His Best (Bo Diddley album)

Last updated
His Best
His Best Bo Diddley.jpg
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedApril 8, 1997 (1997-04-08) [1]
RecordedMarch 2, 1955 - September 11, 1966 [1] [2] in Chicago, Illinois [3]
Genre Rock and roll, rhythm and blues
Label Chess/MCA
Producer Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Bo Diddley, Andy McKaie [3] [4]
Bo Diddley chronology
Hey! Bo Diddley/Bo Diddley
(1996)
His Best
(1997)
20th Century Masters
(2000)
Alternative cover
The Definitive Collection Bo Diddley.jpg
The 2007 reissue by Geffen Records as The Definitive Collection
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [5]

His Best is a 1997 greatest hits compilation album by American rock and roll icon Bo Diddley released by Chess and MCA Records on April 8, 1997 (see 1997 in music). [1] The album was re-released by Geffen Records on April 17, 2007 as The Definitive Collection with a different album cover. [2] The Definitive Collection reached #2 on Billboard magazine's Blues Albums chart on June 21, 2008, which was the week that the album debuted on the charts. [6]

Contents

Album background

As a greatest hits album, His Best features almost all of Bo Diddley's chart hits that appeared in The Billboard from 1955's "Bo Diddley" through 1967's "Ooh Baby" (except for "Say Man, Back Again"), although it excluded the UK hit "Hey Good Looking". The album features songs listed in chronological order by when the songs were recorded. [3]

Track listing

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

No.TitleRecording date [3] Length
1."Bo Diddley"March 2, 19552:48
2."I'm a Man"March 2, 19553:02
3."You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care)"March 2, 19552:54
4."Diddley Daddy" (McDaniel, Harvey Fuqua)May 15, 19552:28
5."Pretty Thing" (Willie Dixon)July 14, 19552:51
6."Bring It to Jerome" (Jerome Green)July 14, 19552:30
7."I'm Looking for a Woman"November 10, 19552:34
8."Who Do You Love?"May 24, 19562:30
9."Hey! Bo Diddley"February 8, 19572:14
10."Mona (I Need You Baby)"February 8, 19572:23
11."Before You Accuse Me"August 15, 19573:07
12."Say Man"January 29, 19583:16
13."Dearest Darling"January 29, 19582:54
14."Crackin' Up"December 19582:07
15."The Story of Bo Diddley"Early September 19582:54
16."Road Runner"Late September 19582:48
17."Pills"May 2, 19612:52
18."I Can Tell" (Samuel Smith)June 27, 19624:35
19."You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover" (Dixon)June 27, 19623:16
20."Ooh Baby"September 11, 19663:49

Personnel

Per liner notes [3] and Allmusic [4]

Related Research Articles

Love Is Strange 1956 single by Mickey & Sylvia

"Love Is Strange" is a crossover hit by American rhythm and blues duet Mickey & Sylvia, which was released in late November 1956 by the Groove record label.

<i>Bo Diddley</i> (1958 album) 1958 compilation album by Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley is a compilation album by American rock and roll musician Bo Diddley, which also functions as his first long-playing album. It collects several of his most influential and enduring songs, which were released as singles between 1955 and 1958. Chess Records issued the album in 1958. In 2012, it was ranked number 216 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list alongside his second album, Go Bo Diddley (1959). The ranking of the album pair dropped to number 455 in the 2020 update of the list.

<i>Anthology</i> (Chuck Berry album)

Anthology is a two-disc compilation album by American rock and roll musician Chuck Berry released on July 27, 2000 by Chess Records. It duplicates in its entirety the previous anthology The Great Twenty-Eight ranked at #21 on the Rolling Stone 500 greatest all time albums list, as well as the entirety of the later Definitive Collection issued in 2006 as part of the Universal series. The album was later reissued and packaged in 2005 as part of the Universal Records Gold series, and simply retitled Gold. It charted at #110 in the UK Albums Chart.

Im a Man (Bo Diddley song) Blues standard

"I'm a Man" is a rhythm and blues song written and recorded by Bo Diddley in 1955. Inspired by an earlier blues song, it was one of his first hits. "I'm a Man" has been recorded by a variety of artists, including the Yardbirds, who adapted it in an upbeat rock style.

Bo Diddley (Bo Diddley song) 1955 R&B and rock and roll debut single by Bo Diddley

"Bo Diddley" is a rhythm and blues and rock and roll song first recorded by Bo Diddley at the Universal Recording Studio in Chicago and released on the Chess Records subsidiary Checker Records in 1955. Written by Diddley, its lyrics are based on the traditional lullaby titled "Hush Little Baby", and it prominently features the Bo Diddley beat that the singer made famous. It became an immediate hit single that stayed on the R&B charts for a total of 18 weeks, 2 of those weeks at #1, and seven more weeks than its flipside. It was the first recording to introduce African rhythms into rock and roll directly by using the patted juba beat. It was Diddley's first recording and his first hit single. The song is featured on many of Diddley's compilation albums including His Best.

<i>Go Bo Diddley</i> 1959 studio album by Bo Diddley

Go Bo Diddley is the second album by American rock and roll musician Bo Diddley, released in July 1959. The album was Bo's first studio album that included some material that hadn't been prereleased on singles, and his first LP for Checker Records. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it number 214 on its The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and 216 in a 2012 revised list.

