Monday Blues With Big Momma Thornton

This is 1965, and a few years before Janis Joplin began ripping off a lot of Big Momma Thornton's repertoire, just as Elvis had before her.

Hound Dog was written by the composing and lyricist duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (Jailhouse Rock, Kansas City, Stand By Me, On Broadway, Yakety Yak) and was first recorded by Willie Mae "Big Momma" Thornton in 1951. Elvis recorded the song in 1956.

Janis Joplin's version of Ball and Chain was written by Big Momma Thornton and first recorded by her in 1968. Janis came out with a very different version of the song that same year, and it eclipsed the original due to her heart-rending performance at the Monterey Pop Festival.