Quotes from Bo Diddley

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Last edited by HoneyTalkNelson on Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I'm trying to remember examples of Elvis copying Bo Diddley.

Is there any arrangement with the BD sound other than "Never Say Yes?"

late in his life Bo Diddley would make these claims that Elvis stole everything from him.

It was annoying and false for Bo Diddley to make these claims and it does a disservice to Elvis.

Bo Diddley was just a bitter person but his anger shouldn't have been directed at Elvis.

Bo Diddley would make outrageous claims such as Elvis coming to see him at the Apollo theatre in 1955 and copying all his stage mannerisms.

I believe Jackie Wilson was something of an influence on Elvis.

I'm trying to remember examples of Elvis copying Bo Diddley.

Is there any arrangement with the BD sound other than "Never Say Yes?"

Doc Pomus wrote the song so technically it's not Elvis copying Bo Diddley it was Doc.

late in his life Bo Diddley would make these claims that Elvis stole everything from him.

It was annoying and false for Bo Diddley to make these claims and it does a disservice to Elvis.

Bo Diddley was just a bitter person but his anger shouldn't have been directed at Elvis.

Bo Diddley would make outrageous claims such as Elvis coming to see him at the Apollo theatre in 1955 and copying all his stage mannerisms.

I believe Jackie Wilson was something of an influence on Elvis.

Yes, I'm sure Elvis FORCED all of his UNATURAL stage manerisms! The man is talking trash and knows 'diddley' squat!!

Elvis as Jackie Wilson
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU5xxh5UX4U[/youtube]
Bo Diddley sound
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ91R6xlH-Y[/youtube]

why does videos not appear?

Last edited by Erhan on Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

The ONLY slight similarity I've ever found between Elvis and Bo (no hits) Diddley is the sound on take 4 of "His latest flame" (first released on "Rare Elvis vol.3" LP and / or "The EP collection" bonus EP. But if Bo (jealous man) Diddley's songs didn't all sound the same there wouldn't be a problem and he may even have had a few hits of his own!

So claims Mr. Diddley...

http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexpone ... 8.facebook

Its a shame you didn't put up all of what Bo Diddley said in that article cause it mostly praised Elvis.

'Elvis Presley copied me and Jackie Wilson – he combined the two acts together,” Diddley told Smith. “At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did. He was a lucky man. I haven’t seen anybody else come behind him and do that same thing except Michael Jackson and Prince. I still don’t think they’ve stepped in Elvis’ shoes.”

So claims Mr. Diddley...

http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexponent/news/local_news/article_b348d2ee-3a29-11e2-8234-001a4bcf6878.html

It's a shame you didn't put up all of what Bo Diddley said in that article cause it mostly praised Elvis.

'Elvis Presley copied me and Jackie Wilson – he combined the two acts together,” Diddley told Smith. “At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did. He was a lucky man. I haven’t seen anybody else come behind him and do that same thing except Michael Jackson and Prince. I still don’t think they’ve stepped in Elvis’ shoes.”

This is my thought exactly.

Instead of taking less than 1 minute to type a provocative, albeit misleading, subject title, and drop a link and a sentence into the message body, why not take all of 3 minutes and give us some context?

First of all, Bo Diddley died over 4 years ago, so his observation was not something new. Secondly, Diddley was known to be disparaging of how black rock 'n' roll artists were treated in the '50s, and rightly so.

Looking at the full quote, "The Originator" is not terribly off the mark, although anyone familiar with the true influences on Presley will know what Bo gets right and what he misses.

But anyone who believes Elvis did not hear or appreciate those incredible, breakthrough Checker singles by Diddley on R&B radio in the 1950s is pretty thin on the Presley story.

That's why I posted the link to the full article so you could read for yourself.

After all, that's what I do!

That's why I posted the link to the full article so you could read for yourself.

After all, that's what I do!

Sorry, there's another dude who posts more far links than you, with about the same amount of care and context. Or maybe less.

But, hey, at least you have something to shoot for.

I agree about Diddley's comments being taken somewhat out of context. In Bo's musical defense, all of his songs don't sound the same. The Diddley beat was used with relative discrimination. His one big pop hit "Say Man" breaks away from the Diddley as does somewhat biggest "You Can't Judge a Book by Looking at the Cover." The reason Bo had very few pop hits was because he never could quite a figure out a way to appeal to the white teen market in the way that Fats, Chuck and Richard did.

