WILLIE MAE Big mama THORNTON Hound Dog PEACOCK

[recovering16]

Well now that Johnny Otis has passed, his biography said that he wrote this original version, sung by Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton...

[hardyfh1]

Accusing Elvis of 'stealing' this song is rich, given that the writers Leiber and Stoller had to go to court to prevent Johnny Otis and Willie Mae Thornton from claiming the song as their own. Political correctness comes in many forms and people now feel the need to continue the snit that 'white' Elvis ripped off black music. Where on earth do you think Elvis was born? His mother picked cotton and his father did time in Parchman's Farm. Elvis was not an outsider; this was his world.

[bazz15946]

WOW what a voice this is real blues!

[Shufflerisms]

Big Mama's version IS the first known recording Hound Dog. This is the record Elvis studied and eventually recorded a few years later - with a new first verse that wasn't as sexually suggestive as "snooping 'round my door" :-)

More specifically, Elvis probably owned the 78 rpm pressing since the south was slow to adopt the then new "microgroove" technology of 33's and 78's.

[Samsonic91]

"Cover" is a pretty euphemistic term for Elvis basically STEALING this song and rewriting it for a politically correct white audience...

[RockRampage74]

@Samsonic91 I know. It's a shame he made the people more aware of African-American artists and even giving them credit for his works. What a shame.

[Samsonic91]

@RockRampage74 Well first off, I'm pretty sure he never gave credit where it was due for this song. Even if he did, there's a difference between COVERING a song, and then just REWRITING the thing.

[queenbeanable]

@Samsonic91 Since the song was written by a couple of white guys and has been recorded by many artists in many different styles, I'd have to disagree. I think Big Mama Thorton was the first to record it, and it was a big hit for her in 1953. Personally, I like her version the best out of any I've heard.

[Samsonic91]

@queenbeanable Agreed, but still, it's not exactly accurate to call what Elvis did a "cover" of this song. Because a cover would mean he just performed the song as it was written. Plus again, I'm not sure that he gave credit where it was due (in the sense that I'm not sure he credited the song to its original performers and writers).

[JerryJimmson]

@Samsonic91

Two Jews writte Hound Dog...not blacks

[califgirl101]

Truly a sweet post! Thank you again my friend! :)

[califgirl101]

SWEEEEEEET!!!! So happy to hear the awesome version of this groovy toe-tapper! Heard this particular song maybe once or twice in a few movie scenes but, that's it!