"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.[6] 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.
| "Little Sister" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Elvis Presley | ||||
| A-side | ||||
| Released | August 8, 1961 | |||
| Recorded | June 26, 1961 | |||
| Studio | RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:33 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman[1] | |||
| Producer(s) | Steve Sholes[1][5] | |||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Little Sister" on YouTube | ||||
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.[7][8]
An answer song to "Little Sister", with the same melody but different lyrics, was recorded and released under the title "Hey, Memphis" by LaVern Baker on Atlantic Records (Atlantic 2119-A) in September 1961.
Personnel
editOriginal 1961 studio recording
editRecorded in RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee, June 25, 1961.[9]
- 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
editElvis Presley
edit| Chart (1961–1962) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] | 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[10] | 11 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] | 5 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[10] | 6 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 5 |
| West Germany (Media Control)[10] | 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)[12] | 7 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
| RIANZ charts | 35[13] |
Music video
editThe 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.[14]
- Rockpile with Robert Plant on the 1981 album Concerts for the People of Kampuchea.[15]
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.
- ^ Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 288. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021.
- ^ 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.