Mighty Manfred and the Wonderdogs: Bo Diddley (Paris Tower PT-140)

Here's a pretty swell cover by a group that takes its cues from The Young Rascals. I'm assuming this group came from Florida judging from the label info saying it was recorded in Tampa. I'll also assume that this was their only single. If I'm wrong on any of this, you know what to do.

One thing I need to warn you about is if you want to avoid a painful experience, then I suggest you skip the B-side, a version of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" that suggests the Vanilla Fudge as a lounge band at your local Holiday Inn. Pass, pass, pass.

Stick with "Bo Diddley" and you'll do just fine. Think about The Rascals' cover of "Slow Down." That's what this is reminiscent of. They don't copy the Bo Diddley beat here. Instead, they just concentrate on energy. When the lead singer says "SMOKE IT!" at the beginning just as the guitar riff kicks in, smoke it is what they do. They even throw in a verse from "You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover" for good measure. And like a cherry topping your chocolate shake, a fiery guitar solo just adds closure to the whole thing.

That's about it. Maybe not the greatest "Bo Diddley" cover in the world, but a stompin' cover worthy of the early Young Rascals. And that's nothing to be ashamed of at all.