Hypno-Pretty-Diddley-Thing

Bo Diddley: the dude who had his own beat named after him. Willie Dixon: perhaps the greatest blues songwriter of all time (in my humble opinion). In the mid-fifties, these two teamed up to write a song called “Pretty Thing” which has been playing on repeat in my car for weeks now. The version that I’ve been digging is by John Hammond Jr. and The Nighthawks.

I’m not exactly stumped as to why I love this version, but it’s easier said than explained. Obviously, the Bo Diddley Beat is a big part of this song. Somewhere along the way, I learned that I like songs with good percussion in them and this has to qualify as one of them. I saw an interview where Bo Diddley’s guitar style was described as “percussive.” He approaches it more like a drummer might, but I think there are also some surf elements to his playing.

Diddley’s original version also features maracas (played by his right hand man Jerome Green) and harmonica as well. Apparently, Pretty Thing was the “A” side of the original Bo Diddley single with “Road Runner” on the “B” side. A few other versions I’ve encountered include ones by Social Distortion and The Steve Miller Band. There’s also a British group who named themselves (The Pretty Things) after this song.

On an unrelated note, perhaps the greatest high school black comedy of all time “Heathers” features this quote: “Who does that guy in the coat think he is, anyways, Bo Diddley?”

Till next time keep your Mojo on the Horizon!