Big Mama Thornton Essentials

Big Mama Thornton Essentials

An heir apparent to urban-blues icons like Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie, Alabama-born singer, songwriter and harp player Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton is best known for her 1952 recording of “Hound Dog”, a song made ubiquitous by Elvis later in the decade. However, Thornton’s was a smash in its own right, a classic-on-arrival thanks to her guttural delivery of the refrain. “Ball N' Chain”, too, is a heart-wrenching slow-burner in Big Mama’s treatment, though it is now generally associated with Janis Joplin’s subsequent version. Though the great Ms Thornton’s studio discography is modest in size, there’s more to savour outside of those definitive cuts—see the seething “I Smell a Rat” and her rave-up take on the spiritual “Wade in the Water”.

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