Hey, Tweed! I wisht I coulda been there!

With all due respect to Mr. Diddley, though, he sure didn't invent the beat, any more than Little Richard "invented" rock and roll.

Back in the early fifties, Red Saunders cut a record called Hambone (which I still have.) He got a bunch of black kids together and they did a song with the identical beat (which they sure didn't "invent",) keeping rhythm by slapping their hands, thighs and other parts of their body that a gentleman doesn't mention in public, and popping their cheeks with their fingers. It's a great record with many shared lyrics with Bo Diddley (the recording) and Mockingbird. The rhythm goes back long before that.

A few years ago, they released a CD of "Bo Diddley" beat songs by current artists that had some great stuff on it. Not Fade Away (by Buddy Holly) is on there and is the same beat, and similar vintage.
And, anyone remember Willie And The Hand Jive, by the Johnny Otis review?

It's a great beat..

Jerry