Elvis Presley Unravelled #7
…..The Story Behind Hound Dog
Originally released by Big Mama Thornton and one of Leiber and Stoller’s earliest songs. Elvis immortalised it – the story behind Hound Dog.
23-29 July: Guest feature on the Mop Tops and the King show
Broadcast on the 70+ radio stations comprising the MTK Network.
Elvis Presley Unravelled is presented by Derek Shelmerdine as a part of Steve Chelmsford’s Mop Tops and the King show.
See the Show Schedule for broadcast details for times and radio stations.
(The times on the Show Schedule are Eastern Time, the UK is five hours ahead.)
PODCAST – The Story Behind Hound Dog
The Story Behind Hound Dog
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote the song for “Big Mama” Thornton and she released it as an R&B single in 1952.
Johnny Otis was originally given a songwriting credit, alongside Leiber and Stoller. The Johnny Otis Band also provided the backing for the single.
Elvis’s version was his fourth single and spent eleven weeks at the top of the Billboard Top-40. By the time that the Elvis version hit the streets, Johnny Otis was no longer listed as one of the songwriters.
This was Elvis’s seventh Billboard Top-40 hit and his fourth #1. Hound Dog was #1 on all three Billboard charts. As well as spending 11 weeks at #1 on the Pop chart, it topped the Country chart for 10 weeks and the R&B chart for 6 weeks.
Extract from Rock’n’Roll Unravelled
Most of The Beatles/Elvis Presley Unravelled podcasts are based on extracts from Derek Shelmerdine’s book Rock’n’Roll Unravelled.
THIS EXTRACT is for 13 August 1952, when “Big Mama” Thornton recorded the original version of Hound Dog.
With its unique three-part structure, Rock’n’Roll Unravelled tells the story of rock’n’roll from its roots to mid-1970s punk.
TO BUY – a signed copy of Rock’n’Roll Unravelled
Mop Tops and The King Radio Show
Derek Shelmerdine presents the feature segments Elvis Presley Unravelled and The Beatles Unravelled on Steve Chelmsford’s weekly the Mop Tops and The King radio show.
Derek is a fortnightly guest on Steve’s show.
The MTK NETWORK of over 75 radio stations around the world carries the Mop Tops and The King show. This means that every day, someone, somewhere in the world is broadcasting the Mop Tops and the King show.
For the broadcast time for each station – check out the WEEKLY SCHEDULE. (The times in the weekly schedule are Eastern Time – the UK is five hours ahead.)
The Mop Tops and the King show is all about the music, lives and times of The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
For all the previous editions of…
The Beatles Unravelled and Elvis Presley Unravelled
First Broadcast – The Story Behind Hound Dog
This show was first broadcast 23-29 July 2021, on the MTK network of radio stations around the world.
