Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1961
Little Sister (Elvis Presley song)
Buy Little Sister (Elvis Presley song) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Little Sister
| cover = Elvis - Little Sister.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Elvis Presley
| album =
| A-side =
| released = August 8, 1961
| format =
| recorded = June 26, 1961, RCA Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Rock and roll
| length = 2:33
| label = RCA Victor
| writer = Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman
| producer = Steve Sholeshttp://www.keithflynn.com/recording-sessions/recordingsessions/60s.htm
| prev_title = Wild in the Country
| prev_title2 = I Feel So Bad
| prev_year = 1961
| title = (Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame
| title2 = Little Sister
| next_title = Rock-A-Hula Baby
| next_title2 = Can't Help Falling in Love
| next_year = 1961
| misc =
}}
"'Little Sister'" is a rock and roll song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. 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.
Lead guitar was played by Hank Garland, 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.
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.
Chart positions
Elvis Presley
Personnel
Recorded in RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee, June 25, 1961
.Jorgensen, Ernst, Elvis Presley: A Life in Music, The Complete Recording sessions, St. Martins Press, New York, 1998 pp157-159
* Scotty Moore acoustic guitar
* Hank Garland electric guitar
* Harold Bradley 6-string bass guitar
* Bob Moore bass
* D. J. Fontana and Buddy Harman drums
* The Jordanaires backing vocals
Dwight Yoakam version
{{Infobox song
| name = Little Sister
| cover = Dwight Yoakam - Little Sister.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Dwight Yoakam
| album = Hillbilly Deluxe
| B-side = This Drinkin' Will Kill Me
| released = February 1987
| format =
| recorded = 1987
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Country
| length = 3:01
| label = Reprise
| writer = Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman
| producer = Pete Anderson
| prev_title = It Won't Hurt
| prev_year = 1986
| next_title = Little Ways
| next_year = 1987
| misc =
}}
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'.
* Rockpile with Robert Plant on the 1981 album 'Concerts for the People of Kampuchea'.
References
Category:1961 songs
Category:1961 singles
Category:1987 singles
Category:Elvis Presley songs
Category:Dwight Yoakam songs
Category:Songs with music by Mort Shuman
Category:Songs with lyrics by Doc Pomus
Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand
Category:RCA Records singles
Category:Reprise Records singles
Category:Music videos directed by Sherman Halsey
Category:Songs about siblings
Category:Song recordings produced by Stephen H. Sholes
Category:Song recordings produced by Pete Anderson
Buy Little Sister (Elvis Presley song) now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1961