100 Great Songs From The British Invasion: 1963- 1966: I’m A Man- The Yardbirds. Written by Elias McDaniels- better known as Bo Diddley- The Yardbirds cover in 1965 became The Yardbirds third hit single of that year- reaching #17 in the Billboard Hot 100. “I’m A Man’ was one of the first songs that Bo Diddley wrote and recorded in 1955. It was based on a blues song by the immortal bluesman Muddy Waters- ‘Hootchie Coochie Man [which was written by the great blues songwriter Willie Dixon ].’ After ‘I’m A Man’- Waters would do an answer song ‘Mannish Boy.’ The Bo Diddley original was ranked 309th in Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs Ever list. Bo Diddley- a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer- from the second group inducted in 1987- was a highly influential singer and guitarist. He was born Otha Elias Bates McDaniels – in McComb, Mississippi in 1928. He was raised in Chicago. Bo Diddley died in 2008 at the age of 79. The Yardbirds – Jeff Beck is on guitar on this single. The song was recorded in Chicago at the legendary Chess Studios and in New York City at Columbia Studios. Did Bo Diddley like the cover? He loved it-he described it as being beautiful. I am sure he also enjoyed the royalty checks!

• Single: ‘I’m A Man’- Bo Diddley
• Record Company- Epic
• Genre: Blues Rock
• Written by Bo Diddley
• Time: 2:37
• B-side: ‘Still I’m Sad’
• Album- Rave Up With The Yardbirds
• Grade: A
• Peaked at #17 in US Billboard Hot 100.