Bo Diddley;Shave and a Haircut
Jerry Zolten
was living in a trailer in Florida at the time. Imagine that would arouse
some understandable bitterness in the man. Hope he's getting more of his
due these days. Can find no mention in the discographies of a Bo tune
called "Shave and a Haircut." As the phrase refers to his characteristic
beat, without the "two bits," it kind of falls short. "Shave and a
haircut...two bits." An old old rhythm phrase that Bo made his own for
sure. Maybe the newspaper reporter misunderstood and thought he was talking
about a song title?? JJZ
Ed Vadas
<< Had the privilege of playing back-up guitar with Mr. D some years back. >>
For at least the last ten years Bo has been getting 5000 for himself at a
club date, plus the club has to pay and provide a back-up band... Old Bo is
doin alright for himself and I think he still has the trailer... Of course
his festival gigs are more pricey
and he does get some royalties for his and other folks doing his songs...so
don't weep too much for bo.
Ed
William Sakovich
>beat, without the "two bits," it kind of falls short. "Shave and a
>haircut...two bits." An old old rhythm phrase that Bo made his own for
>sure. Maybe the newspaper reporter misunderstood and thought he was talking
>about a song title?? JJZ
I've seen a British journalist call it the "tradesman's knock".
But about Bo making it his own, or to say it is his "distinctive"
rhythm--hold on there!
Bo's rhythm is just a clave rhythm, and a simple one at that. It's all over
Africa and the Caribbean, particularly Cuba.
You can't even say it's distinctive in American R&B. New Orleans music is
filled with it.
Louie Louie and Twist and Shout, to name two, are based on clave rhythms.
The rhythmic emphasis may be different, but it's still the same thing.
People like to talk about the connection between Africa and the blues--I
hear a definite connection between Diddley music and African pop.
- Bill Sakovich
VT
wrote:
>I've seen a British journalist call it the "tradesman's knock".
>
Yes kids used to knock "shave and a haircut" and another would reply
with the "2 bits"
>But about Bo making it his own, or to say it is his "distinctive"
>rhythm--hold on there!
>
>Bo's rhythm is just a clave rhythm, and a simple one at that. It's all over
>Africa and the Caribbean, particularly Cuba.
>
er- yes.... there isn't all that is truly absolutely original in this
world - but Bo Diddley may not have invented his rhythm - but
certainly he ws the one who we all know and whom almost all the other
musicians in blues and rock pop have taken the rhythm for..... that
does count for something.......and on that basis we can say he
originated the Bo Diddley beat as we know it.
>You can't even say it's distinctive in American R&B. New Orleans music is
>filled with it.
>
Er - it's like saying Professor Longhair was not original because his
music has the elements of New Orleans and the Caribbean......
However you'll probably find that a lot of New Orlean music now plays
Professor Longhair and before Prof Longhair there was no one who
played like him......
Similarly before Bo Diddley - there was no one who played like
Bo......
>Louie Louie and Twist and Shout, to name two, are based on clave rhythms.
>
Cool examples - but it's funny they don't sound like the Bo Diddley
beat - as we know it.... and even if I missed that beat somehow in
these recordings they came some years AFTER Bo had become popular - so
it is far more likely that they were influenced by Bo Diddley as
opposed to any ethnic source you may have mentioned.
>The rhythmic emphasis may be different, but it's still the same thing.
>
well thatlike saying 4/4 time is like 3/4 time except for that one
beat ain't it?....so a blues is a Waltz except for that one extra
beat...... Strauss was a bluesman.........
>People like to talk about the connection between Africa and the blues--I
>hear a definite connection between Diddley music and African pop.
Sure, and lots of people make links between any other music to other
"obvious" cultures - but the fact is Blues developed uniquely in
America by the suppressed Blacks. The Bo Diddley beat developed
uniquely in America by Bo Diddley -
Of course they all had roots from somewhere and they must have taken
elements from elsewhere.
But there was no Blues music before the blues as we know it -
similarly there was Bo Diddley sound as we know it - before Bo
Diddley.
However do have it your way.... in which case it is absolutely valid
to say Rock is nothing but the Blues ..... d*mn! so that guy was
right!
--
Vincent
vtVi...@Prodigy.Net
Ed Vadas
<< I've seen a British journalist call it the "tradesman's knock".
But about Bo making it his own, or to say it is his "distinctive"
rhythm--hold on there! >>
It ain't nothing to worry about anyway... the beat that is associated with Bo
Diddley is not shave and a hair cut two bits at all...
it is more a ... bom-pah bom-pah bomp......ba-bom bomp
Anyhow... I read in one of those drum magazines or maybe even living blues
years and years ago....that a drummer claimed to have Bo's beat and bo took
it and played it on guitar.... who cares? We often assign originality to
our first experience with something.....I thought the lady down the street
was the inventor of pizza when I was 10.
Ed
L.A. Jones
>
>Anyhow... I read in one of those drum magazines or maybe even living blues
>years and years ago....that a drummer claimed to have Bo's beat and bo took
>it and played it on guitar.... who cares?
That drummer that claimed to have invented the "Bo Didn'tly Beat" was
Clifton James long time drummer for Willie Dixon.
"ma-om shanti"
from L.A. Jones and the Blues Messengers
http://www.loop.com/~bluesman/
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Tony Burke
Bits" rhythm - ie the Bo Diddley beat when playing the drums with with Count
Otis Matthews Band in the early 1940's. This was a band that didn't record.
Wished it had!
Tony