I wish sadly this would be a springboard to a discussion on influence. When one act is inspired by another act to add something to his or her act, it's often not mere copying it's the way process works. You don't pull stuff down out of the air most of the time. You learn from others. For example, Elvis did indeed borrow some vocal mannerisms from Jackie Wilson but Jackie readily admitted that he borrowed from Elvis. In fact, when Elvis first encountered Jackie, the latter was doing Elvis' act, his material and Wilson's interpretation of Elvis' style. Elvis, by the way, did not uncritically ape Wilson. What he liked of what Wilson did he included in the act. What he disliked he left on the table. This is very similar to the way that say the Byrds borrowed from the Beatles and vice versa. The difference is that Elvis and Jackie's borrowings incidentally fall into our national resentment/debate of race. It would be much easier to dissect if that hornet's nest were not involved.

One thing I also think that Bo failed to digest and many, many people fail to digest is that sometimes two people in two different places come up with the same idea around the same time. This is true especially in the mass media age. What Bo thought Elvis stole from him was his wiggling. Elvis was wiggling for a year before he could have possibly saw Bo. It looked to Bo that Elvis was stealing his act. when he came up with it long before he'd ever heard of him. This happens a lot more than people think especially again in a mass media age. You see it at Sun records as well. Carl Perkins before he heard Elvis was kind of tinkering with a cross breed of c/w and r/b. When he heard Elvis on the radio, he knew that's what he was aiming at. They had different approaches to it but similar ambitions. It happens that way sometimes. Charlie Gracie, whom nobody had heard of then, was also reaching towards the same goal. So was Haley but within a different tradition of country music. This is I guess a lot harder than understand than so and so copied so and so.

Even when someone directly copies as Ricky Nelson originally did with Elvis, he eventually became his own man. I think this process needs to be discussed and understood a little more.

Sorry to awaken you from a bad nightmare, Dr. Carpenter (that of being seen as condescendent to Diddley's ludricous allegations), but before hearing those records by Bo Diddley ( which I am sure, as you are, Elvis must have REALLY appreciated LOL), Presley had already set his mind on what to tackle , as far as R&B and the blues and he proved it by releasing covers of three R&B songs, from three altogether different sources, ALL OF THE THREE FROM ARTISTS FROM A PREVIOUS GENERATION, and none of which owing anything, even remotedly, to the two kinds of the so called Chicago sound which was then already infuencing Diddley and Berry, respectively.

And he did that at SUN, in Memphis, before he ever heard of Bo Diddley or, again, Berry, whose first recordings as you know were both released on radio in mid 1955. And Diddley, let alone Berry, never toured TN in 1954, not until much after. And Presley never went to Chicago in 1954. Diddley claims he saw his act in NY, in early 1955. By that time, Presley's initial 1950's stage act was formed, according to the thousands who witnessed, as well as by what the press clippings from that era actually tell.

Finally, the two R&B covers Presley released AFTER hearing Bo Diddley and Berry, those he released before moving to RCA, were even more removed from Diddley's sound, or from Berry's own sound, his loving of both Berry and Diddley music notwithstanding.

Sorry to awaken you from a bad nightmare, Dr. Carpenter (that of being seen as condescendent to Diddley's ludricous allegations), but before hearing those records by Bo Diddley ( which I am sure, as you are, Elvis must have REALLY appreciated LOL), Presley had already set his mind on what to tackle , as far as R&B and the blues and he proved it by releasing covers of three R&B songs, from three altogether different sources, ALL OF THE THREE FROM ARTISTS FROM A PREVIOUS GENERATION, and none of which owing anything, even remotedly, to the two kinds of the so called Chicago sound which was then already infuencing Diddley and Berry, respectively.

And he did that at SUN, in Memphis, before he ever heard of Bo Diddley or, again, Berry, whose first recordings as you know were both released on radio in mid 1955. And Diddley, let alone Berry, never toured TN in 1954, not until much after. And Presley never went to Chicago in 1954. Diddley claims he saw his act in NY, in early 1955. By that time, Presley's initial 1950's stage act was formed, according to the thousands who witnessed, as well as by what the press clippings from that era actually tell.

Finally, the two R&B covers Presley released AFTER hearing Bo Diddley and Berry, those he released before moving to RCA, were even more removed from Diddley's sound, or from Berry's own sound, his loving of both Berry and Diddley music notwithstanding.

Actually, it seems the "bad nightmare" has just begun.

Elvis as Jackie Wilson
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU5xxh5UX4U[/youtube]
Bo Diddley sound
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ91R6xlH-Y[/youtube]

why does videos not appear?

They have been playing up for a few days now. Took me ages the other day to get them to work.

Elvis as Jackie Wilson
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU5xxh5UX4U[/youtube]
Bo Diddley sound
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ91R6xlH-Y[/youtube]

why does videos not appear?

Just knock the "s" off "https."

Problem solved.

