Back in the day R&B performers would go on tour, and in each stop their manager would hire a local band to back them up. I played guitar behind Chuck Berry on such a tour in 1973 at a small college in North Carolina.
@topcatrecords Naw, he was very nice. I think he only did that when the band's guitar player tried to show him up. I was more than happy to stay out of his way.
@pretorious700 WAY COOL that you had the great honor to play a gig with Chuck Berry! What a cool feather in your hat! (And a smart move staying out of his way) The stuff memories are made of! Congratulations! IMHO he was the real "Father of Rock 'n Roll."
I cut my guitar playin' teeth on Chuck Berry stuff. 1st two tunes I learned were Mabelline and Johnny B Goode... around 42 years ago!!!
@pretorious700 Pickin' 47 years already? How did THAT happen? I'm in diapers in comparison! Are there any clips on YouTube of you playing? Check out the Shake Your Boogie clip on the TopCat Channel. I'm the skinny guy on the left playing the Super 400.
I can identify with your Chuck Berry handshake. One of my biggest thrills was shaking B.B. King's hand. His hands are enormous, literally enveloping mine! Felt like a little boy shaking hands with a giant! Glad you like the channel. Thanks!
Link Wyler, Big Mama's manager and producer of this concert tour and video, told me that "Ball and Chain" was her biggest money maker due to Janis Joplin's cover of the song.
But Big Mama had to sell the song to raise money for legal fees when she was arrested for “ACCIDENTALLY” shooting her boyfriend 6 times!!!
She added a few interjections of her own, played around with the rhythm (some of the choruses have thirteen rather than twelve bars), and had the band bark and howl like hound dogs at the end of the song. In fact, she interacts constantly in a call and response fashion during a one minute long guitar "solo" by Pete Lewis. Her vocals include lines such as: "Aw, listen to that ole hound dog howl…OOOOoooow," "Now wag your tail," and "Aw, get it, get it, get it."
The blues singer Big Mama Thornton's biggest hit was Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's "Hound Dog," which she recorded at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles on August 13, 1952. Thornton’s "Hound Dog" was the first record Leiber and Stoller produced themselves. Thornton gave this account of how the original was created. “They were just a couple of kids, and they had this song written on the back of a paper bag.”
From: wikipedia - "Hound Dog" Single by Big Mama Thornton B-side "Nightmare" Released March 1953 Format 78 RPM 10" single Recorded August 13, 1952 Los Angeles Genre Rhythm and blues Length 2:52 Label Peacock Records Writer(s) Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Producer Johnny Otis
The only thing similar with Elvis's song is the name so we can count that its his song
brokensteellord 5 months ago
??? HUH
The Name, the beat, etc...8-). That's like making a clear soft drink and calling it Sprite, putting it the same style bottle, same design, same color etc... and saying "The only similarity is the name so no violation has occurred". Just sharing..I respect everyone's opinion..8-)
@MotownMaster It seems amazing but that's what killed her. She died because she lost hundreds of pounds in the matter of months. Alot of her organs failed.
She never thought Elvis stole it. She didn't write it either and they sang it totally different. The song was written by two white dudes. She was a big fan of what Elvis did with the song.
@lolita88ism It's a fact? ALL white people in America steal ALL black people's music? Wow, that must be a LOT!! (lol) Historically that has happened to/by people of all colors. Still does. The Stones and Led Zeppelin notoriously claimed writing credits for songs written by Robert Johnson and Willie Dixon. Dixon supposedly copyrighted tunes created/recorded by others as well. (e.g. Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf).
@lovie2000 Actually... there are 20 songs registered with BMI and 14 with ASCAP titled "Hound Dog". Now, for total confusion... HOUN DAWG BMI Work #588220 Songwriter/Composer: LEIBER JERRY / STOLLER MIKE Publishers: ELVIS PRESLEY MUSIC EPE / BELINDA ABERBACH TRUST/SONGS OF UNIVERSAL INC ------- HOUND DOG BMI Work #94632 Songwriter/Composer:LEIBER JERRY / STOLLER MIKE Artists include: Big Mama Thornton, Elvis Presley (but he claimed publishing for "Houn Dawg" (above)!??! Publisher:Sony
You know when thinking of a man singing about another man being a "hound dog" way back in the no tolerance 50's, it's a wonder people missed it.
I must admit, the song does fit a women better, despite the fact that history proves the likes of many a thief. It's so sad that they didn't take time out to tailor it better, while giving credit where it's due. Guess that happens when people are hard up in a rush, and pressed to get a hit. What a shame:(
BIG MOMMA did it FIRST! THEN CAME ELVIS AND STOLE it... but he is still the king of ROCK N ROLL.... why? .... maybe bc of the racism that was happening around that time along with sexism
@Snackay even if it was, elvis still stole a lot of shit from black musicians like that ridiculous hip swinging, and he had the nerve to do it like it was new lol.
