MICKEY & SYLVIA - Love Is Strange

The classic song Love Is Strange was written by Bo Diddley in 1956, and although the song was recorded by Diddley that year the recording was never released until 2007. Several months after Diddley the song was recorded by R&B duet group Mickey & Sylvia. The story goes that in 1956 Micky & Sylvia were at a concert at Washington DC's Howard Theatre when they heard the now famous guitar riff played by Jody Williams - Bo Diddley's lead guitar player. Mickey and Sylvia claim to have been inspired by the riff and then written the lyrics of the song themselves - Diddley disputes that. Mickey & Sylvia made a second recording of the track in New York in 1957, that recording features legendary drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - it was the 15-year olds first paid session. The song has been covered and sampled many times, and it's been featured in several hit movies such as Dirty Dancing - whose soundtrack was one of the greatest selling soundtracks of all-time. This video clip featuring the song comes from the 1990's British TV mini-series Lipstick On Your Collar.