So claims Mr. Diddley...

http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexpone ... 8.facebook

Its a shame you didn't put up all of what Bo Diddley said in that article cause it mostly praised Elvis.

'Elvis Presley copied me and Jackie Wilson – he combined the two acts together,” Diddley told Smith. “At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did. He was a lucky man. I haven’t seen anybody else come behind him and do that same thing except Michael Jackson and Prince. I still don’t think they’ve stepped in Elvis’ shoes.”

Saying somebody stealing an act and making a big amount of money is not my kind of praise or compliment.
Don't be so naive.

So claims Mr. Diddley...

http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexpone ... 8.facebook

Its a shame you didn't put up all of what Bo Diddley said in that article cause it mostly praised Elvis.

'Elvis Presley copied me and Jackie Wilson – he combined the two acts together,” Diddley told Smith. “At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did. He was a lucky man. I haven’t seen anybody else come behind him and do that same thing except Michael Jackson and Prince. I still don’t think they’ve stepped in Elvis’ shoes.”

Saying somebody stealing an act and making a big amount of money is not my kind of praise or compliment.
Don't be so naive.

Good point.

Bo Diddley's not praising Elvis there.

So claims Mr. Diddley...

http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexpone ... 8.facebook

Its a shame you didn't put up all of what Bo Diddley said in that article cause it mostly praised Elvis.

'Elvis Presley copied me and Jackie Wilson – he combined the two acts together,” Diddley told Smith. “At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did. He was a lucky man. I haven’t seen anybody else come behind him and do that same thing except Michael Jackson and Prince. I still don’t think they’ve stepped in Elvis’ shoes.”

Saying somebody stealing an act and making a big amount of money is not my kind of praise or compliment.
Don't be so naive.

Good point.

Bo Diddley's not praising Elvis there.

Bad point.

Copying and stealing are two completely different things.

Its like when Hendrix smashed his guitar up when Pete Towesend was in the audience and someone said to Pete that he was stealing his act and Pete replied 'No, he is doing my act'.

So claims Mr. Diddley...

http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexpone ... 8.facebook

Its a shame you didn't put up all of what Bo Diddley said in that article cause it mostly praised Elvis.

'Elvis Presley copied me and Jackie Wilson – he combined the two acts together,” Diddley told Smith. “At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did. He was a lucky man. I haven’t seen anybody else come behind him and do that same thing except Michael Jackson and Prince. I still don’t think they’ve stepped in Elvis’ shoes.”

Saying somebody stealing an act and making a big amount of money is not my kind of praise or compliment.
Don't be so naive.

Good point.

Bo Diddley's not praising Elvis there.

Bad point.

Copying and stealing are two completely different things.

Its like when Hendrix smashed his guitar up when Pete Towesend was in the audience and someone said to Pete that he was stealing his act and Pete replied 'No, he is doing my act'.

Okay, saying somebody copying an act and making lots of money isn't a praise or compliment too.
And if you copy somebody's test paper in school, is that okay ?

So claims Mr. Diddley...

http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexpone ... 8.facebook

Its a shame you didn't put up all of what Bo Diddley said in that article cause it mostly praised Elvis.

'Elvis Presley copied me and Jackie Wilson – he combined the two acts together,” Diddley told Smith. “At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did. He was a lucky man. I haven’t seen anybody else come behind him and do that same thing except Michael Jackson and Prince. I still don’t think they’ve stepped in Elvis’ shoes.”

Saying somebody stealing an act and making a big amount of money is not my kind of praise or compliment.
Don't be so naive.

Good point.

Bo Diddley's not praising Elvis there.

Bad point.

Copying and stealing are two completely different things.

Its like when Hendrix smashed his guitar up when Pete Towesend was in the audience and someone said to Pete that he was stealing his act and Pete replied 'No, he is doing my act'.

Okay, saying somebody copying an act and making lots of money isn't a praise or compliment too.
And if you copy somebody's test paper in school, is that okay ?

Well the way Bo Diddley said in that article is.

'At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did'.

Also for a black 50s artist to come out and say Elvis was better than Michael Jackson and Prince is an incredible compliment.

So claims Mr. Diddley...

http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexpone ... 8.facebook

Its a shame you didn't put up all of what Bo Diddley said in that article cause it mostly praised Elvis.

'Elvis Presley copied me and Jackie Wilson – he combined the two acts together,” Diddley told Smith. “At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did. He was a lucky man. I haven’t seen anybody else come behind him and do that same thing except Michael Jackson and Prince. I still don’t think they’ve stepped in Elvis’ shoes.”

Saying somebody stealing an act and making a big amount of money is not my kind of praise or compliment.
Don't be so naive.

Good point.

Bo Diddley's not praising Elvis there.

