Big Mama Thornton c/d?

Classic, i just love "im feeling alright" with mw band.

"Hound Dog" of course is classic

Rock the fuck out!!

I know they're are folks here who can add more to this thread. Maybe on Monday if this can get revived then.

was going to say something, then realized it's Big Maybelle who I've heard more. She's good too. "Candy", "Whole Lot of Shakin".

Remember to vote for her on the 20th century tracks poll.

That is all.

Yes, Big Maybelle's Candy is classic too.

Hound Dog of course. Ball and Chain. What else?

The recent Robert Clem directed film doc -Big Mama Thornton - I Can't Be Anyone but Me was just shown at 2 pm today on Howard Univ. PBS station WHUT and will be shown again at 6:30 ET on that station. It might also be on PBS website but I am not sure. It is showing at a free screening in May as part of the Filmfest DC festival. It's worth seeing. Lots of old footage, and good interviews. Thornton never quite got her due, but sounds great in clips in the doc. She died young and had a hard life. Lynnée Denise, a DJ, an the author of "Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters," a book about the blues singer Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton is in the movie as is Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie; Preston Lauterbach author of the recent book Before Elvis that covers Big Mama Thornton and others

https://robertclem.net/films/big-mama-thornton/

It's too bad so many dumbasses use her as a stick to beat Elvis with. She wasn't some world-shaking talent, but she was pretty good. The live album with Muddy Waters' band backing her is worth hearing.

She sounds great in the film clips in this. Deserving of more respect. I need to check out her discography more. The live album with Muddy Waters' band backing her is mentioned in the film. The movie doc addresses the Elvis aspect well, and covers all the context-- Jim crow, segregation, Thornton's own difficult life and issues. While I get your point regarding not blaming Elvis, that should not cause someone not to recognize her talent or what she had to endure. Thornton was working as a doorwoman in bars and playing at bars for little money while Elvis' version went big and he was getting so much more money and doing national tv shows. The movie notes that Janis Joplin approached Thornton and Joplin asked permission to do songs that Thornton was identified with, and because of that Thornton always spoke highly of Joplin including onstage.

It probably doesn't serve a lot of people's narratives, but I'm intrigued by what Dave Marsh wrote in his singles book re:"Hound Dog" and how Elvis actually decided to cut the song after seeing the white lounge act Freddy Bell & Bellboys doing a rewritten version as a token joke Rock number in their Vegas stage show, a version that gave him an 'in' on the song that wouldn't have worked doing a straight cover of Thornton's record.

Yep. I mean, if you compare the lyrics they're two entirely different songs.

Thornton:

You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Been snoopin' 'round my door
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Been snoopin' 'round my door
You can wag your tail
But I ain't gonna feed you no more

You told me you was high class
But I could see through that
Yes, you told me you was high class
But I could see through that
And daddy I know
You ain't no real cool cat

You made me feel so blue
You made me weep and moan
You made me feel so blue
Yeah you made me weep and moan
Cause you ain't looking for a woman
All you're lookin' is for a home

Presley:

You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine

When they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, you ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine

That's it! The Elvis version doesn't even have a second verse.

If you can see the Big Mama Thornton doc you should, and I think this Elvis guy who Unperson has written several posts about here (and I think there are Elvis threads too) is worth checking out also .

"That was just a lie" reeks of bitter betrayal whereas "I could see through that" reverses things, like "please, you're not fooling me."

A shorter I think 56 minute version of the Big Mama Thornton doc by the same director called "Alabama Kid" aired on Alabama PBS in January 2025 I just noticed and is available online here

https://www.pbs.org/video/big-mama-thornton-alabama-kid-bm2wsa/