Fusion 45

My new favorite song is Bob Seger’s version of Bo Diddley, from his early 1970’s record of covers, Smokin’ O.P.’s (as in “Smoking Other People’s”).

I vaguely remembering hearing this a time or two back in the early 80’s when I was doing AOR radio, but not enough for it to be anything less than fresh today. I came across it during a listening session with the band and have been working on transcribing the drum part for the last several days.

Bo Diddley has an interesting story behind it.

The rhythm (christened the “Bo Diddley beat”) is actually based on the “hambone” rhythm, which dates back several hundred years to musicians of West Africa. The lyrics, based on the American folksong, Mockingbird, were not the original lyrics written by Diddley. The original lyrics, for a song called Uncle John, were deemed to dirty for white American radio by Leonard Chess, so Bo went back and adapted the lyric.

As much as I like the original, I think this version has a killer groove.

Bob Seger - Bo DIddley

Recorded at the Buddha Barn, Monday night, June 25, 2007

• Elton John - Midnight Creeper (Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player, MCA, 1972)
• Van Morrison - If You Only Knew (A Sense of Wonder, Mercury, 1984)
• War - Home Dream (Love Is All Around, ABC, 1976)
• Sea Level - That’s Your Secret (Sea Level, Capricorn, 1977)
• Memphis Slim - For A Day (Real Folk Blues, Chess, 1966)
• Sons of the Pioneers - Cowboy’s Dream (Cool Water, RCA, 1959)
• NRBQ - She Got The House (God Bless US All, Rounder, 1987)
• Stephen Stills - Stateline Blues (Illegal Stills, Columbia, 1976)
• Bob Seger - Jesse James (Smokin’ O.P.S, Capital, 1972)
• Rolling Stones - Tumbling Dice (Exile on Main Street, Rolling Stones, 1972)
• Charlie Pride - Kiss An Angel Good Morning (Charlie Pride Sings Heart Songs, RCA, 1971)
• Dave Mason - Every Woman (It’s Like You Never Left, Columbia, 1973)

Fusion 45, No. 31 - The Cat’s Away