"Bootlegging Real Psubs"

[Phil Nuytten <72020.572@compuserve.com>]

Holy ballistic pralines, Miz Ginger!!!
        You can ( and should be)  skeptical of anything I say about
submersibles, 'cause you don't know me from Colonel Sanders . . .but to
literally stomp on the cape of the departed and sorely missed 'King of Rock
and Roll' . .and to accuse poor, dead, Elvis  of  > bootlegging(snip) many
other's music that he stole<  and, sacrilege of sacrileges, > BOOTLEGGING
'HOUND DOG'<  Well, that's going too far! For your enlightenment and
soulful inspiration:
        'Hound Dog' was written by two white, male, teenagers named Mike
Stoller and Jerry Lieber - in 1952/53. ( Lieber and Stoller went on to
become as well-known among songwriters as E'vis was to his fans!)  'Hound
Dog' was first recorded on the Duke/Peacock label by "Big Mama" ( Willie
Mae) Thornton  in a style called 'Rhumba Boogie' - it didn't sound much
like the version you know. After that 1953 recording, the cut was fair game
for any performer who wished to cover it - with appropriate royalty
payments to Lieber & Stoller, of course. 'Hound Dog' was further
popularized by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys in 1955 - they used a rock and
roll version in their Las Vegas lounge act at the Sands and that's the
version that E'vis liked and his subsequent cover was much closer to this
arrangement than to the Latin-influenced R&B of Big Mama Thornton
        E'vis recorded 'Hound Dog' at the RCA studio in New York, on July
2nd 1956. Back-up vocals were done by the Jordanaires, Scotty Moore on lead
guitar, Bill Black on Bass, 'Shorty' Long on piano, and D.J. Fontana on
drums. The session engineer was Ernie Ulrich. The version that went on to
become multi-million selling hit was take  #28 of 31 takes. 'Hound Dog' hit
the number one position on the charts on August 18th,  1956, and by
September 22nd, 1956, it was number one in all 'Billboard" categories;  Top
100/Best store seller/ Most played by DJ's/Most juke box play.
        As far as 'the King' bootlegging this song, or 'stealing' it from a
writer, or claiming to have written or co-written it . . .well. it just
aint so. Steve Sholes, (the RCA representative) and Colonel Tom Parker (
E'vis' manager) negotiated with Lieber and Stoller  to release one third of
their mechanical royalties in return for having an 'old' song ( in the
sense that it had probably done as good, economically, as it was going to
do for them) released in a more contemporary arrangement and performed by a
proven, multi-million selling artist. That decision was a prudent business
one for L&S, and 'Hound Dog' became a major revenue producer for them, as a
result. 
        When you say 'bootlegging' in the same breath as E'vis, perhaps you
are thinking of songwriters like Otis Blackwell or Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman .
.these songwriters did give 'Elvis Presley Music' credit for co-writing (
EPM was set up by Sholes and Parker for that specific reason) in order to
get their cuts recorded. These deals were agreed by the parties and were
neither negotiated nor arranged by E'vis. In Blackwell's  case, at least,
this arrangement was ultimately rectified to his satisfaction, albeit many
years later.

        My, My, . .This has wandered far from the original subject of ol'
Charlie planning to do the nasty on Capt'n George . .but a slur on the good
name of 'The King' is a smirch on Tupelo and Memphis -  and a besmirched
Memphis is a slap in the face to the entire South and since I hail from the
South ( Southern B.C.) it's just impossible to let such potential
villifyin' go unchallenged!!

        Jeez, I can't remember where I left my car keys an' I'm too damn
busy to look for them . .but I remember the Rock and Roll stuff and I can
always seem to make time to look these things up . . .I guess it's 'cause I
enjoy it so much . .

This is not a bar-b-qued rib, but it is a rib, non the less,
Best Regards, Ginger,
Phil Nuytten