The song that got Bo Diddley banned from the Ed Sullivan show in 1955. Two tight minutes of sensational electric groove. But they weren't supposed to play it, and Sullivan never forgave Diddley for going rogue.
YouTube video by The Ed Sullivan Show
What was the reason for not letting them play it? Too savage a sound? And the whole band being in sync with the guitar amp’s tremolo is amazing. Not easy to pull off. (Also: ooh, capo-ed on the third. Don’t see that often in the 50s…)
Diddley was down to perform a cover of the well-known '16 Tons'. He later claimed that the call sheet read, "16 Tons, Bo Diddley" and so he thought he was down to perform his own song "Bo Diddley" too. More likely, Diddley was desperate to play his own song and crammed it in.