Little Sister (Elvis Presley song)
1961 single by Elvis Presley
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"Little Sister" is a rock and roll song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman.[2] 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.[7] 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 25-26, 1961[1] | |||
| Studio | RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee[2] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:33 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriters | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman[2] | |||
| Producer | Steve Sholes[2][6] | |||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Little Sister" on YouTube | ||||
Presley performs the song 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.[8][9]
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
Credits from Ernst Jorgensen and Keith Flynn’s study of RCA and musicians’ union/AFM paperwork and session tapes.[10]
- Elvis Presley – lead vocals
- Scotty Moore – acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar
- Hank Garland – electric lead guitar
- Harold Bradley – six-string “tic-tac” bass guitar[citation needed]
- Bob Moore – double bass
- D. J. Fontana – drums
- Buddy Harman – drums
- The Jordanaires (Gordon Stoker, Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews Jr., Ray Walker) – backing vocals
Chart positions
Elvis Presley
| Chart (1961–1962) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] | 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[11] | 11 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] | 5 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[11] | 6 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[12] | 5 |
| West Germany (Media Control)[11] | 25 |
Dwight Yoakam version
| "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 | |||
| Songwriters | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman | |||
| Producer | Pete Anderson | |||
| Dwight Yoakam singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Little Sister" on YouTube | ||||
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[13] | 7 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
| RIANZ charts | 35[14] |
Music video
The music video for Dwight Yoakam's 1987 version of "Little Sister" was directed by Sherman Halsey.
Other recorded versions
- Ry Cooder as the opening track on his 1979 album Bop Till You Drop.[15]
- Rockpile with Robert Plant on the 1981 album Concerts for the People of Kampuchea.[16]