“Hound Dog”/”Night Mare” by Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, 1953

File — Box: 1, disc: 5

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The 78 RPM records in this collection are of unknown provenance and were selected for addition to the Archives for their rarity. They highlight early hits in rock and roll music, such as "Sixty Minute Man" by the Dominoes and "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, both of which are considered contenders for the first rock and roll record ever recorded. Each record has a four-digit number attached. These are catalog numbers, which were used both to track sales through distributors and for in-house accounting.

Dates

Creation: 1953

Creator

From the Collection: Dominoes (Musical group : U.S.) (Organization)
From the Collection: Harris, Wynonie, 1915-1969 (Person)
From the Collection: Brenston, Jackie, 1930-1979 (Person)
From the Collection: Brown, Roy, 1925-1981 (Person)
From the Collection: Thornton, Big Mama (Person)
From the Collection: Delta Cats (Musical Group) (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is restricted due to material fragility. Access requires permission from the Berklee Archives Associate Director.

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Released by Peacock Records (1612)

“Hound Dog,” written by a young Leiber and Stoller, was recorded by Big Mama Thornton in 1952 and released in 1953. The first recording ever produced by Leiber and Stoller, it featured Johnny Otis on drums (as Kansas City Bill), Pete Lewis on guitar, and Mario Delagarde on bass. “Hound Dog” was number one on the R&B chart for 7 weeks and sold 500,000 copies. Though Elvis Presley’s cover of the song is more well known, Big Mama Thornton’s original version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has listed it as one of the “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.”