On this day in 1952, the first recording of “Hound Dog” was made by R&B singer Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton. The song was written just for her by Leiber and Stoller, who composed many other early rock ‘n’ roll hits. As you’ll see from the video below, Big Mama’s version is quite different from Elvis Presley’s version, which was recorded in 1956. As an added bonus, this 1965 video features Buddy Guy on guitar.
Interestingly, Elvis’ inspiration wasn’t Big Mama Thornton but early rocker Freddie Bell, who added the lyrics “cryin’ all the time” and “you ain’t never caught a rabbit.” The RhythmStrummer lesson for “Hound Dog” is based on Elvis’ version, with those now-famous lyrics sung over a 12-Bar Blues structure. Our lesson will show you how to get that backbeat “swing” rhythm that makes the song so fun to learn and play!
As Big Mama Thornton says: “And bow-wow to you too.”
