"Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" - Bo Diddley (1960)
I wasn't actively seeking out Bo Diddley. I'm not the biggest fan hanging from the ceiling. But I can still appreciate his contributions. Pushing the music forward. I mean everyone has copped his trademark "chug...a-chug-chug..chug chug" guitar percuss style at one time or another. So finding a nice original copy of "Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" in the wild was exciting.
The album cover has some writing in the corner, but the color still shines and pops. And Bo, dressed like a cowboy and about to reach for his...guitar...to take somebody out is pretty cool, as well. I wanted it for the cover alone, if nothing else. The vinyl has a fairly clean shine and plays about VG. Not bad for a 60-year-old pressing.
This was Diddley's 5th album and sounds about like what you might expect. Some early rhythm and blues rock and roll. Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniel) wrote 9 of the 10 songs on "Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" and it's a fun snapshot of what the "cool-cool" kids were spinning after school.
"Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" (back)
Favorites include:
"Ride on Josephine"
"Gunslinger"
"Cadillac"
I've only seen Bo Diddley albums hanging in record shops. I just don't come across them. So finding one on the loose was just cool. It's all about the hunt, my babies. I don't know if this was later corrected, but my pressing has the track "Cadillac" misspelled on the label. Pretty funny because Diddley spells the word 'C-A-D-I-L-L-A-C several times in the song. Record labels. Whaddyagonnado? Bo Diddley was inducted into the RnR HoF in 1987 by ZZ Top.
Checker label
Cat #
LP-2977
SIDE A DEADWAX
10488 Sheldon (script)
SIDE B DEADWAX
10487 Sheldon (script)
"Ride On Josephine" - Bo Diddley / "Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" (1960)
TRACKS:
A1 "Gunslinger" 1:50
A2 "Ride On Josephine" 3:00
A3 "Doing the Craw-Daddy" 2:58
A4 "Cadillac" 2:39
A5 "Somewhere" 2:25
B1 "Cheyenne" 2:05
B2 "Sixteen Tons" 2:30
B3 "Whoa Mule (Shine)" 2:28
B4 "No More Lovin'" 2:25
B5 "Diddling" 2:20
PERSONNEL:
Bo Diddley - vocals, lead guitar
Willie Dixon - bass
Jesse James Johnson - bass
Peggy Jones - rhythm guitar, b-vocals
Gene 'Daddy G' Barge - tenor sax (A4, B5)
Billy Downing - drums
Clifton James - drums
Lafayette Leake - piano
Billy Stewart - piano
Jerome Green - maracas, b-vocals
Lily "Bee Bee" Jamieson - b-vocals
Gloria Morgan - b-vocals
others...
Good stuff.
Casey Chambers
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