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HOUND DOG Elvis Presley was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. He was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. His parents were poor, white trash by society's standards. As a result of their poverty, Elvis and his parents moved around frequently. In the south at that time, being poor meant living among the "Negro's", which was considered the bottom of the social ladder. For Elvis though, it led to broad musical influence, from both the black and the white. He became racially integrated, and learned to play sexually charged music, that brought together his white country past, with African-American sound. He absorbed R & B, country, white and black gospel, bluegrass, western swing, and pop. He was different, new, free. It was that freedom that was the key to Elvis' early music. He became the biggest attraction in the history of popular music. Elvis introduced Rock and Roll to a generation of white teenagers who were used to emotionless ditties, and completely unfamiliar with the black sound of Rhythm and Blues. He was the symbol of Rock and Roll in the 1950's, the rebel's idol. Hound Dog was one of the songs that evoked that rebellious image, the tough guy that every teen girl wanted, and every teen boy longed to be. Hound Dog was a drastic break from the status quo, both musically, and socially. It was one of the most controversial songs of the 1950's. It helped to make Elvis what he is known as today, the undisputed King of Rock and Roll. The 1950's were a time of social tension in the South. Memphis, though, was at that time, a regional economic centre. Its population grew from 293,000 to 396,000 between 1940 and 1950. It had a vibrant black community, with musical history that dated back to country blues in the Mississippi Delta. But according to the community, black music was too sexual, and would lead to immoral behavior, such as drug use, and race mixing. The youth of the early 1950's had no real music or style to call their own. They had no language, no personal form of expression. They were seeking something more than the norm, the American Dream. That began to change with Bill Haley's Rock Around The Clock. Haley though, wasn't your ideal rock star. He was older, and not charismatic enough, and therefore faded into the background. Enter Elvis, an ambitious hipster, who would shake up the nation and the world, as everyone knew it. There were many cover versions of Hound Dog. Elvis' version was actually one of them. It was originally written by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and Johnny Otis for Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, and recorded in 1952. This was the first version to be released, and proved Leiber and Stoller to be talented songwriters. (Johnny Otis' name was later removed after a court battle for the royalties). Big Mama made it to number one on the R& B chart for seven weeks. Hound Dog is how most people remember her. Another version, which would now seem to be important, was sung by Freddie Bell and His Bell Boys for Teen Records. Elvis heard the group performing a parody version of the song in Las Vegas, and decided to start playing it. He liked the more upbeat tempo. Other covers and remakes were done by Little Esther, Tommy Duncan, Eddie Hazelwood, Betsy Gay, Jack Turner, Billy Starr, Homer and Jethro, and Lalo Guerrero.
Approximate Word count = 2279
Approximate Pages = 9.1
(250 words per page double spaced)
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