Elvis's copy of her Original version is being sold at auction...he was well aware of her version, but this version is a womans song about a man...not right for Elvis obviously.
ya know...this wasn't the version elvis re-did. he actually just heard the song being done by another group and re-did their version...he never changed any words, he sang the song word-for-word as the other group did. he'd never even heard the original. boy oh boy, elvis really gave this song a lot of attention!!!
She wasn't as big as before anymore here. Great track!
Yeroen 5 months ago
@Yeroen Yeah, and then she died from drinking to much booze 10 years later..
mommadog1 4 months ago
HOUND DOG, Written by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stroller. 1952. Became a hit in 1953 for Big Mama Thornton. Sadly Big Mama passed away on July 25, 1984.
And.. Jerry Leiber passed away (today) August 22 2011.....
DallasPix 6 months ago
Elvis who?
sdgakatbk 8 months ago
Back in the day R&B performers would go on tour, and in each stop their manager would hire a local band to back them up. I played guitar behind Chuck Berry on such a tour in 1973 at a small college in North Carolina.
pretorious700 8 months ago
@pretorious700 Just wondering... did Chuck kick your ass? He had/has a reputation for being very hard on the pick-up band musicians backing him up.
topcatrecords 8 months ago
@topcatrecords Naw, he was very nice. I think he only did that when the band's guitar player tried to show him up. I was more than happy to stay out of his way.
pretorious700 8 months ago
@pretorious700 WAY COOL that you had the great honor to play a gig with Chuck Berry! What a cool feather in your hat! (And a smart move staying out of his way) The stuff memories are made of! Congratulations! IMHO he was the real "Father of Rock 'n Roll."
I cut my guitar playin' teeth on Chuck Berry stuff. 1st two tunes I learned were Mabelline and Johnny B Goode... around 42 years ago!!!
topcatrecords 8 months ago
@topcatrecords Been about 47 years for me. On a side note, my biggest thrill was shaking Mr. Berry's hand-he has fingers like ball park hot dogs!!!
BTW, you're channel is great.
pretorious700 8 months ago
@pretorious700 Pickin' 47 years already? How did THAT happen? I'm in diapers in comparison! Are there any clips on YouTube of you playing? Check out the Shake Your Boogie clip on the TopCat Channel. I'm the skinny guy on the left playing the Super 400.
I can identify with your Chuck Berry handshake. One of my biggest thrills was shaking B.B. King's hand. His hands are enormous, literally enveloping mine! Felt like a little boy shaking hands with a giant! Glad you like the channel. Thanks!
topcatrecords 8 months ago
I like this version a lot better.....this is why I don't like Elvis he stole way to much music from the african american community.
69hippydippy 10 months ago
@69hippydippy This tune was written by two white guys...
Ediblemittens 8 months ago
@69hippydippy
ehh, no. Elvis gave this song a rock and roll bodykit and put a hat on it. but elvis's version is better. He never really gave credit to her though.
TheMajorHawke 8 months ago
Link Wyler, Big Mama's manager and producer of this concert tour and video, told me that "Ball and Chain" was her biggest money maker due to Janis Joplin's cover of the song.
But Big Mama had to sell the song to raise money for legal fees when she was arrested for “ACCIDENTALLY” shooting her boyfriend 6 times!!!
He survived. She got off.
topcatrecords 10 months ago
She added a few interjections of her own, played around with the rhythm (some of the choruses have thirteen rather than twelve bars), and had the band bark and howl like hound dogs at the end of the song. In fact, she interacts constantly in a call and response fashion during a one minute long guitar "solo" by Pete Lewis. Her vocals include lines such as: "Aw, listen to that ole hound dog howl…OOOOoooow," "Now wag your tail," and "Aw, get it, get it, get it."
topcatrecords 10 months ago
The blues singer Big Mama Thornton's biggest hit was Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's "Hound Dog," which she recorded at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles on August 13, 1952. Thornton’s "Hound Dog" was the first record Leiber and Stoller produced themselves. Thornton gave this account of how the original was created. “They were just a couple of kids, and they had this song written on the back of a paper bag.”
topcatrecords 10 months ago
topcatrecords 10 months ago
Wonderful singer!!
