Let's face it,
Big Mama Thornton will always be chiefly recalled for her growling 1952 reading of the
Jerry Leiber-
Mike Stoller classic "Hound Dog." But the other 17 sides on this collection of her 1952-1957 output for
Don Robey's Peacock Records aren't exactly makeweight.
Thornton's mighty roar was backed by the jumping combos of
Johnny Otis and saxist
Bill Harvey, producing additional gems in "My Man Called Me," "They Call Me Big Mama," "The Fish," and a duet with the ill-fated
Johnny Ace, "Yes Baby." ~ Bill Dahl