Who Do You Love? (Bo Diddley song) 1956 song by Bo Diddley

"Who Do You Love?" is a song written by American rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley. Recorded in 1956, it is one of his most popular and enduring works. The song represents one of Bo Diddley's strongest lyrical efforts and uses a combination of hoodoo-type imagery and boasting. It is an upbeat rocker, but the original did not use the signature Bo Diddley beat rhythm.

"Hey! Bo Diddley" is Bo Diddley's eighth single released by Checker Records. The single's B side was "Mona".

"Road Runner" is a 12-bar blues song performed by American rock and roll performer Bo Diddley, originally released as a single by Checker Records in January 1960, and later released on the LP record Bo Diddley in the Spotlight. The song reached #20 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart, and #75 on the Hot 100. The song has since been recorded by many artists.

<i>Have Guitar Will Travel</i> (Bo Diddley album) 1960 studio album by Bo Diddley

Have Guitar Will Travel is the third studio album by rock and roll pioneer and blues icon Bo Diddley. It was released on the Checker Records label in 1960.

<i>The Chess Box</i> 1988 box set by Chuck Berry

The Chess Box is a compact disc box set compilation by Chuck Berry. It is one in a series of box sets issued by MCA/Chess in the late 1980s. The Chuck Berry set is the most prominent of these, having won a Grammy Award for Best Historical Album in 1989. Berry's Chess Box was reissued on vinyl in 1990.

<i>The Best of Muddy Waters</i> 1958 greatest hits album by Muddy Waters

The Best of Muddy Waters is a greatest hits album by Muddy Waters released by Chess Records in April 1958. The twelve songs were originally issued as singles between 1948 and 1954 and most appeared in Billboard magazine's top 10 Rhythm & Blues Records charts.

Diddley Daddy 1955 single by Bo Diddley

"Diddley Daddy" is a song by Bo Diddley. The song was issued as a single on Checker Records in June 1955. His second single, it followed on the heels of the success of the eponymous "Bo Diddley." The song spent four weeks on the Billboard R&B chart in the summer of 1955, peaking at No. 11.

<i>Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger</i> 1960 studio album by Bo Diddley

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. 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. Several tracks of interest are "Sixteen Tons" which Bo was supposed to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, the title track, and "Diddling".

Pretty Thing 1956 single by Bo Diddley

"Pretty Thing" is a 1955 song written by Willie Dixon and performed by Bo Diddley. The song was Diddley's third single release through Checker Records after "Diddley Daddy". In 1963, the song was released in the United Kingdom where it became Diddley's first of only two songs appearing on the UK Singles Chart, the other single being "Hey Good Lookin'".

<i>His Best</i> (Sonny Boy Williamson II album) 1997 greatest hits album by Sonny Boy Williamson II

His Best is a 1997 greatest hits compilation album by Sonny Boy Williamson II released by Chess and MCA Records in May as a part of The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection which released many albums titled His Best for artist such as Bo Diddley, Little Walter, and others.

<i>His Best</i> (Little Walter album) 1997 greatest hits album by Little Walter

His Best is a greatest hits album by Chicago blues harmonica player Little Walter, released on June 17, 1997 by MCA and Chess Records as a part of The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection. The album is seen as the CD successor to the 1958 The Best of Little Walter and features ten of the songs from that album.

<i>Super Blues</i> 1967 studio album by Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Little Walter

Super Blues is a 1967 studio album by a blues supergroup consisting of Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, and Little Walter. The album was released in both mono and stereo formats by Checker Records in June 1967. A follow-up album The Super Super Blues Band was released later that year and featured Howlin' Wolf replacing Little Walter.

<i>His Best</i> (Howlin Wolf album) 1997 greatest hits album by Howlin Wolf

His Best is a greatest hits album by American blues musician Howlin' Wolf. The album was originally released on April 8, 1997 by MCA/Chess Records, and was one of a series of releases by MCA for the 50th anniversary of Chess Records that year. Ten years later – on April 17, 2007 – the album was reissued by Geffen Records as The Definitive Collection.

<i>2120 South Michigan Ave.</i> 2011 studio album by George Thorogood and the Destroyers

2120 South Michigan Ave. is the fifteenth studio album by George Thorogood and the Destroyers. It was released on June 14, 2011 on the Capitol Records label. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. The title refers to the address of the offices and recording studios of Chess Records in Chicago. The album contains ten covers of songs recorded on Chess Records by artists such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, and Muddy Waters; plus a cover of The Rolling Stones' instrumental "2120 South Michigan Avenue" and two original songs about Chess Records artists. Capitol Records approached Thorogood with the idea for the album and selected most of the songs. Buddy Guy and Charlie Musselwhite perform on the album, although their work was added after primary recording was complete.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Koda, Cub. "Overview: His Best by Bo Diddley". Allmusic . United States: Rovi Corporation . Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  2. 1 2 Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Overview: The Definitive Collection by Bo Diddley". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 His Best (CD liner). Bo Diddley. United States: Chess Records/MCA Records. 1997. CHD-9373.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. 1 2 "Credits: The Definitive Collection by Bo Diddley". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  5. Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings . Penguin. p. 54-55. ISBN   978-0-140-51384-4.
  6. "Blues Albums: The week of Hune 21, 2008". Billboard . Retrieved December 3, 2010.