The Bo Diddley beat is a syncopated musical rhythm that is widely used in rock and roll and pop music. ^{[1] [2] [3]} The beat is named after rhythm and blues musician Bo Diddley, who introduced and popularized the beat with his self-titled debut single, " Bo Diddley", in 1955. The beat has been described as essentially the Afro-Cuban clave rhythm ^[4] or based on the clave ^{[5] [6]} or a variation thereof. ^{[7] [8]}

Music educator and author Michael Campbell explains that it "shows the relationship between Afro-Cuban music, Americanized Latin rhythms, and rock rhythm ... [The beats] are more active and complicated than a simple rock rhythm, but less complex than a real Afro-Cuban rhythm. ^[8]

History and composition

The Bo Diddley beat is a variation of the 3-2 clave, one of the most common bell patterns found in Afro-Cuban music that has been traced to sub-Saharan African music traditions. ^[10] It is also akin to the rhythmic pattern known as " shave and a haircut, two bits", that has been linked to Yoruba drumming from West Africa. ^[11] A folk tradition called " hambone", a style used by street performers who play out the beat by slapping and patting their arms, legs, chest, and cheeks while chanting rhymes has also been suggested. ^[12]

According to musician and author Ned Sublette, "In the context of the time, and especially those maracas [heard on the record], 'Bo Diddley' has to be understood as a Latin-tinged record. A rejected cut recorded at the same session was titled only 'Rhumba' on the track sheets." ^[13] Bo Diddley employed maracas, a percussion instrument used in Caribbean and Latin music, as a basic component of the sound. ^[11] Jerome Green was the maraca player on Diddley's early records, initially using the instrument as a more portable alternative to a drum set. ^[14] When asked how he began to use this rhythm, Bo Diddley gave many different accounts. In a 2005 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, he said that he came up with the beat after listening to gospel music in church when he was twelve years old. ^[14]

Use by other artists

Prior to Bo Diddley's self-titled song, the rhythm occurred in 13 rhythm and blues songs recorded between 1944 and 1955, including two by Johnny Otis from 1948. ^[15] In 1944, " Rum and Coca Cola", containing the beat, was recorded by the Andrews Sisters ^[9] and in 1952, a song with similar syncopation, "Hambone", was recorded by Red Saunders' Orchestra with the Hambone Kids.

Later, the beat was included in many songs composed by artists other than Bo Diddley:

• "I Wish You Would" by Billy Boy Arnold (1955) ^[11]
• " Not Fade Away" by Buddy Holly (1957) ^{[16] [17] [18]}
• " Cannonball" by Duane Eddy (1958) ^{[11] [18] [19]}
• " Willie and the Hand Jive" by Johnny Otis (1958) ^{[18] [20]}
• " Hey Little Girl" by Dee Clark (1959) ^[21]
• " (Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" by Elvis Presley (1961) ^{[17] [18] [20]}
• " Mickey's Monkey" by the Miracles (1963) ^{[20] [19]}
• " When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" by the Supremes (1963) ^{[20] [19]}
• " Rosalyn" by Pretty Things (1964) ^[19]
• "Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe" by the Byrds (1965) ^[19]
• " Mystic Eyes" by Them (1965) ^[9]
• " I Want Candy" by the Strangeloves (1965) ^{[18] [20] [19]}
• " Please Go Home" by the Rolling Stones (1966) ^{[22] [19]}
• "Bummer in the Summer" by Love (1967) ^[23]
• " Get Me to the World on Time" by the Electric Prunes (1967) ^[20]
• " She Has Funny Cars" by Jefferson Airplane (1967) ^[24]
• " Magic Bus" by the Who (1968) ^{[17] [18] [20] [19]}
• "1969" by the Stooges ^{[18] [19]}
• " Panic in Detroit" by David Bowie (1973) ^{[18] [20] [19]}
• " Shame, Shame, Shame" by Shirley & Company (1974) ^[20]
• " New York Groove" by Hello (1975) ^[25]
• "Billy Bones and the White Bird" by Elton John (1975) ^[26]
• " She's the One" by Bruce Springsteen (1975) ^{[17] [18] [20] [19]}
• " Bad Blood" by Neil Sedaka (1975) ^[19]
• " American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1977) ^[17]
• "Hateful" by the Clash (1979) ^[20]
• " (She's So) Selfish" by the Knack (1979) ^[27]
• " Lovers Walk" by Elvis Costello and the Attractions (1980) ^[28]
• "Cuban Slide" by the Pretenders (1980) ^[11]
• "What A Blow" by Ian Gomm (1980)
• " Europa and the Pirate Twins" by Thomas Dolby (1981) ^[20]
• " Don't Let Him Go" by REO Speedwagon (1981) ^[19]
• "Hare Krsna" by Hüsker Dü (1984) ^[29]
• " How Soon Is Now?" by the Smiths (1985) (Diddley-style tremolo) ^{[18] [30]}
• " Mr. Brownstone" by Guns N' Roses (1987) ^{[18] [19]}
• " Faith" by George Michael (1987) ^{[17] [20] [19]}
• "Ruby Dear" by Talking Heads (1988) ^[31]
• " Desire" by U2 (1988) ^{[18] [20] [19]}
• " Movin' On Up" by Primal Scream (1991) ^[32]
• "Tribal Thunder" by Dick Dale and the Del-Tones (1993) ^[20]
• " No One to Run With" by the Allman Brothers Band (1994) ^[33]
• "Party at the Leper Colony" by Weird Al Yankovic (2003) ^[34]
• "That Big 5-0" by Stan Ridgway (2004) ^[30]
• " Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall (2005) ^[19]
• " If It's Lovin' that You Want" by Rihanna (2005) ^[19]
• "At the Bottom of the Ocean" by Ezra Furman (2013) ^[35]
• "Water Fountain" by Tune-Yards (2014) ^[36]
• "Fool For Love" by Lord Huron (2015) ^[37]

References