I'M A MAN

Created on 17/09/2007
Latest update on 15/03/2024

Artist: Bo Diddley
Author: Ellas McDaniel
Label: Checker
Year: 1955

B-side of Bo Diddley. Black & proud statement against being addressed as 'boy' in the South.

Covers:

1955:

Muddy Waters [as Manish Boy; top 5 R&B]

1955:

Beau Fairley & Jimmy Griffin [answer song as She's A Woman]

1955:

Mickey Champion & Roy Milton [answer song as I'm A Woman]

1955:

Etta James [answer song as W.O.M.A.N.]

1959:

Lightnin' Slim [riff in G.I. Blues]

1964:

Yardbirds [with Eric Clapton and in '65 with Jeff Beck; the latter influenced David Bowie's Jean Genie riff considerably (see also: Oh Yea and La Fille du Père Noël)]

1964:

Them [as All For Myself]

1964:

Curtis Knight [with Jimi Hendrix]

1965:

Who [on first lp]

1966:

Q-65

1966:

Sonics

1967:

Litter

1969:

Jimi Hendrix

1970:

Delaney & Bonnie & Friends [riff under That's What My Man Is For]

1974:

Black Oak Arkansas

1976:

Dr. Feelgood

1977:

Rolling Stones [as Mannish Boy]

1978:

Jack Nitzsche & Capt. Beefheart [in Hard Workin' Man, theme song in film Blue Collar]

1979:

Doug Sahm

1983:

Totta's Bluesband

1987:

La Muerte [as Mannish Boy]

1987:

Koko Taylor [as I'm A Woman]

1988:

Beasts Of Bourbon [as Hard Work Drivin' Man, inspired by Nitzsche & Beefheart's Blue Collar version]

1990:

Dickless

1990:

Hindu Love Gods [as Mannish Boy]

2004:

Jawbone

2005:

Elliott Murphy [as Mannish Boy]

2011:

Hans Theessink

2011:

Erykah Badu [idem]

2012:

Bob Dylan [riff throughout Early Roman Kings]

2012:

Albert Cummings [as Mannish Boy]

2014:

Jane Lee Hooker [idem]

'Muddy Waters had this amazing charisma, almost regal in stature. You just couldn't be around Muddy Waters and not feel that amazing strength as a person. So he was my first meeting of a true Chess artist and he was by far my most favorite.' - Marshall Chess of Chess Records on the interview cd in the Chess Story box set about his first meeting with Manish Boy Muddy Waters, uncrowned king of the blues, walking to his family home, looking for his father, Batmobile waiting outside, shiny black pompadour piled up high, wearing pointed black & white cowskin boots matched with a poisonous green suit. While he didn't even need this star-studded masquerade: Muddy was the macho personified, self-proclaimed with Manish Boy. Apart from the title, the song's not entirely his. Lyrics, rhythm and groove come from his stable-mate Bo Diddley. Both I'm A Man and Manish Boy were released the same month, I'm A Man as B-side of Bo's debut single Bo Diddley, Manish Boy as the Chess single prior to Chuck Berry's Maybellene. Those were the days, that's for sure.

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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