Ellas McDaniel 1928-2008

Well, I've been at a loss about what to post this week. Unfortunately the news today is of a far greater loss: Bo Diddley is dead. So responsibility calls and all flags in Fluville are flying at half-mast.

Rest In Peace.

Download:



"Pretty Thing" mp3
by Bo Diddley, 1955.
available on The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection



"Mona" mp3
by Bo Diddley, 1957.
available on The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection



"Hey! Bo Diddley"
by Bo Diddley, 1957.
available on The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection

also:

"Bo's Bounce" mp3
by Bo Diddley, 1962.
ripped from vinyl
available on Bo's Bounce

"Crackin' Up" mp3
by Bo Diddley, 1959.
available on The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection

"Road Runner" mp3
by Bo Diddley, 1959.
available on The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection

"You Know I Love You" mp3
by Bo Diddley, 1960.
with The Flamingos
available on The Chess Box

"Pills" mp3
by Bo Diddley, 1961.
available on The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection

"Ride On Josephine" mp3
by Bo Diddley, 1960.
available on The Chess Box

"You Can't Judge A Book By It's Cover" mp3
by Bo Diddley, 1962.
available on The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection

"Aztec" mp3
by Bo Diddley, 1961.
available on The Chess Box

"Untitled Instrumental" mp3
by Bo Diddley, 1961.
available on The Chess Box

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also, via email a few personal reminiscences of Bo Diddley
courtesy of The Hound

1) I was bike messengering in the early 80's and had some time to kill so I stopped into Show World @ 8th & 42nd to take in the quarter movies and get out of the cold. Who should be checking out at the counter but Bo Diddley in a long leather overcoat and cowboy hat. He's got a big bag of video's and I say: "Bo Diddley!, whatcha buyin' Bo"? He pulls the top video out of the bag and shows me Maximum Perversion Vol. 23. Pix of midgets, women w/snakes, etc. all over it. He's got a huge grin on his face.

2) Backstage at Madison Square Garden for some oldies show and there's Bo at the catering table. He gets a huge piece of apple pie and sits down, but before he eats it he butters both top and bottom w/about a quarter inch of butter, then picks it up and swallows it in two bites.

3) In 1985 we went down to Camden, N.J. to see Bo w/the Ben Vaughn Combo backing him up (they were perfect, Bo hated them) so I brought my copy of Go Bo Diddley to get signed. While I was getting it signed Ben asked Bo about the verse in "Who Do You Love" about the ice wagon and what it meant. Bo replied that Leonard Chess made him change the lyric from the original verse he brought in, which was:

"the night was black
the sky was blue
around the corner
a shit wagon flew
a bump was hit
a scream was heard
someone got hit with a flying turd"