Little Sister (2:27)

“Little Sister,” a song written by Doc Pumas and Mort Schuman, was recorded in 1961 one year after Elvis’s return from the Army. The song featured Hank Garland on electric guitar and Floyd Cramer on piano. Ray Walker sings the bass lines. Although the song peaked at Number Five on Billboard’s R&R charts in the U.S., the tune took the Number One position in England for four weeks and sold a million copies on its first run. Ironically, the song took on a life of its own years after release, and Elvis combined it in a medley with the Beatles’ “Get Back” while rehearsing in 1970 for his Vegas appearances. Dwight Yoakum recorded the song in 1987. You can listen to the first six takes of the tune in a rare recorded RCA session via You Tube. Music critics claim that the thumping bass, edgy lyrics, the driving guitar leads and Elvis’s gritty performance make this song one of his most timeless efforts.