YOU AIN’T NOTHIN’ BUT A HOUND DOG

Elvis serenades a Basset Hound


The first video is Elvis Presley on the Steve Allen Show on 1st July 1956, performing I Want You, I Need You, I Love You and Hound Dog, but most importantly singing to a Basset Hound.

The basset doesn’t appear until 4 minutes 40 seconds in, although he can be heard from the start.

Click on the image to start the video.




It was a curious choice for Elvis to record Hound Dog. The song had originally been recorded by Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton in 1952 and was number one in the R&B charts for seven weeks in 1953. In Willie Mae’s hands the song is clearly a woman's blues, lamenting disappointment in love at the realisation her man had no intentions other than to get from her what he can. Nothing like a Hound really!

The song written for her by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller was the first record they produced. Willie Mae describes them, ‘They were just a couple of kids, and they had this song written on the back of a paper bag.’

In 1956 Freddie Bell and the Bellboys opened a show starring Elvis in Las Vegas, performing a comedy version of the song. As a result Elvis recorded it having apparently never heard the original.

The Original and the Best


The video below is not of the original recording but a live performance by Willie Mae with musicians from Muddy Waters band, including Buddy Guy, filmed twelve years later in 1965.

Elvis has the Basset Hound but Willie Mae takes the performing prize for me even if, distracted by the twist, not quite at her best.



Unfortunately part of the drop down menu is not visible on this page when using Internet Explorer or Google Chrome although it overlays the videos as intended when using Safari, Opera or Firefox. In the hope that Microsoft & Google will catch up I will leave the format as it is for now. Any ideas anyone?

This need not cause difficulties for PC users as they can download Firefox and use that instead. Download Mozilla Firefox.


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The South East Branch of the Basset Hound Club