THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

86-Big Mama Thornton-Hound Dog.

1952-It has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 1.04. This original version, and the Elvis Presley cover are completely different renditions, but both are in there very different ways equally groundbreaking in the development of ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll.’ I could happily of posted the Elvis version as well, but this is a top 1000 countdown, not a top 1001.

Big Mama Thornton was born Willie Mae Thornton on December 11th, 1926, in Ariton, Alabama, United States, she died on July 25th, 1984, at the age of 57, of heart and liver disorders due to her longstanding alcohol abuse. She was given her nickname ‘Big Mama’ by Frank Schiffman, (1894-1974) the manager of Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, because of her strong voice, size, and personality. Thornton stated that ‘She was louder than any microphone, and did not want a microphone to ever be as loud as she was.’

Big Mamma Thornton first started singing Gospel music as a child in a Baptist church where her father was a minister. In 1940 she joined the ‘Hot Harlem Revue,’ where comparisons where soon being made between her and the late American Blues singer Bessie Smith, (1894-1937) (see also best songs 345) whom Thornton greatly admired. Big Mama Thornton was also a songwriter of ‘Blues’ songs, with her most famous being ‘Ball ‘n’ Chain,’ which gained a much wider audience when performed by Janis Joplin (1943-1970) (see also best songs 341) who was an admirer of Thornton’s, at the 1967 ‘Monterey Pop Festival.’

In August 1952 R&B bandleader and music entrepreneur Johnny Otis (1921-2012) invited two 19 year old budding songwriters by the names of Jerry Leiber, (1933-2011) and Mike Stoller (see also best songs 954-804 and 124) to his home to meet the Blues singer Big Mamma Thornton. After hearing her sing, they wrote a song to suit her personality. Jerry Leiber recalled,’She looked like the biggest, baddest, saltiest chick you would ever see, and she was mean, a ‘lady bear.’ She must have been 350 pounds, and she had scars all over her face.’ Mike Stoller said,’She was a wonderful Blues singer, with a great moaning style.’ Big Mamma Thornton’s singing style was a major influence on ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll,’ which was now only just around the corner, and music critics have also cited the song as an important part of the beginning of ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll,’ especially in it’s use of the guitar as the key instrument.

In 1955 the American vocal group ‘Freddy Bell and the Bellboys’ recorded a ‘tongue in cheek’ sanitised for mainstream version of ‘Hound Dog,’ removing innuendo such as ‘You can wag your tail but I ain’t gonna feed you no more,’ and basically changing a racy song about a disappointing lover into a song that was literally about a dog. They also gave the song a ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’ rhythm, which did not please Jerry Leiber who found these changes irritating, saying that the rewritten words made ‘no sense.’

Elvis Presley (1934-1977) (see also best songs 954-664-442 and 194) saw Freddy Bell and the Bellboys perform their version of ‘Hound Dog’live, and decided to record the song himself in a similar style. Presley’s gyrating performance of the song on television shocked many of the older generation, and ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’ had arrived. Presley’s version of ‘Hound Dog’ spent 11 weeks at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in America, and is his all time best selling single.

‘You told me you was high class, but I could see through that. she told me you was high class, but I could see through that, and daddy I know you ain’t no real cool cat.’