In 1961, Elvis Presley released a single called “Little Sister,” written by Mort Shuman and Doc Pomus. The song enjoys success on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 5 on U.S charts and number 1 in the U.K. A cool fact about the song was that a lyric reference “Jim Dandy,” which was the name of a 1956 song by Lavern Baker. The following year after “Little Sister” was release, Baker recorded an answer to “Little Sister” called “Hey, Memphis.” In the song, which uses the same melody as Little Sister.” In the song, Baker sings from the point of view of the little sister Elvis sings about in his song.
Now, if you’re a Queens of the Stone Age fan, you’re probably wondering if their 2004 hit “Little Sister,” has any connection to the Elvis song. The answer is yes. Lead singer Josh Homme said that he enjoyed the “amalgam of imagery” Pomus put forward in the song as well as the sexual twist Elvis put on it when he sings “little sister don’t you do what your big sister done.” In this video, we see Elvis rehearsing the song in a 1970 documentary called “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is.” In the video, Elvis performed the song as part of a medley along with “Get Back” by the Beatles.
Watching this film, it’s almost heartbreaking to see the King so vibrant, handsome, and youthful. We get a behind-the-scenes look at how Elvis put it all together and why he’s always going to be the King of Rock & Roll.
You can enjoy this very special rehearsal footage in the video below.