Sissiaraujo 10 months ago
The only thing similar with Elvis's song is the name so we can count that its his song
brokensteellord 5 months ago
??? HUH
The Name, the beat, etc...8-). That's like making a clear soft drink and calling it Sprite, putting it the same style bottle, same design, same color etc... and saying "The only similarity is the name so no violation has occurred". Just sharing..I respect everyone's opinion..8-)
phenique29 11 months ago
wow she lost weight
MotownMaster 11 months ago
@MotownMaster It seems amazing but that's what killed her. She died because she lost hundreds of pounds in the matter of months. Alot of her organs failed.
chazhegstrom 8 months ago
I think this a manlier version than the Elvis version
residentevlidead 11 months ago
Do you still have the same consert with Ball and Chain? I marked it some time ago and lost it and haven't see it sence. I think it was the best ,
wgh56 1 year ago
@wgh56 Yes we do have Big Mama's "Ball and Chain" video clip from this concert and it will be posted soon.
topcatrecords 10 months ago
She never thought Elvis stole it. She didn't write it either and they sang it totally different. The song was written by two white dudes. She was a big fan of what Elvis did with the song.
shigsho 1 year ago
@shigsho weird that you don't know the name of those 'two white dudes' .lol XD
she wrote it. Facts. 'You're nothing but a houndog' said by a woman, sorry but it sounds better.
WHite people in america steal black ppl music. it's also a fact. and get it straight please.
lolita88ism 1 year ago
@lolita88ism It's a fact? ALL white people in America steal ALL black people's music? Wow, that must be a LOT!! (lol) Historically that has happened to/by people of all colors. Still does. The Stones and Led Zeppelin notoriously claimed writing credits for songs written by Robert Johnson and Willie Dixon. Dixon supposedly copyrighted tunes created/recorded by others as well. (e.g. Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf).
topcatrecords 8 months ago
Actually:
Type of Work: Music
Registration Number / Date: RE0000059284 / 1980-05-13 Renewal registration for: EU0000287247 / 1952-09-09
Title: Hound dog. Words & music: Don Deadric Robey & Willie Mae Thornton.
Copyright Claimant: Murphy L. Robey (W) & Willie Mae Thornton (A)
Variant title: Hound dog.
Names: Robey, Don Deadric Thornton, Willie Mae Robey, Murphy L.
lovie2000 1 year ago
topcatrecords 8 months ago
Go Big Mama Thornton
lovie2000 1 year ago
Elvis true king of karaoke.
ChiToNYc 1 year ago
You know when thinking of a man singing about another man being a "hound dog" way back in the no tolerance 50's, it's a wonder people missed it.
I must admit, the song does fit a women better, despite the fact that history proves the likes of many a thief. It's so sad that they didn't take time out to tailor it better, while giving credit where it's due. Guess that happens when people are hard up in a rush, and pressed to get a hit. What a shame:(
MyFG1 1 year ago
BIG MOMMA did it FIRST! THEN CAME ELVIS AND STOLE it... but he is still the king of ROCK N ROLL.... why? .... maybe bc of the racism that was happening around that time along with sexism
meohsosexc 1 year ago
@meohsosexc BS. The song was written by two white guys, Leiber and Stoller. You are the racist.
Snackay 11 months ago
@Snackay even if it was, elvis still stole a lot of shit from black musicians like that ridiculous hip swinging, and he had the nerve to do it like it was new lol.
AgrivatedKillah 10 months ago
The only thing similar with Elvis's song is the name so we can count that its his song
brokensteellord 1 year ago
good
unya2000 1 year ago
Your music is the drugs im not having ..lol A much better high.:)
tarnyatreneman 1 year ago
wiere did this come from, briliant, she was the one.
harpfelt 1 year ago
Wow. She lost alot of weight. I wonder if she was ill. She was "Big Mama" cause she was a big lady.
Elvis was great but him singing an obvious woman's song? Nah. Plus he stole Little Richard's moves.
TallChief42 1 year ago
@TallChief42 LOL Stole Richards moves , what a silly comment.
TheOnlyOneKingElvis 1 year ago
@TallChief42 True True
warturtle10 1 year ago
@TallChief42 No shit - hardly looks the same.
AllBobsAllTheTime 1 year ago
Elvis's copy of her Original version is being sold at auction...he was well aware of her version, but this version is a womans song about a man...not right for Elvis obviously.
cameltrail 1 year ago
ya know...this wasn't the version elvis re-did. he actually just heard the song being done by another group and re-did their version...he never changed any words, he sang the song word-for-word as the other group did. he'd never even heard the original. boy oh boy, elvis really gave this song a lot of attention!!!
brandi88 1 year ago
@brandi88 Yeah, but Colonel Parker sure heard the original!
BlackDiogenes1020 1 year ago
@brandi88 Err...actually her version is in Elvis's record collection !
cameltrail 1 year ago
Big Momma, you done it first and we know it. xxxooo
im18withabullet 1 year ago
Very very nice video
Orchideeful 2 years ago
what a great artist
philjac2001 2 years ago