The story of “Hound Dog” is more than just the tale of one of rock and roll’s most iconic songs; it’s a journey through the vibrant landscape of American music in the 1950s. While famously catapulted into the stratosphere by Elvis Presley, the song’s origins lie with the formidable blues singer Big Mama Thornton, penned by the legendary duo Leiber and Stoller. However, the crucial link connecting Thornton’s raw blues lament to Presley’s rock and roll explosion often gets overlooked: the version performed by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. Hound Dog, as filtered through their Las Vegas lounge act, provided the specific template and even key lyrical changes that Elvis Presley would adapt and electrify, forever changing popular music. This exploration delves into the fascinating history of “Hound Dog,” highlighting the pivotal, yet often underappreciated, role of Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. With over 250 known covers, understanding the Bellboys’ contribution is essential to grasping the song’s full evolution.
The Story Behind Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog”
The genesis of “Hound Dog” lies with Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, a powerful blues presence, and the exceptionally talented songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
Leiber and Stoller: The Songwriting Duo
Jerry Leiber (lyricist) and Mike Stoller (composer) were pioneers in the burgeoning rock and roll scene. They possessed a unique ability to craft songs initially recorded by Black artists that successfully crossed over to mainstream pop audiences. “Hound Dog” became their most celebrated blues-to-rock crossover, but they also penned hits like “Kansas City” (a pop success for Wilbert Harrison) and became the primary songwriters for The Coasters, delivering a remarkable 24 hits characterized by witty teen slang (“Yakety Yak,” “Charlie Brown”). Their production work extended to The Drifters and Ben E. King, and their innovative use of lush strings notably influenced a young Phil Spector and his later “wall of sound” technique. Their contribution to music was later celebrated in the Broadway musical revue Smokey Joe’s Café.
Recording Thornton’s Powerful Rendition
In August 1952, influential West Coast bandleader Johnny Otis introduced Leiber and Stoller to Big Mama Thornton. Standing as an imposing figure around 300-350 pounds, Thornton needed a hit after her first two singles failed to chart. Leiber and Stoller aimed to write a “brusque and badass” song fitting her persona. They composed the 12-bar blues in about 15 minutes, carefully crafting lyrics that were suggestive yet printable. Leiber explained the opening line, “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog”, was a euphemism for a woman kicking out a worthless gigolo.
The recording session presented an initial surprise when Thornton began crooning the song. Leiber and Stoller, despite their youth and background, coached the experienced blues singer, demonstrating the gritty delivery they envisioned. Thornton quickly grasped their concept, nailing the final version in just two takes. The recording featured musicians from Johnny Otis’s band (including Otis on drums, billed pseudonymously as “Kansas City Bill” due to contractual obligations). Thornton’s powerful vocals were punctuated by Pete Lewis’s guitar solos and her own interjections (“aw, listen to that ol hound dog… now wag your tail“), culminating in collective howling.
Success, Royalties, and ‘Answer’ Songs
Released on Peacock Records, Thornton’s “Hound Dog” reached #3 on the Billboard R&B charts in 1953, selling an estimated half a million copies. Billboard described it, somewhat curiously, as a “wild and exciting rhumba blues.” Despite its success, financial rewards were scarce for the creators. Leiber and Stoller reportedly received only a $1,200 advance check that bounced, while Thornton claimed her payment was a mere $500.
The song’s impact resonated, inspiring numerous ‘answer’ songs from a male perspective (like ‘Bear Cat’) and parodies. This sparked legal battles over copyright infringement, establishing the precedent that merely changing lyrics on someone else’s melody still required royalty payments to the original copyright holders. Frustrated by the lack of royalties from “Hound Dog,” Leiber and Stoller formed their own label, Spark Records, in 1953. Atlantic Records later acquired Spark, hiring Leiber and Stoller in a groundbreaking deal that established them as arguably the first independent record producers.
Big Mama Thornton continued her career in blues and gospel, writing “Ball and Chain,” later a hit for Janis Joplin. A staple of blues festivals, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1984. Health issues, exacerbated by weight and heavy drinking, plagued her later years, along with injuries from a car accident. She passed away in July 1984.
Freddie Bell and the Bellboys’ Hound Dog Emerges
While Big Mama Thornton originated “Hound Dog,” the version that directly caught Elvis Presley’s ear came from a different source: Freddie Bell and the Bellboys.
Cover of Elvis Presley’s 1956 debut RCA album featuring early hits
Elvis first gained regional fame in 1954 with Sun Records in Memphis, under the guidance of Sam Phillips. Phillips sought white artists who could perform R&B songs for a broader audience, and Elvis, with his rockabilly take on Arthur Crudup’s “That’s All Right, Mama,” was his breakthrough star. Ironically, Phillips had to sell Elvis’s contract to RCA Records partly due to financial strain from a lawsuit over Rufus Thomas’s ‘Bear Cat’ – an unlicensed ‘answer’ song to Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog.”
The Las Vegas Connection
Elvis’s path to his “Hound Dog” cover didn’t lead back to Thornton’s blues original but to a Las Vegas lounge act. He encountered Freddie Bell And The Bellboys Hound Dog performance while they were a hot ticket in Vegas. At the time, Elvis himself was struggling to gain traction in the city; his initial Vegas appearances were cut short due to lukewarm audience reception. Freddie Bell and his group, however, were successfully entertaining crowds with their energetic show.
