Big Boss Man (song)
Encyclopedia
"Big Boss Man" is a blues song written by Luther Dixon
and Al Smith in 1960 and first recorded by Jimmy Reed
. The song was a hit for Reed and has been interpreted and recorded by a variety of artists, including Elvis Presley
and B.B. King, who had record chart successes with the song.
staff writer, Luther Dixon. The song is one of the few Reed hits that was written by someone other than Reed and his wife. Backing Reed (vocal, harmonica, and guitar) are Mamma Reed (vocal), Lee Baker aka Lonnie Brooks
and Lefty Bates
(guitars), Willie Dixon
(bass), and Earl Phillips (drums).
"Big Boss Man" was originally released on Jimmy Reed's 1960 album Found Love. In 1961, it was released as a single and reached #13 in the Billboard R&B chart and #78 in the Billboard Hot 100
pop chart.
recorded a version of "Big Boss Man". It was released as a single the same month and reached #38 on the pop chart. He performed the song as part of a medley during the Elvis 1968 Comeback Special
, which also appears in the award winning mini-series Elvis. During the 1970s, Presley often performed the song in concert.
as a B-side to their debut single "Rosalyn
" (1964), Bobbie Gentry
from the album The Delta Sweete
(1968), Grateful Dead
from Grateful Dead
(1971), B.B. King from Six Silver Strings
(1985) and as a single which reached #62 in R&B chart, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers from Playback (1995), Junior Reid
from the film Office Space
(1999), and The Kentucky Headhunters
from Big Boss Man
(2005).
Hall of Fame and included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".
Luther Dixon
Luther Dixon was an American songwriter, record producer, and singer. Dixon's songs achieved their greatest success in the 1950s and 60s, and were recorded by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Jackson 5, B.B. King, Dusty Springfield, and others...
and Al Smith in 1960 and first recorded by Jimmy Reed
Jimmy Reed
Mathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries...
. The song was a hit for Reed and has been interpreted and recorded by a variety of artists, including Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and B.B. King, who had record chart successes with the song.
Original song
"Big Boss Man" is a uptempo twelve-bar blues shuffle that features "one of the most influential Reed grooves of all time". It was written by Jimmy Reed's manager, Al Smith, and Vee-Jay RecordsVee-Jay Records
Vee-Jay Records is a record label founded in the 1950s, specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. It was owned and operated by African Americans.-History:...
staff writer, Luther Dixon. The song is one of the few Reed hits that was written by someone other than Reed and his wife. Backing Reed (vocal, harmonica, and guitar) are Mamma Reed (vocal), Lee Baker aka Lonnie Brooks
Lonnie Brooks
Lonnie Brooks is an American blues singer and guitarist. He was born in Dubuisson, Louisiana, United States...
and Lefty Bates
Lefty Bates
Lefty Bates was an American Chicago blues guitarist. He led the Lefty Bates Combo, and variously worked with the El Dorados, the Flamingos, Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Etta James, the Aristo-Kats, the Hi-De-Ho Boys, the Moroccos, the Impressions, and a latter day version of the Ink Spots...
(guitars), Willie Dixon
Willie Dixon
William James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
(bass), and Earl Phillips (drums).
"Big Boss Man" was originally released on Jimmy Reed's 1960 album Found Love. In 1961, it was released as a single and reached #13 in the Billboard R&B chart and #78 in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop chart.
Elvis Presley versions
On September 10, 1967, Elvis PresleyElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
recorded a version of "Big Boss Man". It was released as a single the same month and reached #38 on the pop chart. He performed the song as part of a medley during the Elvis 1968 Comeback Special
Elvis (NBC TV Special)
Elvis is the thirty-fourth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono, LPM 4088, in November 1968. Recording sessions took place in Burbank, California at Western Recorders on June 20, 21, 22, and 23, 1968, and at NBC Studios on June 27 and 29, 1968. It peaked at #8 on the...
, which also appears in the award winning mini-series Elvis. During the 1970s, Presley often performed the song in concert.
Other versions
"Big Boss Man", as with several Jimmy Reed songs, has appeal across popular music genres. Some of the artists who have recorded the song include The Pretty ThingsThe Pretty Things
The Pretty Things are an English rock and roll band from London, who originally formed in 1963. They took their name from Bo Diddley's 1955 song "Pretty Thing" and, in their early days, were dubbed by the British press the "uglier cousins of the Rolling Stones". Their most commercially successful...
as a B-side to their debut single "Rosalyn
Rosalyn (song)
"Rosalyn" is The Pretty Things' debut single, a song written by Jimmy Duncan and Bill Farley.David Bowie recorded it and released it on his album Pin Ups. It was released as a single by RCA in New Zealand in November 1973 instead of Sorrow, which was released in the rest of the world. The B-side...
" (1964), Bobbie Gentry
Bobbie Gentry
Roberta Lee Streeter , professionally known as Bobbie Gentry, is a former American singer-songwriter notable as one of the first female country artists to compose and produce her own material...
from the album The Delta Sweete
The Delta Sweete
Released in March 1968, Bobbie Gentry's second album, The Delta Sweete, did not quite match the success of Ode to Billie Joe. The "Sweete" in the title referred to both Gentry's southern-belle good looks and the album's suite structure...
(1968), Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
from Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead (album)
Grateful Dead is the seventh album by the Grateful Dead, released in October 1971 on Warner Bros. Records, catalogue 2WS-1935. It is their second live double album, and also known generally by the names Skull and Roses and Skull Fuck Grateful Dead is the seventh album by the Grateful Dead,...
(1971), B.B. King from Six Silver Strings
Six Silver Strings
-Track listing:#"Six Silver Stings" – 4:22#"Big Boss Man" – 4:48#"In the Midnight Hour" – 3:24#"Into the Night" – 4:12#"My Lucille" – 3:42...
(1985) and as a single which reached #62 in R&B chart, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers from Playback (1995), Junior Reid
Junior Reid
Delroy "Junior" Reid is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for the songs "One Blood" and "Funny Man", as well as being the man that replaced Michael Rose as lead vocalist for Black Uhuru.-Biography:...
from the film Office Space
Office Space
Office Space is a 1999 American comedy film satirizing work life in a typical 1990s software company. Written and directed by Mike Judge, it focuses on a handful of individuals fed up with their jobs portrayed by Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, and Diedrich...
(1999), and The Kentucky Headhunters
The Kentucky Headhunters
The Kentucky Headhunters are an American country rock band. They were founded in 1968 as Itchy Brother, which comprised brothers Richard Young and Fred Young along with Greg Martin and Anthony Kenney...
from Big Boss Man
Big Boss Man (album)
-Personnel:*Anthony Kenney – bass guitar, background vocals*Greg Martin – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, background vocals*Doug Phelps – lead vocals , rhythm guitar, tambourine...
(2005).
Accolades
In 1990, the song was inducted into the Blues FoundationBlues Foundation
The Blues Foundation is an American nonprofit corporation, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, that is affiliated with more than 175 Blues organizations from various parts of the world....
Hall of Fame and included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".