Bad point.

Copying and stealing are two completely different things.

Its like when Hendrix smashed his guitar up when Pete Towesend was in the audience and someone said to Pete that he was stealing his act and Pete replied 'No, he is doing my act'.

Okay, saying somebody copying an act and making lots of money isn't a praise or compliment too.
And if you copy somebody's test paper in school, is that okay ?

Well the way Bo Diddley said in that article is.

'At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did'.

Also for a black 50s artist to come out and say Elvis was better than Michael Jackson and Prince is an incredible compliment.

Not so much a compliment - just TRUE.

So claims Mr. Diddley...

http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexpone ... 8.facebook

Its a shame you didn't put up all of what Bo Diddley said in that article cause it mostly praised Elvis.

'Elvis Presley copied me and Jackie Wilson – he combined the two acts together,” Diddley told Smith. “At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did. He was a lucky man. I haven’t seen anybody else come behind him and do that same thing except Michael Jackson and Prince. I still don’t think they’ve stepped in Elvis’ shoes.”

Saying somebody stealing an act and making a big amount of money is not my kind of praise or compliment.
Don't be so naive.

Good point.

Bo Diddley's not praising Elvis there.

Bad point.

Copying and stealing are two completely different things.

Its like when Hendrix smashed his guitar up when Pete Towesend was in the audience and someone said to Pete that he was stealing his act and Pete replied 'No, he is doing my act'.

Okay, saying somebody copying an act and making lots of money isn't a praise or compliment too.
And if you copy somebody's test paper in school, is that okay ?

Well the way Bo Diddley said in that article is.

'At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did'. .

Bo Diddley is saying Elvis was smart to copy him because he made a lot of money doing it.

Besides being a lie he was accusing Elvis of copying him to get rich which is no compliment.

He just said it in a nice way.

Jove pointed that out.

So claims Mr. Diddley...

http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexpone ... 8.facebook

Its a shame you didn't put up all of what Bo Diddley said in that article cause it mostly praised Elvis.

'Elvis Presley copied me and Jackie Wilson – he combined the two acts together,” Diddley told Smith. “At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did. He was a lucky man. I haven’t seen anybody else come behind him and do that same thing except Michael Jackson and Prince. I still don’t think they’ve stepped in Elvis’ shoes.”

Saying somebody stealing an act and making a big amount of money is not my kind of praise or compliment.
Don't be so naive.

Good point.

Bo Diddley's not praising Elvis there.

Bad point.

Copying and stealing are two completely different things.

Its like when Hendrix smashed his guitar up when Pete Towesend was in the audience and someone said to Pete that he was stealing his act and Pete replied 'No, he is doing my act'.

Okay, saying somebody copying an act and making lots of money isn't a praise or compliment too.
And if you copy somebody's test paper in school, is that okay ?

Well the way Bo Diddley said in that article is.

'At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did'. .

Bo Diddley is saying Elvis was smart to copy him because he made a lot of money doing it.

Besides being a lie he was accusing Elvis of copying him to get rich which is no compliment.

He just said it in a nice way.

Jove pointed that out.

To me i thought Bo was praising Elvis and i think im gonna stick with that.

So claims Mr. Diddley...

http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexpone ... 8.facebook

Its a shame you didn't put up all of what Bo Diddley said in that article cause it mostly praised Elvis.

'Elvis Presley copied me and Jackie Wilson – he combined the two acts together,” Diddley told Smith. “At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did. He was a lucky man. I haven’t seen anybody else come behind him and do that same thing except Michael Jackson and Prince. I still don’t think they’ve stepped in Elvis’ shoes.”

Saying somebody stealing an act and making a big amount of money is not my kind of praise or compliment.
Don't be so naive.

Good point.

Bo Diddley's not praising Elvis there.

Bad point.

Copying and stealing are two completely different things.

Its like when Hendrix smashed his guitar up when Pete Towesend was in the audience and someone said to Pete that he was stealing his act and Pete replied 'No, he is doing my act'.

Okay, saying somebody copying an act and making lots of money isn't a praise or compliment too.
And if you copy somebody's test paper in school, is that okay ?

Well the way Bo Diddley said in that article is.

'At the time, he had a good thing going. I thank God that he did. I take my hat off to him. The name of the game is make money, and that’s what he did'. .

Bo Diddley is saying Elvis was smart to copy him because he made a lot of money doing it.

Besides being a lie he was accusing Elvis of copying him to get rich which is no compliment.

He just said it in a nice way.

Jove pointed that out.

To me i thought Bo was praising Elvis and i think im gonna stick with that.

You are entitled to do that but Bo Diddley was lying and saying bad things about Elvis.