Freddie Bell and the Bellboys, whose Hound Dog version inspired Elvis Presley
Reimagining “Hound Dog” with New Lyrics
Freddie Bell and the Bellboys didn’t just cover “Hound Dog”; they adapted it significantly. Their version transformed Thornton’s slow, grinding blues lament into a more upbeat, novelty swing number. Crucially, Freddie Bell introduced the now-famous line, “You ain’t never caught a rabbit, you ain’t no friend of mine,” a lyric absent from the Leiber and Stoller original performed by Thornton. This lyrical alteration fundamentally shifted the song’s narrative away from the original gigolo theme towards something more akin to scolding a useless hunting dog, arguably making it more palatable, if nonsensical, for mainstream audiences and performers like Elvis.
Elvis Presley, Freddie Bell, and the Rise of a Rock Anthem
Captivated by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys’ lively, lyrically altered take on “Hound Dog,” Elvis saw the potential for something explosive.
From Vegas Lounge Act to National Sensation
Elvis didn’t simply copy Freddie Bell; he used the Bellboys’ version as a foundation. Working with his bandmates, guitarist Scotty Moore and drummer D.J. Fontana, Elvis transformed Bell’s swing parody into a high-octane rock and roll powerhouse. Moore developed electrifying rockabilly guitar solos, while Fontana added driving, rapid-fire drum fills that punctuated the verses. Where Bell’s stage presence was theatrical and somewhat comedic, Elvis infused his performances with raw, untamed energy and a suggestive physicality that resonated powerfully with younger audiences.
Crafting the Iconic Rock and Roll Version
Elvis and his band began using their version of “Hound Dog” to close their live shows, honing its energy. While Bell might bounce around playfully, Elvis’s shakes and gyrations during the song were perceived as overtly sexual, creating unprecedented excitement and controversy. Following electrifying performances on national television in 1956, Elvis and “Hound Dog” became household names.
Televised Performances and Public Reaction
Elvis’s appearances on the Milton Berle, Steve Allen, and Ed Sullivan shows in 1956 cemented his stardom. His June performance on Milton Berle, watched by 40 million people, showcased his rock version followed by provocative body movements that simultaneously thrilled teenagers and scandalized conservative viewers. A subsequent performance on Ed Sullivan further amplified his fame, despite the persistent myth that Sullivan only filmed him from the waist up (clips show otherwise for parts of the performance).
The day after the Steve Allen Show appearance, Elvis recorded “Hound Dog” for RCA. Though Steve Sholes received production credit, band members asserted Elvis himself heavily directed the session. His energetic vocals, Moore’s searing guitar, and Fontana’s dynamic drumming created a definitive rock classic.
The visceral reaction to Elvis’s performances, particularly of “Hound Dog,” polarized the nation. Teenagers, especially girls, reacted with fervent adoration. Conversely, older generations and cultural conservatives expressed outrage. Congressman Emmanuel Celler condemned the “bad taste… animal gyrations… violative of all that I know to be in good taste.” Perry Como quipped it made him “vomit a little,” while Frank Sinatra famously decried rock and roll as “brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious… sung, played and written for the most part by cretinous goons.”
This condemnation, naturally, only fueled the fire of teenage rebellion and solidified Elvis’s status as a cultural icon. As Sam Phillips noted, parental disapproval was a key ingredient in rock and roll’s rapid ascent. “Hound Dog” sold ten million copies worldwide, becoming Elvis’s biggest seller and paving the way for his coronation as “The King” of rock and roll. When told by Leiber that Elvis Presley had a massive hit with “Hound Dog,” Stoller initially responded, “Elvis who?” The duo would later write several other major hits specifically for Presley, including “Loving You,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “King Creole.”
Unraveling the Complex Origins of “Hound Dog”
The journey of “Hound Dog” is often cited as a prime example of white artists appropriating Black music. While Elvis Presley undeniably achieved monumental success with a song originated by Big Mama Thornton, the reality is more complex. The song itself was written by two white Jewish songwriters, Leiber and Stoller, who actively coached Thornton on its delivery. The bandleader on Thornton’s recording, Johnny Otis, was Greek-American, though deeply embedded in the Black music community. Furthermore, Elvis’s direct inspiration wasn’t Thornton’s original blues but the significantly altered version by the white Italian-American performer, Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. Hound Dog‘s history, therefore, defies easy categorization, illustrating the intricate cross-cultural currents that shaped early rock and roll. The truth, as often happens, is more nuanced and fascinating than simple narratives suggest.
Elvis Presley’s career trajectory after “Hound Dog” is a well-documented saga of immense fame, questionable management by Colonel Tom Parker, a string of often critically panned but commercially successful films, and a tragic decline fueled by prescription drug abuse, leading to his death at 42. Despite the controversies and sad end, his musical legacy, ignited by hits like “Hound Dog,” remains indelible.
This detailed history underscores the importance of looking beyond the most famous version of a song. While Elvis made “Hound Dog” a global phenomenon, its path involved the foundational artistry of Big Mama Thornton, the creative genius of Leiber and Stoller, and the crucial, transformative interpretation by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys, whose Vegas-honed rendition provided the direct spark for The King.
References
- Wikipedia, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
- Wikipedia, Big Mama Thornton
- Wikipedia, Elvis Presley
- Wikipedia, Hound Dog (song)
- Wikipedia, Elvis Presley filmography
- Caine, Andrew. Interpreting Rock Movies: The Pop Film and Its Critics in Britain. Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.
- Kirchberg, Connie and Marc Hendrickx. Elvis Presley, Richard Nixon, and the American Dream. McFarland and Company, 1999.
- Hopkins, Jerry. Elvis in Hawaii. Bess Press, 2002.
- Sinatra, Frank. Interview with the Trenton Evening Times, Oct 28, 1957.
