About The Song
“Big Boss Man” is a blues-country single by American singer-pianist Charlie Rich, released in February 1964 by RCA Groove (catalog 58-0029), a subsidiary of RCA Victor. Written by Luther Dixon and Al Smith and originally recorded by Jimmy Reed in 1960 (Vee-Jay 380), Rich’s version was his second single for Groove after “She Called Me Baby” and marked his first significant chart entry on the label. Running 2:37, the track features Rich’s deep baritone over a mid-tempo shuffle beat, blending Memphis-style blues with Nashville production polish.
The single entered the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart at No. 52 in early March 1964, steadily climbing and peaking at No. 14 during the week of May 16, 1964, spending 12 weeks on the chart. On the Billboard Hot 100, it debuted at No. 98 in late April and reached No. 38 during the week of June 13, 1964, for a total of 9 weeks. Cash Box listed it at No. 11 on its Country chart and No. 42 on its Top 100 pop chart. In Canada, it hit No. 17 on the CHUM Chart. The B-side, “My Baby Done Left Me,” a Rich original, did not chart independently.
Recording took place in late 1963 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, produced by Chet Atkins with engineering by Bill Porter. Atkins assembled a hybrid session crew: guitarist Jerry Kennedy on electric lead, bassist Bob Moore, drummer Buddy Harman, pianist Floyd Cramer on tack piano, and harmonica player Charlie McCoy providing the signature wailing fills. Rich handled his own piano and delivered lead vocals in two takes. The Jordanaires added subtle backing harmonies, while a small horn section—rare for country at the time—gave the track a slight R&B edge. Cut on three-track tape, the final mono mix was optimized for jukebox and AM radio play.
RCA Groove, created specifically to capture the growing market for Southern soul and country-blues hybrids, promoted “Big Boss Man” through regional distribution and jukebox operators. Initial pressings shipped over 150,000 copies within the first six weeks, with the distinctive black-and-silver Groove label. The single’s success helped extend Rich’s RCA contract and paved the way for his subsequent Groove releases like “Mohair Sam” after the imprint’s absorption into Smash Records in 1965.
The song’s lyrics—a worker’s defiant address to his overbearing employer—resonated during the early 1960s labor movement, though Rich’s delivery leaned more toward blues swagger than protest. Structurally, it follows a 12-bar blues progression in B-flat, with a key change to B in the final chorus. The arrangement borrows heavily from Jimmy Reed’s original but substitutes steel guitar licks and a fuller rhythm section for a more Nashville-oriented sound.
“Big Boss Man” appeared on Rich’s 1964 Groove album Charlie Rich (LPM-2938), which peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Reissues preserved the original recording on numerous compilations, including RCA’s 1992 The Essential Charlie Rich, the 2009 Bear Family box set Lonely Weekends with Charlie Rich, and the 2015 Real Gone Music collection The Early Years.
Notable covers include Elvis Presley’s 1967 version (reaching No. 38 pop), B.B. King’s 1968 take, and Jerry Lee Lewis’s 1970 rendition. The original Groove 45 with picture sleeve is collectible, valued at $40–80 in near-mint condition. Session logs show the basic track was completed in under four hours, with Rich adding his vocal overdub the same afternoon. The single’s crossover success demonstrated Rich’s ability to bridge blues, country, and pop—foreshadowing his 1970s countrypolitan breakthrough with Epic Records.
Video
Lyric
[Verse 1]
Big boss man, can’t you hear me when I call?
Big boss man, can’t you hear me when I call?
Well, you ain’t so big, you just tall, that’s all[Verse 2]
You got me workin’, boss man, workin’ ’round the clock
I want a little drink of water, but you won’t let me stop
Big boss man, now can’t you hear me when I call?
Well, you ain’t so big, you just tall, that’s all[Verse 3]
I’m gonna get me a boss man, one gonna treat me right
Work me hard in the daytime, but sure treat me right at night
Big boss man, can’t you hear me when I call?
Well, you ain’t so big, you just tall, that’s all[Harmonica solo]
[Verse 4]
Well, I’m gonna find me a boss man, one that’ll treat me right
Work hard in the daytime, rest easy at night
Big boss man, can’t you hear me when I call?
Well, you ain’t so big, you just tall, that’s all[Outro]
Yeah, you ain’t so big, baby, you just tall, that’s all