, ▁Phill ips ▁selected ▁part - time ▁local ▁W DI A ▁disk ▁j ockey ▁R uf us ▁Thomas , ▁who ▁adopted ▁the ▁nick name , ▁" R uf us ▁' H ound ▁Dog ' ▁Thomas " ▁for ▁this ▁recording . ▁" With ▁his ▁gru ff ▁Louis ▁Arm strong - infl uen ced ▁voice , ▁quick ▁wit , ▁and ▁eye - po pping ▁ant ics , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁perfect ▁candidate ▁to ▁reply ▁to ▁the ▁har sh ▁accus ations ▁Big ▁M ama ▁Thor nt on ▁had ▁thrown ▁out ▁in ▁her ▁song , ▁this ▁time ▁level ing ▁them ▁at ▁a ▁' b oss y ▁woman ' ". ▁Despite ▁his ▁rel uct ance ▁to ▁record ▁the ▁song ▁and ▁his ▁res erv ations ▁about ▁the ▁band ▁assemble d ▁by ▁Phill ips , ▁Thomas ▁" th rew ▁himself ▁into ▁the ▁song ▁with ▁the ▁same ▁br ash ▁charm ▁that ▁he ▁brought ▁to ▁all ▁his ▁performances , ▁complete ▁with ▁y ow ls , ▁grow ls , ▁and ▁fer vent ▁im prec ations ". ▁The ▁record ' s ▁spare ▁electric ▁guitar ▁work ▁by ▁M emph is ▁bl ues man ▁Joe ▁Hill ▁Louis ▁was ▁greatly ▁influenced ▁by ▁that ▁of ▁P ete ▁Lewis ▁on ▁the ▁original . ▁According ▁to ▁James ▁M . ▁S alem : ▁ ▁While ▁" the ▁result ▁was ▁pe pp ier ▁than ▁Big ▁M ama ' s ▁version , ▁with ▁a ▁more ▁straight - a head ▁beat ... ▁[ Ph ill ips ] ▁was ▁under ▁no ▁ill us ions ▁about ▁sur pass ing ▁the ▁original ": ▁" H ell ,