Big Boss Man (song)
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| "Big Boss Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Jimmy Reed | ||||
| from the album Found Love | ||||
| B-side | "I'm a Love You" | |||
| Released | April 1961 | |||
| Recorded | Chicago, March 29, 1960 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Length | 2:46 | |||
| Label | Vee-Jay | |||
| Songwriters | Luther Dixon, Al Smith | |||
| Jimmy Reed singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Big Boss Man" is a blues song first recorded by Jimmy Reed in 1960. It became one of his most popular songs, although the songwriting is credited to Luther Dixon and Al Smith. Chicago-based Vee-Jay Records released it as a single, which became one of Reed's last appearances on the record charts. The song has been recorded by artists in diverse styles, including Elvis Presley, B.B. King, and Hope Sandoval, who also had chart successes with the song.
"Big Boss Man" is an uptempo twelve-bar blues shuffle that features "one of the most influential Reed grooves of all time".[1] It is credited to Jimmy Reed's manager, Al Smith, and Vee-Jay Records staff writer Luther Dixon.[1] The song is one of the few Reed hits that was written by someone other than Reed and his wife Mama Reed.[2]
Reed recorded the song in Chicago on March 29, 1960; backing Reed, who sang and played harmonica and guitar, are Mama Reed on vocal, Lee Baker and Lefty Bates on guitars, Willie Dixon on bass, and Earl Phillips on drums.[1]
"Big Boss Man" was originally released on Jimmy Reed's 1960 album Found Love. In 1961, Vee-Jay Records released it as a single, which reached number 13 on Billboard's R&B Hot Sides chart and number 78 on its Hot 100 chart.[3]
