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1960 single by Bo Diddley From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Road Runner" is a 12-bar blues song performed by American rock and roll performer Bo Diddley, originally released as a single by Checker Records in January 1960,[1] and later released on the LP record Bo Diddley in the Spotlight. The song reached #20 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart,[3] and #75 on the Hot 100.[4] The song has since been recorded by many artists.
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"Road Runner" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Bo Diddley | ||||
from the album Bo Diddley in the Spotlight | ||||
B-side | "My Story" | |||
Released | January 1960[1] | |||
Recorded | September 1959[2] | |||
Studio | Chess Studios (Chicago) | |||
Genre | Rock and roll, blues | |||
Length | 2:24 | |||
Label | Checker[1] | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ellas McDaniel | |||
Producer(s) | Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Bo Diddley[2] | |||
Bo Diddley singles chronology | ||||
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The beep-beep chorus of the song clearly references the Roadrunner animated character with its triumphant beep-beep.
The session(s) for "Road Runner" took place late September 1959 at Chess Studios in Chicago and backing Diddley (vocals, guitar) were Jerome Green (maracas, backing vocals), Clifton James (drums), guest pianist Otis Spann, Peggy Jones (guitar, backing vocals), and Bobby Baskerville (backing vocals).[2]
The American garage band the Gants released "Road Runner" as a single in 1965 and it made #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is their only Billboard charter.[5]
The early Canadian rock band the Count Victors released a cover version in 1963,[6] Coral 62356.
Many British Invasion artists have recorded "Road Runner":
The song was also recorded as a part of the Backbeat soundtrack by a supergroup consisting of Dave Grohl, Dave Pirner, Thurston Moore, Mike Mills, Greg Dulli and Don Fleming.
The Finnish band Hurriganes covered the song on their 1974 album Roadrunner, considered one of the most iconic rock'n'roll albums in Finland.[8]
Starting in February 2012, the song was being used as the background music in a Mazda car commercial for their SkyActiv technology. A short clip of Diddley singing it was included.[9]
The song was featured in the 2013 Martin Scorsese film The Wolf of Wall Street.[10]
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