and ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁them ▁are ▁great ) ▁covered ▁our ▁original ▁record ." ▁ ▁By ▁August ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁Pe ac ock ▁Records ▁re - re leased ▁Big ▁M ama ▁Thor nt on ' s ▁original ▁recording ▁of ▁" H ound ▁Dog ", ▁backing ▁it ▁with ▁" R ock - a - By e ▁Baby " ▁( Pe ac ock ▁ 5 - 1 6 1 2 ), ▁but ▁it ▁failed ▁to ▁chart . ▁ ▁Ed ▁S ull ivan ▁Show ▁Despite ▁ref using ▁public ly ▁to ▁inv ite ▁Pres ley ▁to ▁perform ▁on ▁his ▁popular ▁Sunday ▁television ▁evening ▁program , ▁after ▁the ▁ratings ▁success ▁of ▁his ▁appearance ▁on ▁The ▁Steve ▁Allen ▁Show , ▁Ed ▁S ull ivan ▁agreed ▁to ▁pay ▁$ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁Pres ley ▁to ▁appear ▁three ▁times . ▁" H ound ▁Dog " ▁was ▁performed ▁during ▁each ▁of ▁those ▁programs . ▁On ▁September ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁with ▁the ▁song ▁to pping ▁several ▁U . S . ▁charts , ▁Pres ley ▁appeared ▁on ▁the ▁Ed ▁S ull ivan ▁Show ▁( host ed ▁that ▁evening ▁by ▁Charles ▁L aught on ). ▁After ▁performing ▁" Ready ▁Ted dy ", ▁Pres ley ▁performed ▁an ▁abbre vi ated ▁version ▁of ▁" H ound ▁Dog ", ▁introdu cing ▁the ▁song ▁with ▁the ▁following ▁statement : ▁" Fri ends , ▁as ▁a ▁great ▁phil os opher ▁once ▁said … " ▁This ▁performance ▁gar ner ed ▁" a ▁ 4 3