B-side "I'm a Love You" Format 7-inch 45 rpm record Length 2:46 | Released April 1961 (1961-04) Genre Blues | |
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Recorded Chicago, March 29, 1960 | ||
"Big Boss Man" is a blues song first recorded by Jimmy Reed in 1960. Unlike his most popular songs, the songwriting is credited to Luther Dixon and Al Smith. It 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.
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Original song
"Big Boss Man" is an uptempo twelve-bar blues shuffle that features "one of the most influential Reed grooves of all time". It is credited to Jimmy Reed's manager, Al Smith, and Vee-Jay Records 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, who sang and played harmonica and guitar, are Mamma Reed on vocal, Lee Baker and Lefty Bates on guitars, Willie Dixon on bass, and Earl Phillips on 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 number 13 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.
Elvis Presley renditions
On September 10, 1967, Elvis Presley recorded a version of "Big Boss Man". It was issued as a single the same month and reached number 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.
Recognition
In 1990, the song was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".
Recordings by other artists
"Big Boss Man", as with several Jimmy Reed songs, has appeal across popular music genres. A variety of artists have recorded the song, including: The Pretty Things as a B-side to their debut single "Rosalyn" (1964); Charlie Rich as the title track of his album Big Boss Man (1965) and also Boss Man (1970); Jerry Lee Lewis from his album Memphis Beat (1966); Syndicate of Sound opened their album Little Girl (1966) with their version; Bill Cosby from Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings (1967); Bobbie Gentry from 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 the R&B chart; Steve Miller Band from Living in the 20th Century (1986); Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers from Playback (1995); Eddie Cusic on his 1998 album, I Want to Boogie, released by HighTone Records; Junior Reid from the film Office Space (1999); and The Kentucky Headhunters from Big Boss Man (2005).