- Carmine Appice - drums (1976)
- Dave Archuletta - keyboards (1972-)

- Elvin Bishop - guitar (1976)
- Jeff Bogart - bass (1976)
- Joe Coker - vocals (1976)
- Bo Diddley - vocals, guitar 
- Richard Davis - bass (1972-)
- Terry Gotlieb - bass (1972-)

- Billy Joel - keyboards (1976)
- Corky Laing - percussion (1976)
- Albert Lee - guitar (1976)
- Alvin Lee - guitar (1976)
- Roger McGuinn - guitar (1976)
- Keith Moon - drums (1976)
- Daniel Moore - back up vocals (1976)
- Matthew Moore - back up vocals (1976)
- Ted Neely - vocals (1976)
- Ed O'Donnell - drums (1972-)
- Johnny Otis - drums (1972-)
- Shuggie Otis - guitar (1972-)

- Tom Thompson - guitar (1972-)

- Leslie West - guitar (1976)

- none known

Genre: rock

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  500% More Man

Company: Checker

Catalog: LP 2996

Year: 1965

Country/State: USA

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+

Comments: minor ring wear; couple of pencil marks next to track listing on back cover; mono pressing

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4

Price: $80.00

Cost: $1.00

It's hard to imagine in this day and age, but back in 1965 "500% More Man" found Bo Diddley taking considerable risks with his career. Today it all seems rather innocuous, but in the mid-'60s the suggestive album title and cover art were both extremely risqué. Those moves may not have a major surprise considering that by the mid-'60s Diddley's career had cooled off. Feeling he'd become too mainstream black audiences had abandoned him, while seeing him as too R&B, white audiences turned their attention to Motown and Stax. Unfortunately, Chess/Checker didn't have a clue how to free Diddley from his commercial purgatory. Fumbling around for some sort of commercial sound, the end result proved one of Diddley's most diverse (or ill focused) efforts. Credit Diddley's professionalism and talent with avoiding the smell of desperation. That said, the title track, "Let Me Pass" and "Hey Red Riding Hood" all found Diddley returning to his "I'm a Man" roots. In contrast, "Stop My Monkey" sounded like something out of the Berry Gordy catalog. A should've-been hit, the rollicking instrumental "Soul Food" was an obvious attempt to tap into the Memphis sound. Elsewhere, backed by The Cookies, "Tonight Is Ours" offered up an atypical sweet ballad. At least to our ears, the set's lack of focus adds to it's charm. Personal favorites are the hysterical "Greasy Spoon" (wonder if there really was a Clyde's Place?), "Let Me Pass" and the catchy "Root Hoot". In the end it didn't matter since the LP failed to attract black or white audiences. Interestingly, when Checker reissued the set, they dropped the original cover in favor of a drab, nondescript replacement.

"500% More Man" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) 500 % Moe Man (McDaniel - Matthews) - 2:37
2.) Let Me Pass (McDaniel) - 2:34
3.) Stop My Monkey (McDaniel) - 2:43
4.) Greasy Spoon (McDaniel) - 2:38
5.) Tonight Is Ours (McDaniel) - 2:58
6.) Root Hoot (McDaniel) - 3:25

(side 2)

1.) Hey Red Riding Hood (Reynolds) - 2:59
2.) Let the Kids Dance (McDaniel) - 2:21
3.) He's So Mad (McDaniel) - 2:52
4.) Soul Food (McDaniel) - 2:45
5.) Corn Bread (McDaniel) - 2:52
6.) Somebody Beat Me (McDaniel) - 2:57

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Where It All Began

Company: Chess

Catalog: CH 50016

Year: 1972

Country/State: USA

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: cut corner; minor stain on front; die cut cover

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4

Price: $25.00

Cost: $1.00

Wow ! We'll have to admit that Diddley wasn't a major part of our musical lexicon. Were we ever stupid to have missed such a talented guy !!! 

Perhaps an attempt to cash-in on the public's growing interest in '50s rockers (witness Chuck Berry's early-'70s resurgence), 1972's "Where It All Began" is nothing short of spectacular. Co-produced by Johnny Otis and Pete Welding, rockers such as "I've Had It Hard", "Look At Grandma" and "Bo Diddley-Itis" captured the 50 year old Diddley rocking with more energy than 95% of his contemporaries (to say nothing of younger artists). Roaring his way through a mix of original and outside material, Diddley was simply in prime form. Elsewhere, anyone who doubted the man's chops need only check out the blazing anti-drug statement "Bad Trip". To be honest, the only disappointments were the throwaway "Hey, Jerome" (sounding like a Fat Albert takeoff) and the cheesy Joe Tex-styled "Take It All Off ". Unfortunately, apparently too rock oriented for black audiences and too black for white audiences, the album simply vanished. (The LP was originally released with a cool Doug Johnson designed die cut cover.)

"Where It All Began" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) I've Had It Hard (Eugene McDaniel) - 3:13
2.) Woman (K. McDaniel - Eugene McDaniel) - 3:06
3.) Look At Grandma (K. McDaniel - Connie Redmond) - 3:31
4.) A Good Thing (Oliver Sain) - 2:37
5.) Bad Trip (K. McDaniel - Eugene McDaniel) - 6:00

(side 2)

1.) Hey, Jerome (Eugene McDaniel - Connie Redmond) - 3:08
2.) Infatuation (K. McDaniel - Connie Redmond) - 3:43
3.) Take It All Off (Eva Darby) - 3:20
4.) Bo Diddley-Itis (Eugene McDaniel) - 5:40

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  The 20th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll

Company: RCA Victor

Catalog: 

Year: 1976

Country/State: USA

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: still in shrink wrap

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4

Price: $25.00

Cost: $1.00

Signed by RCA, 1976's "The 20th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll" was a somewhat schizoid offering. Musically the set found Diddley supported by an impressive collection of "B" list all-stars, including Carmen Appice, Elvin Bishop, Joe Cocker, Billy Joel, Corky Laing, Albert Lee, Alvin Lee, Roger McGuinn, Keith Moon and Leslie West. Produced by Ron Terry, the set seemed interested in breaking Diddley to the AOR audience via a set of contemporary mid-'70s radio rockers. Overlooking the shrill female backing singers that seemed plastered over every one of the songs, tracks such as "Ride the Water", "Drag On" and "Kill My Body" weren't half bad, though they weren't exactly Diddley's forte. That said, his performances were never less than professional and he proved every bit as good as his supporting cast. Far stranger was the 17 minute "Bo Diddley Jam". Apparently meant to highlight past glories, the medley ran through Didley's three biggest hits ("I'm a Man," "Who Do You Love" and "Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger" - guess RCA thought 17 year olds didn't have a clue as to what Diddley had done in the past ... Overlooking our initial reservations, we'll admit this is a pretty cool comeback ... A minor hit, the collection managed to hit #207.

"The 20th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Ride the Water (Part 1) (Ron Terry) - 4:20
2.) Not Fade Away (Petty 0 Hardin) - 2:58
3.) Kill My Body (Bedi - Greco) - 4:36
4.) Drag On (Ron Terry) - 3:15
5.) Ride the Water (Part 1) (Ron Terry) - 4:35

(side 2)

1.) Bo Diddley Jam - 16:59

2.) I'm a Man (Bo Diddley)
3.) Who Do You Love (Bo Diddley)
4.) Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger (Bo Diddley)
5.) I'm a Man (reprise) (Bo Diddley)