Hound Dog (song)

Categories: Elvis Presley songs | Blues | 1953 singles | 1956 singles | Grammy Hall of Fame Awards

"Hound Dog" is the name of two versions of a song; the original version was recorded by Big Mama Thornton, while the remake was recorded by Elvis Presley.

Big Mama Thornton Version

The blues singer Big Mama Thornton's one major hit was Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's "Hound Dog," which she recorded in 1953 with the Johnny Otis band. Big Mama Thornton always claimed to have written the song herself (a claim which may actually hold some validity), and her lively rendition of it held the number one spot in the Billboard rhythm and blues charts for seven weeks.

Elvis Presley Version

While in Las Vegas in 1956, Elvis Presley heard "Hound Dog" being performed by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. This band's version was nearly a parody of Thornton's original lyrics. Presley recorded this version on July 2, 1956 at RCA's New York City studio, and introduced it on The Milton Berle Show on June 5, 1956. "Hound Dog" was the B-side of the "Don't Be Cruel" single released on July 13, 1956.

Presley's "Hound Dog" sold over 5 million copies in the United States on its first release. It was his best selling single.