"Mr. Big Stuff" is a song by American singer Jean Knight. The song was released in 1971 on the Stax label as a single from Knight's debut album of the same title, and became a big hit in the US, reaching No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100. The song was certified double platinum and was the No. 1 Soul Single of the year.[5]
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.[6]
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.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming 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:
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 heavy metal band 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 Donald Trump, businessman and future president of the United States, originally made an appearance in the music video for the band's cover.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.[17][18]
John Holt recorded a reggae version in 1971, changing the lyrics to "Sister Big Stuff".[22]Prince Buster would record his own version the following year.[23]
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 CrazySexyCool album.
A sample of the composition was used for the self-titled song by Queen Latifah, Shades and Free, which was included on the soundtrack of the 1996 movie The Associate.
