Hound Dog
Elvis Presley, 1956, from Non-album single. Solo by Scotty Moore.
Moore's raw rockabilly bursts.
Scotty Moore played lead on a Gibson L-5 through an amplifier built by Ray Butts, and the track contains two short guitar breaks. They are stinging, repetitive bursts rather than melodic statements. The second is the famous one: Moore said that after dozens of takes he was frustrated and lashed out at the strings, producing a jagged, almost chaotic flurry he could never repeat. That raw energy helped define early rock and roll guitar. Listen for the second break, where the notes seem to crash into each other; it is the sound of a player trying something wild and capturing it on tape.
Hound Dog by Elvis Presley is ranked #108 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Scotty Moore and the song was released in 1956. It appears on 3 lists, placing as high as #10 (Guitar Tricks).
The story of Hound Dog
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote 'Hound Dog' in 1952 as a raw twelve-bar blues for Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton, whose 1953 recording topped the R&B chart. The song Elvis Presley made famous, however, came to him second-hand. In 1955 the Las Vegas lounge act Freddie Bell and the Bellboys released a cleaned-up, jokey rewrite on Teen Records, adding the lines about catching rabbits and turning the tune into a comedy showstopper.
Presley caught the Bellboys' act during his spring 1956 Las Vegas residency and quickly worked the song into his own shows. Leiber and Stoller later confirmed that Presley, guitarist Scotty Moore and drummer D.J. Fontana modelled their arrangement on the Bellboys rather than on Thornton. Television made the song notorious: his hip-swinging rendition on The Milton Berle Show on June 5, 1956, drew a flood of complaints and helped earn him the nickname 'Elvis the Pelvis'.
On July 1 Steve Allen had Presley sing it in a tuxedo to a basset hound wearing a top hat, a stunt the singer found humiliating. Moore believed the resentment fed straight into the next day's session at RCA's New York studio. Across a seven-hour session the band cut roughly 31 takes, with the Jordanaires on backing vocals and Gordon Stoker filling in on piano, before Presley picked take 28 as the master.
RCA issued the recording on July 13, 1956, coupled with 'Don't Be Cruel', and both sides became enormous hits. The record held the top of the pop chart for 11 weeks, reached No. 1 on the country and R&B charts as well, and by 1958 was only the third single ever to pass three million copies. Worldwide sales are estimated at around ten million.
The solo
Scotty Moore played lead on a Gibson L-5 fitted with a P-90 pickup, running through an amplifier built by Ray Butts, according to Songfacts. The track contains two short guitar breaks. In the rhythm sections Moore stays low on the neck, hacking at open fifths, while his breaks are stinging, repetitive bursts rather than melodic statements. The second solo is the famous one: Moore said later that after dozens of takes he was frustrated and simply lashed out at the strings, producing a jagged, almost chaotic flurry. He claimed he never knew exactly how he produced it and could not repeat it, which has made that break one of rock's enduring guitar puzzles. Musicologist Robert Fink singled out the track's deliberate dissonance, with Fontana's drum fills and Moore's guitar pushing toward noise.
Legacy
Critics of the day were appalled; Melody Maker's reviewer dismissed it and Perry Como and Frank Sinatra mocked it, yet it became Presley's best-selling single. It entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1988, placed No. 19 on Rolling Stone's 2004 list of the greatest songs, and Q ranked it No. 55 among the greatest guitar tracks in 2005. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lists it among the songs that shaped rock. Bob Dylan cited hearing it on the radio as a pivotal moment, and Moore's second break is still debated by guitarists.
Top 10 facts about Hound Dog
Presley's arrangement was based on Freddie Bell and the Bellboys' comic 1955 rewrite, not on Big Mama Thornton's original blues.
WikipediaThe July 2, 1956 session ran about seven hours and roughly 31 takes; Presley chose take 28 as the master.
WikipediaJordanaires member Gordon Stoker played piano on the record because the booked pianist left for another engagement.
WikipediaScotty Moore used a P-90 equipped Gibson L-5 through a Ray Butts amp, and said he never knew how he made the sound in the second solo.
SongfactsThe single topped the Billboard pop chart for 11 weeks, a run that stayed unbeaten until 1992.
SongfactsIt reached No. 1 on the pop, country and R&B charts at the same time in 1956.
WikipediaScotty Moore suggested that Presley's embarrassment at singing to a basset hound on Steve Allen's show the night before fuelled the aggressive recording.
WikipediaLeiber disliked the added rabbit lyric and Stoller initially found Presley's version too fast and nervous, though its sales softened his view.
WikipediaA 1978 UK reissue climbed to No. 2.
SongfactsThe song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1988 and ranked No. 19 on Rolling Stone's 2004 greatest-songs list.
Wikipedia
Live versions
- The Milton Berle Show (1956) Guitarless TV performance watched by some 40 million; the hip movements caused a national outcry.
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1956) Performed on Sullivan's show in September and October 1956 and again in January 1957.
- '68 Comeback Special (NBC) (1968) High-energy version in Presley's first major TV return after years away from the stage.
- Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite (1973) Included in the pioneering worldwide satellite broadcast seen in about 40 countries.
Notable covers
- Freddie Bell and the Bellboys (1955) The comic rewrite that preceded and inspired Presley's version.
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967) Recorded for BBC radio's Top Gear; released on BBC Sessions in 1998.
- John Lennon (1972) Played at the One to One benefit at Madison Square Garden as a tribute to Presley.
In our lists
- The Greatest Solo of Every Year — #13
- The 25 Greatest Rock and Roll Guitar Solos — #2
- The 25 Greatest Rockabilly Guitar Solos — #6
- The Pioneers: 1950s & 60s — #17
- Short & Perfect — #8
- Hidden Gems — #5
- The Best Elvis Presley Guitar Solos — #1
Sources
- Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time — #10
- uDiscover Music: The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time: 108 Amazing Moments — #16
- Classic Rock (Louder): The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock — #33
- Wikipedia: Hound Dog (song)
- Songfacts: Hound Dog by Elvis Presley
- Wikipedia: Live in New York City (John Lennon album)
- Wikipedia: BBC Sessions (The Jimi Hendrix Experience album)
What guitar was used on the Hound Dog solo?
A gibson l-5, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Hound Dog rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#108 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 3 of them.
Who wrote Hound Dog?
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote it in 1952 for Big Mama Thornton, who recorded it first in 1953.
Who played guitar on Elvis Presley's Hound Dog?
Scotty Moore played lead guitar, reportedly on a Gibson L-5 through a Ray Butts amplifier.
When did Elvis record Hound Dog?
On July 2, 1956, at RCA's New York studio, the day after his Steve Allen Show appearance.
How many takes did Hound Dog take?
Around 31; Presley chose take 28 as the released master.
Was Elvis's Hound Dog a cover?
Yes. Big Mama Thornton recorded it first, and Presley based his version on Freddie Bell and the Bellboys' 1955 rewrite.