Jerome 'Jerry' Leiber, who died yesterday, was responsible for the lyrics to some of the 20th century's most iconic pop tunes. Whilst his partner Mike Stoller's music added flesh to the bones it was the way that Leiber's lyrics painted pictures that captured the imaginations of generations of radio listeners and music fans.

Responsible as a pair for some of the great, and I mean great, songs of our lifetime: Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, Stand By Me, and Poison Ivy among many, Jerry Leiber also wrote Spanish Harlem (with Phil Spector) and  my own favourite from his oeuvre, On Broadway (with fellow Brill Building writers Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil)

Leiber reportedly hated what Elvis did with the song Hound Dog, a song reportedly written on one side of a brown paper bag. The song was written was popular among country and western artists at the beginning of its musical life but took on a whole new persona once the kid from Tupelo, Mississippi, decided to record his version.

Here's the original Hound Dog, recorded by Big Mama Thornton and in this version she's joined by the legendary Buddy Guy.





Man, that woman could sing.