Little Sister (Elvis Presley song)
| "Little Sister" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Elvis Presley | ||||
| A-side | ||||
| Released | August 8, 1961 | |||
| Recorded | June 26, 1961 | |||
| Studio | RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll, rock | |||
| Length | 2:33 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman | |||
| Producer(s) | Steve Sholes | |||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Little Sister" on YouTube | ||||
"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 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.
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
- Elvis Presley - lead vocals
- Hank Garland - lead guitar
- Scotty Moore - rhythm guitar
- Harold Bradley - six string bass
- DJ Fontana - drums
- The Jordanaires - backing vocals
- Live personnel
- Elvis presley - vocals and first rhythm guitar
- James Burton - lead guitar
- John Wilkinson - second rhythm guitar
- Charlie Hodge - acoustic guitar
- Jerry Scheff - bass
- Ron Tutt - drums
Chart positions
Elvis Presley
| Chart (1961–62) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) | 11 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 5 |
| Norway (VG-lista) | 6 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| West Germany (Media Control) | 25 |
Personnel
Recorded in RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee, June 25, 1961 .
- 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
| "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 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman | |||
| Producer(s) | Pete Anderson | |||
| Dwight Yoakam singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Little Sister" on YouTube | ||||
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) | 7 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
| RIANZ charts | 35 |
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.