(430) SONGWRITERS LEIBER AND STOLLER : OFFICIAL SITE

As they relate in their interesting book called HOUND DOG, songwriters Jerry Leiber (who passed away August 2011) and Mike Stoller had their beginnings in the rock and roll song writing business in New York, and over the years their songwriting included dozens of memorable hits that made it into the top 100, songs performed by Elvis Presley, The Coasters, The Drifters, Hank Snow, and so many others.

They were, like most American song-writers in the mid 1960's finding themselves in competition with British Invasion songwriters who also had bands. Over time they grew less interested in rock and roll and moved into writing other music.

Linking to their official site, which mentions that Mike's Music will be used at the Democratic National Convention.

(429) HOUND DOG : THE LEIBER and STOLLER AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Christine here!


I've been wanting to read this book for a long time and finished it over the Labor Day weekend. It was edited wonderfully so that the conversational - story-telling quality was preserved and so the story moved at a good pace.


Of interest to the readers of WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC is the material on Elvis Presley, the effects of the British Invasion on songwriters in the mid 1960's, and the Brill Building New York scene and their LA-New York bicoastal music business. Of course the title HOUND DOG is also the name of their song that was recorded by Big Mama Thornton but which Elvis Presley broke out with, and which put this song writing due into early fame.

An excerpt from the book from pages 93 and 94!


Leiber: ..."As for the amazing fact that Elvis had recorded "Hound Dog," well, I had different feelings. The first feeling is the one that washes over any songwriter when he learns he has a hit: He hears the cash register ring and the Sale! sign come up. That's a good feeling. But when I heard Elvis' version, I had a bad feeling. I didn't like the way he did it. Somebody changed the lyrics. I had written:


You ain't nothing but a hound dog
Quit snooping 'round my door
You can wag your tail,
But I ain't gonna feed you no more

But Elvis sang:

You ain't nothing but a hound dog
Crying all the time
You ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine


To this day I have no idea what the rabbit business is all about. The song is not about a dog; it's about a man, a freeloading gigolo. Elvis's version makes no sense to me, and even more irritatingly, it is not the song that Mike and I wrote. Of course, the fact that it sold more than seven million copies took the sting our of what seemed to be a capricious chance of lyrics. But, lick for lick, there's no comparison between the Presley version and the Big Mama original. Elvis played with the song; Bib Mama nailed it."


HOUND DOG : THE LEIBER and STOLLER AUTOBIOGRAPHY
by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller with David Ritz Copyright 2009
Simon and Shuster Publishers

HOUND DOG SONGWRITER JERRY LEIBER HEADS FOR THE ROCK AND ROLL MANSION IN HEAVEN

"Rock 'n' roll songwriter Jerry Leiber, who wrote lyrics for such hits as "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock," died Monday. ...With Leiber as lyricist and partner Mike Stoller as composer, the team channeled their blues and jazz backgrounds into pop songs performed by such artists as Elvis Presley, the Coasters and Ben E. King... Their breakout hit was blues great Big Mama Thornton's 1953 rendition of "Hound Dog." Presley's version hit No. 1 in 1956."

We're linking to the Daily News article, one of many, put out by Associated Press."

Christine here : If you believe what the psychic Sylvia Browne has to say about heaven, there's a rock and roll concert going on over there where all the greats get to play together, so maybe Jerry gets to work with Elvis again! (And where Elvis gets to perform at the biggest arena ever!)

UPDATE MARCH 16 2012 We're adding the official Leiber -Stoller Site to our links list.

(29) The Next James Dean (ME) and the Hound Dog (ELVIS)

That night that I met Elvis and we went to the Rainbow Rink, he came over to me at one point in the evening and told me that he was up for the role of James Dean himself, but having seen me and met me, he wanted me to have it.

"I'll just have to stick with my "Hound Dog," Elvis said.

"Hound Dog" was probably Elvis' most famous song and the one that most people at the time associated with him. It too was a cover of a song that had been recorded by other artists, women and men. The words and music are by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, a song writing team that some say became so influential that they wrote the sound of an entire generation.

That night Elvis had not a care in the world. He was clearly in love with Anita Wood, he had just bought Graceland TM in recent months, and he had his friends and family around him. Nothing about his demeaner that night indicated to me that he had any idea he would soon get a draft notice and be inducted into the United States Army.

In the wee hours of the morning, I asked Elvis to take me back to the hotel, as I had some traveling and shows to perform on the next day. He drove me back in the limo, and before he took off we waved at each other.

"See you on the coast, Wes!"

"Elvis, See you on the coast!"

LINK EXPIRED: Original text:
This is a fantastic presentation by the British Broadcasting Corp about Elvis and "Hound Dog" that features sound clip interviews including songwriter Mike Stoller, radio pioneer Steve Allan, and Elvis' original guitarist Scotty Moore. Click on "covers" to hear my friend Elvis in his ORIGINAL Rock-a-billy VERSION OF "HOUND DOG!"


Video by Jackie one of our YOUTUBER FRIENDS!