Mr. Big Stuff
 |
| "Mr. Big Stuff" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 One of side-A labels of the US single | ||||
| Single by Jean Knight | ||||
| from the album Mr. Big Stuff | ||||
| B-side | "Why I Keep Living These Memories" | |||
| Released | May 1971 | |||
| Recorded | 1970 | |||
| Studio | Malaco Studio, Jackson, Mississippi | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:27 | |||
| Label | STX 1014 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Joseph Broussard Carrol Washington Ralph George Williams | |||
| Producer(s) | Wardell Quezergue | |||
| Jean Knight singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Mr. Big Stuff" on YouTube | ||||
"Mr. Big Stuff" is a song by American singer
double platinum and was the No. 1 Soul Single of the year.[4]
Background
"Mr. Big Stuff" was recorded in 1970 at Malaco Studio in Jackson, Mississippi, at the same session as "Groove Me" by King Floyd. Knight's single was released by Stax Records because of the persistence of Stax publisher Tim Whitsett; "Groove Me" by King Floyd, which Whitsett strongly urged Malaco to release, also became a hit. Both songs are defined by two bar, off-beat bass lines and tight arrangements by Wardell Quezergue.[5]
Released on Knight's 1971
double platinum and was the No. 1 Soul Single of the year.[4]
Knight performed the song on 1972 Grammy Awards.
The song is addressed to an egotistical man, nicknamed Mr. Big Stuff, by an indignant female narrator. The man, who has expensive cars and fancy clothes, breaks other girls' hearts. The narrator demands he act more maturely and return her love for him. This song features a backup female chorus intoning "Oh Yeah" once in the song's Intro, twice in the first verse, and twice in the third verse.
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[14] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[15] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Personnel
No credits are listed for the Malaco studio musicians on the record. According to Rob Bowman's liner notes from the 1999 box set The Last Soul Company: Malaco, A Thirty Year Retrospective, the musicians for this session included:
- Vernie Robbins – bass
- James Stroud – drums
- Wardell Quezergue – organ
- Jerry Puckett – guitar
- Jimmy Honeycutt – saxophone
- Bob Cheesman – trumpet
During this time at Malaco, horn lines were typically played by saxophonist Hugh Garraway and trumpeter Peary Lomax.[citation needed]
Cover versions
- American all-female Precious Metal released a cover of the song from their self-titled 1990 album. Donald Trump, businessman and future president of the United States, originally made an appearance in the music video for the band's cover. However, Trump wanted a $250,000 payment instead of the agreed-upon $10,000 appearance fee. After the band refused to pay for his appearance, Trump was replaced in the final version of the music video.[16][17]
- Martha Wash for the soundtrack of the film Disney's D2: The Mighty Ducks.[18]
- Canadian singer Sheree Jeacocke on her 1995 EP Jeacocke.
- R&B duo Nikki & Rich for the 2011 film Hop.
- Britta Phillips, as the character Billy, in the 1988 movie Satisfaction.
- The 2005 movie Kinky Boots featured a rendition by American soul singer Lyn Collins.[19]
- On the March 29, 2014 episode, the female cast members of Saturday Night Live performed "Mr. Big Stuff" for a sketch with guest host Louis C.K.[20]
- John Holt recorded a reggae version in 1971, changing the lyrics to "Sister Big Stuff".[21] Prince Buster would record his own version the following year.[22]
Sampling
- In 1987, rapper Heavy D recorded "Mr. Big Stuff", which also became a hit. Though his version was entirely different from the original, Knight's hook line ("Mr. Big Stuff, who do you think you are?") was prominently featured throughout the song.
- In 1994, the song was prominently interpolated into TLC's "Switch" on their CrazySexyCoolalbum.
- A sample of the composition was used for the self-titled song by The Associate.
- "Mr. Big Stuff" was sampled in 2000 by Everclear in the song "AM Radio" from their album Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile.
- Girl Talk sampled a portion on his track, "Let It Out" from the album All Day[23]
- Johnny Ryall" from Paul's Boutique.
- R&B and soul artist John Legend sampled "Mr. Big Stuff" for the lead single "Who Do We Think We Are" (featuring Rick Ross) from his fourth album Love in the Future(2013).
- Eazy-E sampled this song for the 1987 single "Boyz-n-the-Hood" off the EP and the compilation album N.W.A. and the Posse.
See also
- List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
References
- ^ "100 Greatest Funk Songs". Digital Dream Door. August 7, 2008. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (February 5, 2019). "The Number Ones: The Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
Jean Knight's eternally badass soul strut "Mr. Big Stuff" peaked at #2...
- ISBN 031214704X.
- ^ a b c Nielsen Business Media, Inc (1971-12-25). Billboard. p. 15. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
{{cite book}}:|last1=has generic name (help) - ^ Bowman, Rob (1999). "Malaco Records: The Last Soul Company" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-11-26. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 331.
- ^ TV.com (December 11, 1971). "Soul Train - Season 1, Episode 11: Jean Knight/ The Delfonics/ Maurice Jackson/ Ralphi Pagan". TV.com. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5351." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Jean Knight Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 7/31/71". 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 29 September 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1971". 29 October 2014.
- ^ "British single certifications – Jean Knight – Mr Big Stuff". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ "American single certifications – Jean Knight – Mr. Big Stuff". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ "'A Trump Kind of Donation': Tycoon Makes, Then Breaks, Heavy-Metal Video". Associated Press. February 7, 1991. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
- ^ Turman, Katherine (March 30, 2016). "The Real Story Behind Donald Trump's Aborted 1991 Metal Video Appearance". Billboard. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
- ^ "D2: The Mighty Ducks - Original Soundtrack" AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-11-03.
- ^ "Various - Hot Funky & Sweaty "The Sound Of Heavy Soul & Funk Today" at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ "'SNL' host Louis CK's monologue tackles the big stuff". Los Angeles Times. March 30, 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "John Holt With Tommy McCook All Stars* / Tommy McCook All Stars* - Sister Big Stuff / Black, River". Discogs.com. 1971.
- ^ "Prince Buster - Sister Big Stuff". Discogs.com. 1972.
- ^ "Mashup Breakdown - Girl Talk - All Day". 23 November 2010. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010.
