Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger

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Bo Diddley is a Gunslinger
Diddley gun slinger.jpg
Studio album by
Bo Diddley
ReleasedDecember 1960 (1960-12) [1]
RecordedOctober 1959 – February 1960 [2]
Length30:15
Label Checker LP-2977
Producer Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley chronology
Bo Diddley in the Spotlight
(1960)		Bo Diddley is a Gunslinger
(1960)		 Bo Diddley Is a Lover
(1961)

Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger is the fifth studio album by American rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley released in December 1960 by Checker Records. [1] The album title comes from the album's first track called "Gunslinger" and the cover art has Bo Diddley dressed in Western-style clothing. The songs for Bo Diddley is a Gunslinger were recorded from October 1959 to February 1960. [2] Several tracks of interest [ citation needed ] are "Sixteen Tons" which Bo was supposed to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show , [ citation needed ] the title track, and "Diddling" (an instrumental between guitar and saxophone).

Contents

Songs

"Gunslinger"

This song was originally released as the A-side of Checker single 965 in November 1960. [3] The single's B-side "Signifying Blues" was never released on the album. The song features a Bo Diddley beat. Warren Zevon performed the song as "Bo Diddley's a Gunslinger" on his 1981 live album Stand in the Fire .

"Ride on Josephine"

"Ride on Josephine" was a rock and roll song with backing vocals and piano work by either Otis Spann, Lafayette Leake, or Billy Stewart. [4] The song has been covered by George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Sleepy LaBeef, Eric Sardinas, and Van Morrison.

"Sixteen Tons"

Bo Diddley was asked to perform "Sixteen Tons" on The Ed Sullivan Show but performed "Bo Diddley" instead [ citation needed ].

"Cadillac"

The song "Cadillac" features Gene Barge on tenor saxophone, [4] and has been covered by The Kinks, The Downliners Sect, New Colony Six, and sung as a duet by Van Morrison and Linda Gail Lewis. Cadillac was also the name of the guitar that is featured on the album's front cover. [5]

Other songs/styles

The song "Googlia Moo", as well as "No More Lovin'" and others, gives the album a doo-wop feel. [6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ellas McDaniel, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Gunslinger"1:50
2."Ride on Josephine"3:00
3."Doing the Craw-Daddy"2:58
4."Cadillac"2:39
5."Somewhere"2:25
Total length:12:52 [7]
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Cheyenne" 2:05
7."Sixteen Tons" Merle Travis, arranged by McDaniel2:30
8."Whoa Mule (Shine)" 2:28
9."No More Lovin'" 2:25
10."Diddling" 2:20
Total length:11:48 [7]
1988 bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Working Man"3:00
12."Do What I Say"2:46
2004 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Prisoner of Love" Russ Columbo, Leo Robin, Clarence Gaskill2:31
14."Googlia Moo" 3:02
15."Better Watch Yourself" 2:54

Personnel

Per allmusic [4]

Charts

The album spent one week on the UK Album Charts on November 9, 1963 at No. 20. [8]

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormatCatalog
United States December 1960 Checker Records mono LP LP 2297
United Kingdom November 1963 Pye Jazz Records mono LPNJL 33
United StatesAugust 13, 1966Checker Records 4-track cartridge 21-369A
United States1988Chess Records CD CHD-9285
United StatesApril 13, 2004 Geffen Records CD000176102
Worldwide reissue2008 Universal International LP1529771

References

  1. 1 2 "Reviews and Ratings of New Albums". Billboard . December 19, 1960. p. 24. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
  2. 1 2 Dahl, Bill. "Overview: Bo Diddley is a Gunslinger by Bo Diddley". Allmusic . United States: Rovi Corporation . Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  3. ↑ Strong, Charles (2002) [Originally published in 1994]. The Great Rock Discography (Sixth ed.). United Kingdom: Canongate Books. p. 371. ISBN   1-84195-312-1.
  4. 1 2 3 "Bo Diddley is a Gunslinger". Allmusic . Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  5. ↑ Roman, Ed (December 30, 1928). "Bo Diddley". Celebrityrockstarguitars.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  6. ↑ Eder, Bruce. "Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger[Bonus Tracks] > Review". Allmusic . Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  7. 1 2 Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger (Vinyl sleeve). Bo Diddley. United States: Checker Records. back cover. LP 2977.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ "Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley Is A Gun Slinger". Official Charts Company . Retrieved January 4, 2012.
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