The story of "Hound Dog", Elvis' best selling single Signature Songs That Are Actually Covers

With over 10 million copies sold and an 11 week stay at number 1 in the best sellers charts in the USA. Hound Dog is Elvis Presley's bestselling single, but by the time he recorded the song in July 1956 the original version from 4 years earlier, had already spent 7 weeks at number one on the R&B charts.

The song was so popular it spawned dozens of cover versions, response records and soundalike rip offs all, it was the subject of contractual disputes and copyright infringement legal cases, all before Elvis had apparently even heard the song!

It was written by the songwriting duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, for Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton an upandcoming artist on Don Robey's Peacock Records.

You can find more information about all the various cover versions of "Hound Dog", and many more popular songs, at https://secondhandsongs.com it's the world's largest database of cover songs and a resource I often use when researching these stories. Thanks ‪@Secondhandsongs‬ !!

00:43 How Leiber met Stoller
04:53 Johnny Otis asks Leiber and Stoller to write a song
05:57 Leiber and Stoller become producers
07:07 Wille Mae Thornton's "Hound Dog"
07:46 Big Mama Hears "Hound Dog" on the radio for the first time
08:26 Who actually deserves credit for writing "Hound Dog"?
10:15 Peacock Records officially releases "Hound Dog"
11:01 PreElvis cover versions of "Hound Dog"
11:50 Don Robey isn't happy, despite massive sales
12:34 "Bear Cat"
14:52 "Hound Dog" in the recent Elvis movie
16:11 Freddie Bell & The Bellboys version of "Hound Dog"
17:21 Freddie Bell reflects on "Hound Dog"
18:07 Elvis Presley performs "Hound Dog" on TV
19:39 Elvis releases "Hound Dog"
20:03 The Andrea Doria
23:07 Mike Stoller's first impressions of Elvis' version
23:37 Johnny Otis rescinds authorship claims over "Hound Dog"
23:55 Valjo Music Vs Elvis Presley music
25:14 What did Freddie Bell get for his adaptation of "Hound Dog" that Elvis copied?
25:23 Did "Hound Dog" really get to number 1!?!