Editing Love Is Strange (section)

== Background and recordings ==
At a concert at [[Howard Theatre]] in Washington, D.C. Mickey and Sylvia heard Jody Williams play a guitar riff that Williams had played on [[Billy Stewart]]'s debut single "Billy's Blues".<ref>{{AllMusic |class=artist|id=p21444|tab=biography|label=Jody William's Biography|first=Bill|last=Dahl|access-date=March 4, 2011}}</ref> "Billy's Blues" was released as a single in June 1956 .<ref>{{cite magazine |date=June 16, 1956 |title=Reviews of New R&B Records |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=68 |issue= 24 |page=44 |editor1-first=Paul |editor1-last=Ackerman |editor1-link=Paul Ackerman |access-date=March 4, 2011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gQoEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Chess+1625%22&pg=PA44}}</ref> Sylvia Robinson claims that she and Mickey Baker wrote the lyrics, while Bo Diddley claims that he wrote them.

The first recorded version of "Love Is Strange" was performed by Bo Diddley, who recorded his version on May 24, 1956 with Jody Williams on lead guitar. This version was not released until its appearance on ''I'm a Man: The Chess Masters, 1955–1958'' in 2007.<ref name="man">{{cite AV media notes |title=I'm a Man: The Chess Masters, 1955–1958 |others=[[Bo Diddley]] |year=2007 |type=CD liner |publisher=[[Hip-O Records|Hip-O Select]] |id=B0009231-02 |location=United States}}</ref> Mickey & Sylvia's version was recorded several months later on October 17, 1956.<ref name="RPM" /> A second Mickey & Sylvia studio recording, recorded some years after, featured now-legendary drummer [[Bernard Purdie|Bernard "Pretty" Purdie]] on his first paid session gig.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jazztimes.com/articles/65908-mickey-baker-a-tough-customer-who-never-lost-his-edge |title=Jazz Articles: Mickey Baker: A Tough Customer Who Never Lost His Edge - By Tom Reney — Jazz Articles |website=Jazztimes.com |access-date=2016-08-22}}</ref><ref>Bernard " Pretty " Purdie, Let The Drums Speak!,2014, page 55.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gershuny |first=Diane |url=http://www.drummagazine.com/features/post/bernard-purdie-the-session-legend/ |title=Bernard Purdie: The Session Legend - DRUM! Magazine - Play Better Faster |date=January 16, 2013 |publisher=DRUM! Magazine |access-date=2016-08-22}}</ref>