Big Boss Man (Jimmy Reed via Grateful Dead 1971 era version)
Channel: Guitar, Old Friend
Date: 2022-11-27

Fun cover based on the early Dead take(s) on Jimmy Reed’s tune. Why? Funny you should ask!

Big Boss Man was first recorded by Jimmy Reed on August 25, 1959 and covered by 155 artists including the Grateful Dead, whose first (official) release was the live 1971 version sung by the late, "grate" Ron Pigpen Mckernan on vocals -- the main inspiration for this cover. Thanks to the bootleggers the band treated so well, and Archive.org (and Relisten.net) we know that the band did this at least 74 times live, and that's not counting al the variants since Jerry left the planet (at least in body).

Learn more about all those 155 artists' versions at www.secondhandsongs.com, which enlightened me to 155 artists who ALSO covered this tune -- ok, 154, not counting Reed's first release of this song including Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Slim Harpo, Jimmy Rogers, Chicago's late blues queen Koko Taylor...even Nancy Sinatra ... so much music love for one song.

SO: Why the Dead version, and why this particular 1971 groove?- I'm no music theorist but for me, the bouncy groove hit me when I was young and attached itself to my spine. The basic 1-4-5 bones of the song are so simple, which gives Pig a blank page for his attitude as it gives Jerry Garcia a wide-open pallet, which he constrains into a tight, mostly major-scale box for lead guitar work that distinguishes it from every other 1-4-5 (E-A-B). The result is a great contrast/juxtaposition with Pig's bluenote vocals.   

You can take this song anywhere, and the Dead did just that, down the road and across the country and parts beyond. Pig's the turkey in the center of the plate, Jerry's the sauce, and the rest of the band props it all up like a loose but happy orchestra in oil-stained bib overalls, albeit covered in patchouli because it's hard to do laundry on tour especially when you're wasted and flying as most of the band was in their younger, earlier wild years.

If I hd a blues harp player available I'd have added an instrumental verse for them. Same goes for other musicians, I should probably gather more musical friends instead of doing this all myself.

P.S.: Major respect for Prelinger, whose archive supplied the 1936 steelmill video footage I edited. 

I don't promote or monetize, I just share -- feel free to like and especially comment if you wish to open a dialog on the tune, and thank you, --B
 
🙏🏼 🤗 #bigbossman #gratefuldeadcover #pigpen