Who Do You Love
Looking to capitalize on his voodoo-man persona, Bo Diddley cut "Who Do You Love" during a blistering 1956 session in Chicago. He abandoned his signature "Bo Diddley beat" for a relentless, driving shuffle. Diddley chanted incredibly vivid, macabre lyrics about rattlesnake neckties and chimney skulls, sounding like a wild, backwoods shaman. His explosive, distorted guitar work was perfectly matched by Jody Williams's razor-sharp lead fills. The song became a definitive swagger anthem, fiercely covered by generations of rock and roll rebels, from Ronnie Hawkins and the Band to George Thorogood.
The floating-verse lineage for this recording (who else recorded it, where the melody or lyric traveled, and how it was adapted) is still being mapped. This section will trace the song's DNA across the archive.
Contributions welcome at OlMrRead@ccblues.com.