Almanac Music: ‘Diddy Wah Diddy’ – Running Jumping Standing Still

 

 

The 60s were a great time for music, and Aussie music was no exception.

 

The Loved Ones, The Twilights, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs,  to name a few, were fantastic and regulars with songs at the top of the Hit Parades.

 

There were also a few ‘one hit wonders’ who for whatever reason briefly flashed in and out of the scene. The Throb, The Kinetics, and Running Jumping Standing Still come to mind.

 

RJSS had a raw and ready, thumping bluesy sound and were popular around the local Melbourne scene during 66/67.

 

Guitarist Doug Ford and singer Andy James  moved to Melbourne after The Missing Links broke up in 1966.  There they formed Running, Jumping & Standing Still with bassist Rick Dalton  and drummer Ian Robinson.

 

The band underwent several lineup changes in its short history. Andy James collapsed onstage after suffering a brain haemorrhage during a RJSS performance in December 1966 and was hospitalised for some months. He was replaced in the band by Peter Newing who sang on their hit single ‘Diddy Wah Diddy’.

 

‘Diddy Wah Diddy’, was  written by Willie Dixon and Bo Diddley and recorded by many artists including Captain Beefheart.

 

Doug Ford left the band to join The Masters Apprentices in February 1968 bringing the short lifespan of RJSS to an end.

 

Two different versions of the song by RJSS are included on three clips below, the first two are with original singer Andy James performing, and the third clip features Peter Newing singing the recorded hit version of the song.

 

 

From The Go! Show in 1966 which was pre-recorded live and later mimed on the show. Andy James is the singer on this clip.

 

 

Introduced by Johnny Young, this is different performance on The Go! Show in 1966.

 

RJSS performing their hit ‘Diddy Wah Diddy’ with Peter Newing as lead singer in 1967

 

 

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