W"Before You Accuse Me" is a song written and recorded by American musician Bo Diddley in 1957. It was released as the B-side to Diddley's "Say Bossman" and was included on his self-titled debut album in 1958. Backing Diddley on vocal and guitar are Jody Williams on guitar, Willie Dixon on bass, and Frank Kirkland on drums.
W"Bo Diddley" is a rhythm and blues and rock and roll song first recorded by Bo Diddley at Universal Recording Corporation in Chicago and released on the Chess Records subsidiary Checker Records in 1955. Written by Diddley, its lyrics are based on the traditional lullaby titled "Hush Little Baby", and it prominently features the Bo Diddley beat that the singer made famous. It became an immediate hit single that stayed on the R&B charts for a total of 18 weeks, 2 of those weeks at #1, and seven more weeks than its flipside. It was the first recording to introduce African rhythms into rock and roll directly by using the patted juba beat. It was Diddley's first recording and his first hit single. The song is featured on many of Diddley's compilation albums including His Best.
W"Bring It On Home" is a blues song written by American music arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon. Sonny Boy Williamson II recorded it in 1963, but the song was not released until 1966. Led Zeppelin adapted it in part as a homage to Williamson in 1969 and subsequently, the song has been recorded by several artists.
W"Diddley Daddy" is a song by Bo Diddley. The song was issued as a single on Checker Records in June 1955. His second single, it followed on the heels of the success of the eponymous "Bo Diddley." The song spent four weeks on the Billboard R&B chart in the summer of 1955, peaking at No. 11.
W"Diddy Wah Diddy" is a song written by Willie Dixon and Ellas McDaniel, known as Bo Diddley, and recorded by the latter in 1956. The song shares only its title with Blind Blake's song "Diddie Wah Diddie" recorded in 1929. Over the years, the Bo Diddley song has been covered by many bands and artists, including the Astronauts, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, the Remains, the Twilights, Taj Mahal, the Sonics, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Ty Segall Band, and the Blues Band among others.
W"(Do the) Mashed Potatoes" is a rhythm and blues instrumental. It was recorded by James Brown with his band in 1959 and released as a two-part single in 1960. For contractual reasons the recording was credited to "Nat Kendrick and the Swans".
W"Don't Start Me Talkin'" is a blues song written and performed by Sonny Boy Williamson II. It was Williamson's first single recorded for Checker Records, and reached number three in the US Billboard R&B chart in 1955.
W"Every Day I Have to Cry", also known as "Every Day I Have to Cry Some", is a song written by Arthur Alexander and first recorded by Steve Alaimo in 1962. Although the song has been recorded by many musicians over the years, Alexander did not record his own version until 1975. His version went to #46 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. None of the other versions made it into the Top 40 on the US chart. It became Alaimo's greatest hit, his second of nine charting singles.
W"Help Me" is a blues standard first recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson II in 1963. The song, a mid-tempo twelve-bar blues, is credited to Williamson, Willie Dixon, and Ralph Bass and is based on the 1962 instrumental hit "Green Onions" by Booker T. and the MGs. "Help Me" became a hit in 1963 and reached number 24 in the Billboard R&B chart.
W"Hi-Heel Sneakers" is a blues song written and recorded by Tommy Tucker in 1963. Blues writer Mary Katherine Aldin describes it as an uptempo twelve-bar blues, with "a spare, lilting musical framework", and a strong vocal. The song's rhythmic approach has also been compared to that of Jimmy Reed. Tucker's lyrics recall the time he spent as a Golden Gloves boxer in the 1950s:
W"I'm a Man" is a rhythm and blues song written and recorded by Bo Diddley in 1955. Inspired by an earlier blues song, it was one of his first hits. "I'm a Man" has been recorded by a variety of artists, including the Yardbirds, who adapted it in an upbeat rock style.
W"Juke" is a harmonica instrumental recorded by the Chicago bluesman Little Walter Jacobs in 1952. Although Little Walter had been recording sporadically for small Chicago labels over the previous five years, and had appeared on Muddy Waters' records for Chess Records since 1950, "Juke" was Little Walter's first hit, and it was the most important of his career. Due to the influence of Little Walter on blues harmonica, "Juke" is now considered a blues harmonica standard.
W"Key to the Highway" is a blues standard that has been performed and recorded by several blues and other artists. Blues pianist Charlie Segar first recorded the song in 1940. Jazz Gillum and Big Bill Broonzy followed with recordings in 1940 and 1941, using an arrangement that has become the standard.
W"My Babe" is a Chicago blues song and a blues standard written by Willie Dixon for Little Walter. Released in 1955 on Checker Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, the song was the only Dixon composition ever to become a number one R&B single and it was one of the biggest hits of either of their careers.
W"Off the Wall" is a 1953 blues instrumental and single by Little Walter. The single followed "Tell Me Mama", which had reached #10 on the R&B charts, reaching #8. Following Little Walter's recording Big Walter Horton claimed to be the composer, and he recorded the same harmonica-led tune in Memphis on 28 May 1953 for Sun Records.
W"Oh Baby" is a 1954 song written by Walter Jacobs and Willie Dixon, first recorded by Jacobs as Little Walter And His Jukes in 1954. The song has been covered by Led Zeppelin, Kim Wilson and many others.
W"Pretty Thing" is a 1955 song written by Willie Dixon and performed by Bo Diddley. The song was Diddley's third single release through Checker Records after "Diddley Daddy". In 1963, the song was released in the United Kingdom where it became Diddley's first of only two songs appearing on the UK Singles Chart, the other single being "Hey Good Lookin'".
W"You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" is a 1962 song by rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley. Written by Willie Dixon, the song was one of Diddley's last record chart hits. Unlike many of his well-known songs, "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" does not rely on the Bo Diddley beat. A variety of rock and other performers have recorded renditions of the song.