Atlanta Music Scene Has Moved To WordPress
Slowly but surely, the Atlanta Music Scene blog has been transitioning to WordPress - a bigger and better blogging and commenting experience!
See you there, at http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-music-scene/
Home > Atlanta Music Scene > Archives > 2008 > June > 03 > Entry
The Bo Diddley Beat
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bo Diddley. Photo: Edward Keating/The New York Times
Bo Diddley, who died yesterday at the age of 79, was a major, and often under-heralded, player in the history of rock ’n’ roll. The man gave us the backbone of rock, putting the beat front and center. And how many musicians have a specific rhythmic pattern attached to their names?
He was influencing musicians then and now — Buddy Holly put that unmistakable beat behind “Not Fade Away,” U2 did it with “Desire.” You don’t have to look far to hear his musical legacy in more recent music. It’s obvious. Here are just a few of the songs where you’ll hear variations on the Bo Diddley beat.
“How Soon Is Now” — The Smiths
“I Want Candy’ — The Strangeloves and Bow Wow Wow
“Faith” — George Michael
“1969” — The Stooges
“Magic Bus’ — The Who
“She’s the One” — Bruce Springsteen
And one that hasn’t even been released yet, “Chip ’N Tony” from Alejandro Escovedo’s new album, “Real Animal,” which is coming June 24
There are many, many more. Can you think of more examples of the late, great rock pioneer’s beat legacy?
Comments
By sun zoom spark
June 3, 2008 1:19 PM | Link to this
Quicksilver Messenger Service: “Who Do You Love”/”Mona” (1968)
By rocker
June 3, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this
The Allman Brothers Band - “No one to run with”
By Kenny
June 3, 2008 10:31 PM | Link to this
Not Fade Away-Buddy Holly
By Bill Turner
June 4, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this
Eric Clapton - Willie and the Hand Jive
By Jeff B.
June 4, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this
Everything that George Thorogood ever did.
By Winthorp
June 4, 2008 9:22 AM | Link to this
sure Bo was a pioneer of the rock n roll guitar (let’s not forget Little Latin Lupe Lu - Mitch Ryder/Righteous Brothers), but he also nailed the role of the pawn shop owner in Trading Places - …in Philadelphia it’s ($3,000 watch) is worth $50…
as a frustrated, talentless guitar player, I will be forever grateful to Bo for enabling hacks like me to play - bump, bah-bump, bah-bump, bump-bah…