photo #1569477

From 1953, Sun # 181, Rufus 'Hound Dog' Thomas, '(The Answer To Hound Dog) Bear Cat', featuring Joe Hill Louis on guitar. 'Big Mama' Thornton had released 'Hound Dog' on Don Robey's Peacock label out of Houston. A mere few weeks later, SUN Records owner, Sam Phillips, had heard the song and had immediately rewritten the lyrics to express a man's point of view. He had called Rufus Thomas, a Dee Jay over at WDIA ('The Negros Radio Station'), and asked if he would like to sing it.Phillips, however, had left the chord structure and melody fully intact. Don Robey, therefore, had brought a lawsuit against Phillips and sued him. Sam was already on shaky financial ground, and this lawsuit had brought him to near bankruptcy, forcing him to sell Elvis Presley's contract to RCA Victor for a mere $35,000.Incidentally, the phrase, 'The Answer To Hound Dog', was deleted from all subsequent pressings leaving the title as simply, 'Bear Cat'.