In 1956, Elvis Presley released what would be one of his most commercial successes and a thermometer for the rock ‘n’ roll revolution. “Hound Dog” was an instant hit, with Presley’s provocative performance at The Milton Berle Show (featuring his signature hip swing) only cementing his status as the King of Rock and Roll. Even though his version of “Hound Dog” is the best known out of the many variations put out since, many would be surprised to uncover that the song was originally recorded by an R&B artist four years prior to Presley’s version. Big Mama Thornton put out “Hound Dog” in 1952, becoming the first artist to ever perform the song written by Jerome Lieber and Michael Stoller.
Thornton’s take performed well at the time, topping the Billboard R&B chart for seven consecutive weeks in 1953. The single had a more grassroots appeal than Presley’s rock-leaning hit, and given the latter’s rise to fame, the original wasn’t as popular outside the R&B circle. Still, there is no denying that Thornton was the one to record and release “Hound Dog” before anyone else did, and should be credited as the precursor of rock ‘n’ roll. Presley might’ve popularized the genre, but the song that started it all wasn’t his to begin with.
Big Mama Thornton’s Version of “Hound Dog” Was Slightly Different From the Elvis Hit
Thornton’s “Hound Dog” was structurally different from Presley’s, featuring a growling vocal delivery, a slower tempo, and alternate lyricism. Her song had a more sexual connotation, with lyrics like “you can wag your tail, but I ain’t gonna feed you no more” having a double meaning (a common trait for blues tunes). The term “hound dog” here is the same as calling a man a womanizer, with Thornton singing about not wanting to be with someone like that. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Stoller shared that the singer’s strong personality inspired him to come up with lyrics that allowed her to basically turn a man down in a more subtle manner, with further storytelling. “I couldn’t just have a song full of expletives,” he said.
Although Presley was familiar with Thornton’s recording, his version was directly inspired by another iteration of “Hound Dog”, released by a band called Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. The latter were responsible for adding the lyrics “well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit, and you ain’t no friend of mine,” which Presley then adopted in his take on the track. The King of Rock and Roll also added the lyrics “When they said you were high-classed. Well, that was just a lie,” which allows for the song to shift from a female perspective (prevalent in Thornton’s approach) to a male point-of-view. The instrumental breaks paired with Presley’s reputation as the future of a still-developing music genre led the single to gain traction and long-term notoriety.
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The ‘Elvis’ Biopic Reignited Discussion About the Origin of “Hound Dog”
With Elvis Presley responsible for introducing “Hound Dog” to the mainstream, the singer was faced with several claims that he was engaging in cultural appropriation. Before putting out this song, he was also accused of exploiting Black culture through his very first single, “That’s All Right”, which was previously written by African American blues artist Arthur Crudup. In Baz Luhrmann‘s biopic entitled Elvis, Thornton (played by Shonka Dukureth) is seen performing “Hound Dog” first, with Presley (played by Austin Butler) later singing his interpretation of it. The decision to include a scene with the singer who originally performed the tune is, in a sense, a way to inform younger audiences about the song’s origin. It allows Thornton to get more credit than she received in the long run, especially given that she wasn’t fairly compensated for the hit single due to the exploitative industry practices of the time (especially towards Black artists).
It was only last year that she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her impact on the rise of rock ‘n’ roll with songs like “Hound Dog” and “Ball n’ Chain”. Although Presley’s track isn’t necessarily inspired by the original, having drawn more from the Freddie Bell and the Bellboys cover, it is important to highlight who Lieber and Stoller originally wrote the song for. Thornton might not have the best-known iteration of “Hound Dog”, but if it weren’t for her recording and the songwriters who came up with lyrics specifically for her, the song wouldn’t have taken a life of its own. Nowadays, it’s been recorded more than 250 times. Doja Cat sampled Thornton’s version in her song “Vegas”, present in the Elvis soundtrack. Although Presley might’ve popularized “Hound Dog” and adapted the song to the tone and feel of rock rather than blues, it was Thornton that made it tick in the first place.