinger Bo Diddley passed on. The cornerstone of Bo’s sound was the rumba-like “Bo Diddley Beat.” Strains of it can be heard in the Strangeloves’ (and later Bow Wow Wow) novelty hit “
I Want Candy,” the backbeat to the Who’s “
Magic Bus,” and the New York Dolls’ unforgettable take on “
Pills” among other rock and roll staples. Below is an exploration of the roots and descendants of Diddley’s wild tortured rhythm.
Gene Autry – While critics and musicologists have spent a large amount of time and energy dissecting Diddley’s primal beat—seriously, here’s an article that links it to the African-derived
juba dance—Diddley himself has admitted he stumbled onto it quite by accident. He was simply trying to bang out the chords to the Gene Autry version of a country classic. The Originator even freely admitted to not having ever heard of the dance. Instead, he caught on by accident in the ’40s while picking through Gene Autry’s ‘I Got Spurs that Jingle Jangle Jingle.’ Being off by one beat, Diddley hit on the rhythm associated with Rumba and the Juba Dance.
Slim Harpo – The early Delta bluesman—along with later disciples such as Bukka White and Furry Lewis—incorporated a staccato rhythm similar to what would become recognized as the Bo Diddley Beat. Harpo’s “Shake Your Hips,” which would appear on the Stones’
Exile on Main Street, is a prime example of the precursor to Diddley’s rumba roll.
Chuck Berry – A contemporary of Diddley’s, fine-tuning his chickin-pickin’ double stop licks at the same time and on the same circuit as Bo. Berry and Diddley’s styles often overlapped and played off each other. His “Maybellene” offers a nod, whether conscious or not, in Diddley’s direction. Here Berry is performing in 1973 on
The Midnight Special.
The Rolling Stones - As mentioned above, Mick and Keith were early proponents of the driving stompin’ sound. Early on the band saw some success with a version of the Buddy Holly via Bo Diddley stomper “Not Fade Away,” which was released as their second single. The song has since become a standard with everyone from the Grateful Dead to Bobby Fuller to Rush incorporating it into their repertoire at one time or another ... but it’s easy to trace where that beat originated.
George Thorogood – Anyone raised on a steady diet of classic rock radio should be all too familiar with Thorogood’s numerous takes on Diddley’s songs and trademark characteristics. His version of “Who Do You Love?” pretty much comes standard with a pre-owned ’87 Camero and cut-off denim shorts.
Bo Jackson – And no one can forget the very memorable Bo Knows Diddley campaign from Nike. Centered around then multi-sport superstar Bo Jackson, the commercial—with cameos from Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretsky, and John McEnroe—culminated with an on-stage jam session and Jackson banging out some licks on the box guitar. Not since the Super Bown Shuffle have rock and roll and sports ever meshed so well.