"Diddy Wah Diddy" | ||||
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Single by Bo Diddley | ||||
B-side | "I'm Looking for a Woman" | |||
Released | 1956 | |||
Recorded | November 10, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois | |||
Genre | Rhythm and blues | |||
Length | 2:28 | |||
Label | Checker 832 | |||
Writer(s) | Willie Dixon, Ellas McDaniel | |||
Producer(s) | Leonard Chess, Phil Chess | |||
Bo Diddley singles chronology | ||||
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"Diddy Wah Diddy" | ||||
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Single by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band | ||||
B-side | "Who Do You Think You're Fooling" | |||
Released | March 1966 | |||
Recorded | January 1966, Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California | |||
Genre | Blues rock | |||
Length | 2:22 | |||
Label | A&M 794 | |||
Writer(s) | Willie Dixon, Ellas McDaniel | |||
Producer(s) | David Gates | |||
Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band singles chronology | ||||
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"Diddy Wah Diddy" is a song written by Willie Dixon and Ellas McDaniel, known as Bo Diddley, and recorded by the latter in 1956. The song shares only its title with Blind Blake's song "Diddie Wah Diddie" recorded in 1929. Over the years, the Bo Diddley song has been covered by many bands and artists, including The Astronauts, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, The Remains, The Twilights, Taj Mahal, The Sonics, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Ty Segall Band, and The Blues Band among others.
"Diddy Wah Diddy" was Bo Diddley's fourth single release on Checker Records, and was released in early 1956. The song was recorded on November 10, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois. The recording featured The Moonglows on backing vocals, Willie Dixon on bass, Jody Williams along with Bo Diddley on guitar, Clifton James on drums, Jerome Green playing the maracas, and Little Willie Smith on harmonica.
Lyrically, the song makes mention of the mythical town of Diddy Wah Diddy. It was not unusual in the early part of the 20th century for African Americans in the southern states (particularly in Florida) to speak of various mythical cities and countries such as Beluthahatchie, Ginny Gall, Diddy Wah Diddy and West Hell as if they were real. Of all the imaginary locations that were in common usage at the time, folklorist and ethnomusicologist Benjamin A. Botkin has noted that Diddy Wah Diddy was "the largest and best known of the Negro mythical places." It was commonly believed that in Diddy Wah Diddy food could be found in abundance, the townsfolk did not have to work, and people and animals had no concerns. Dixon and McDaniel's song is sung from the point of view of a man whose lover lives in this mythical location, as evidenced by such lines as...