Little Sister (Elvis Presley song)
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| "Little Sister" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Elvis Presley | ||||
| A-side | ||||
| Released | August 8, 1961 | |||
| Recorded | June 26, 1961 | |||
| Studio | RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee[1] | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll,[2] rock[3] | |||
| Length | 2:33 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman[1] | |||
| Producer(s) | Steve Sholes[1][4] | |||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Little Sister" on YouTube | ||||
"Little Sister" is a rock and roll song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman.[1] It was originally released as a single in 1961 by American singer Elvis Presley, who enjoyed a No. 5 hit with it on the Billboard Hot 100. The single (as a double A-side with "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame") also reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart.[5] Lead guitar was played by Hank Garland and the rhythm guitar was played by Scotty Moore with backing vocals by the Jordanaires featuring the distinctive bass voice of Ray Walker.
Presley performs it as part of a medley with "Get Back" in the 1970 rockumentary film Elvis: That's the Way It Is. "Little Sister" would later be covered by such artists as Dwight Yoakam, Robert Plant, The Nighthawks, and Pearl Jam. A version by Ry Cooder, from his album Bop Till You Drop, was a number-one hit in New Zealand.[6][7]
The lyric makes mention of "Jim Dandy" which was the title of a 1956 tune "Jim Dandy" by LaVern Baker. An answer song to "Little Sister", with the same melody but different lyrics, was recorded and released under the title "Hey, Memphis" by Baker on Atlantic Records (Atlantic 2119-A) in September 1961.
Personnel[edit]
Original 1961 studio recording[edit]
Recorded in RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee, June 25, 1961.[8]
- Elvis Presley - lead vocals
- Scotty Moore – acoustic guitar
- Hank Garland – electric lead guitar
- Harold Bradley – six-string “tic-tac” bass guitar
- Bob Moore – double bass
- D. J. Fontana and Buddy Harman – drums
- The Jordanaires (Gordon Stoker, Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews Jr., Ray Walker) – backing vocals
- Scotty Moore - rhythm guitar
- DJ Fontana - drums
1970 live performance from That’s The Way It Is[edit]
- Elvis Presley - vocals, electric rhythm guitar
- James Burton - (electric) lead guitar
- John Wilkinson - electric rhythm guitar
- Charlie Hodge - acoustic rhythm guitar
- Jerry Scheff - bass
- Glen D. Hardin – piano
- Ronnie Tutt - drums
Chart positions[edit]
Elvis Presley[edit]
| Chart (1961–1962) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] | 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[9] | 11 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] | 5 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[9] | 6 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 5 |
| West Germany (Media Control)[9] | 25 |
Dwight Yoakam version[edit]
| "Little Sister" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Dwight Yoakam | ||||
| from the album Hillbilly Deluxe | ||||
| B-side | "This Drinkin' Will Kill Me" | |||
| Released | February 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:01 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman | |||
| Producer(s) | Pete Anderson | |||
| Dwight Yoakam singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Little Sister" on YouTube | ||||
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] | 7 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
| RIANZ charts | 35[12] |
Music video[edit]
The music video for Dwight Yoakam's 1987 version of "Little Sister" was directed by Sherman Halsey.
Other recorded versions[edit]
- Ry Cooder as the opening track on his 1979 album Bop Till You Drop.[13]
- Rockpile with Robert Plant on the 1981 album Concerts for the People of Kampuchea.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 62. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
- ^ Emerson, Ken (2006). Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era. Penguin. p. 168. ISBN 9781101156926.
- ^ "Elvis Presley Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic.
- ^ http://www.keithflynn.com/recording-sessions/recordingsessions/60s.htm [dead link]
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 130–1. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Ry Cooder – Little Sister (song)". charts.nz. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
- ^ "Official Top 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. April 6, 1980.
- ^ Jorgensen, Ernst, Elvis Presley: A Life in Music, The Complete Recording sessions, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1998 pp157-159
- ^ a b c d e "Elvis Presley – Little Sister". ultratop.be.
- ^ "Elvis Presley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Dwight Yoakam Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "New Zealand charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
- ^ "Bop till You Drop - Ry Cooder". AllMusic.
- ^ "Concerts for the People of Kampuchea - Various Artists". AllMusic.
