Bruce was bound to cover “Hound Dog” sooner or later. Hasn’t everybody?
Well, maybe not everybody, but known recordings of “Hound Dog” number in the hundreds, starting with the best: Big Mama Thornton’s growling blues original from 1952.
That version commanded the top of the Billboard R&B chart for seven weeks and is enshrined in both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Four years later, Elvis Presley topped Thornton’s feat. His rockabilly cover topped the pop chart for 11 weeks (a record that would stand until 1992) and simultaneously held the #1 spot on the country and R&B charts, too.
As for Bruce, he only covered it in concert, twice–both times in the summer of ’89, both times at The Stone Pony, and both times as a surprise guest appearance.
Bruce’s “Hound Dog” debut came on the evening of June 24, when he joined Bobby Bandiera on stage, whipping the crowd into a frenzied excitement during a teasing intro before finally launching into a hard-rocking arrangement.
Bruce’s second and last performance to date came 29 days later, when he joined Cats on a Smooth Surface, The Stone Pony’s house band, in one of his many “surprise” appearances.
And amazingly: this one was captured on video.
Enjoy this rare and surprisingly clear document of one of Bruce’s legendary surprise gigs from the eighties.
Hound Dog
First performed: June 24, 1989 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Last performed: July 23, 1989 (Asbury Park, NJ)
That is one great video clip of Bruce w/ Cats at the Stone Pony on 7.23.89! And, one fun audio segment from 6.24.89 (w/ B. Bandiera’s band)–almost 8 minutes of “heaven”. Both were hard rockin’, with The Boss’s scorching guitar fills and screaming vocals. Wow!
(Perhaps this “was” Bruce in full “hound dog” mode–“Wild Summer Nights”, indeed!)
On another note, we know that Elvis did 31 amazing takes of “Hound Dog” until he got it right. That’s Rock and Roll! Thanks for the MATR.
During the play “Big Mama” it’s mentioned that Thornton made a total of $500 off of Hound Dog. Don’t know if it’s true or not.