"Little Sister"
Single by Elvis Presley
A-side
ReleasedAugust 8, 1961
RecordedJune 26, 1961
StudioRCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee[1]
GenreRock and roll,[2] rock[3]
Length2:33
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman[1]
Producer(s)Steve Sholes[1][4]
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"Wild in the Country" / "I Feel So Bad"
(1961)		 "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" / "Little Sister"
(1961)		 "Rock-A-Hula Baby" / "Can't Help Falling in Love"
(1961)
Official audio
"Little Sister" on YouTube

"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.[5] 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.

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.[6][7]

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.

Personnel

Live personnel

Chart positions

Elvis Presley

Chart (1961–62) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[8] 11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] 5
Norway (VG-lista)[8] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[9] 5
West Germany (Media Control)[8] 25

Personnel

Recorded in RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee, June 25, 1961 .[10]

Dwight Yoakam version

"Little Sister"
Single by Dwight Yoakam
from the album Hillbilly Deluxe
B-side"This Drinkin' Will Kill Me"
ReleasedFebruary 1987
Recorded1987
GenreCountry
Length3:01
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman
Producer(s)Pete Anderson
Dwight Yoakam singles chronology
"It Won't Hurt"
(1986)		 "Little Sister"
(1987)		 "Little Ways"
(1987)
Music video
"Little Sister" on YouTube
Chart (1987) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] 7
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 3
RIANZ charts 35[12]

Music video

The music video for Dwight Yoakam's 1987 version of "Little Sister" was directed by Sherman Halsey.

Other recorded versions

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 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.
  2. ↑ Emerson, Ken (2006). Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era. Penguin. p. 168. ISBN 9781101156926.
  3. ↑ "Elvis Presley Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic.
  4. ↑ http://www.keithflynn.com/recording-sessions/recordingsessions/60s.htm
  5. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 130–1. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. ↑ "Ry Cooder – Little Sister (song)". charts.nz. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Official Top 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. April 6, 1980.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Elvis Presley – Little Sister". ultratop.be.
  9. ↑ "Elvis Presley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  10. ↑ Jorgensen, Ernst, Elvis Presley: A Life in Music, The Complete Recording sessions, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1998 pp157-159
  11. ↑ "Dwight Yoakam Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  12. ↑ "New Zealand charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Bop till You Drop - Ry Cooder". AllMusic.
  14. ↑ "Concerts for the People of Kampuchea - Various Artists". AllMusic.
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