Jean Knight – Mr. Big Stuff

A fun soul song from the seventies. Jean Knight’s birth name was Jean Caliste. She adopted the professional name of Jean Knight because she felt that “Caliste” was too hard to pronounce. Love the bass sound in this song. It peaked at #2 in the Billboard 100 and #10 in Canada in 1971. The song reminds me of “”Groove Me” and they were recorded at the same studio…Malaco Studios in Mississippi.

After Knight recorded this song, it was given to several different national record labels, all of which rejected it. However, when King Floyd’s hit “Groove Me” became a #1 R&B hit in early 1971, the employees of Stax Records remembered Knight’s recording of “Mr. Big Stuff,” reconsidered, and released it.

This one was quite successful…not only did it stay on the R&B charts for 16 weeks… it went double platinum and was nominated for a Grammy. Not bad for a song that was at first rejected.

The reason I remember this song so well is because the band Everclear used the intro in their song AM Radio which I always liked. I’ll drop the video below. It’s a song about how important AM radio was in the 1970s. A fun song and a fun video.

Mr. Big Stuff

(Oh yeah, ooh)
Mr. Big Stuff
Who do you think you are
Mr. Big Stuff
You’re never gonna get my love

Now because you wear all those fancy clothes (oh yeah)
And have a big fine car, oh yes you do now
Do you think I can afford to give you my love (oh yeah)
You think you’re higher than every star above

Mr. Big Stuff
Who do you think you are
Mr. Big Stuff
You’re never gonna get my love

Now I know all the girls I’ve seen you with
I know you broke their hearts one after another now, bit by bit
You made ’em cry, many poor girls cry
When they try to keep you happy, they just try to keep you satisfied

Mr. Big Stuff, tell me tell me
Who do you think you are
Mr. Big Stuff
You’re never gonna get my love

I’d rather give my love to a poor guy that has a love that’s true (oh yeah)
Than to be fooled around and get hurt by you
Cause when I give my love, I want love in return (oh yeah)
Now I know this is a lesson Mr. Big Stuff you haven’t learned

Mr. Big Stuff, tell me
Who do you think you are
Mr. Big Stuff
You’re never gonna get my love

Mr. Big Stuff
You’re never gonna break my heart
Mr. Big Stuff
You’re never gonna make me cry

Mr. Big Stuff, tell me
Just who do you think you are
Mr. Big Stuff
You’re never gonna get my love
Mr. Big Stuff

Unknown's avatar

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

25 thoughts on “Jean Knight – Mr. Big Stuff”

  2. Totally love this song! Jean was very talented and it’s too bad she never had another big hit, not that I’m aware of. I had read she just passed away in November. Completely forgot about that Everclear tune, great stuff!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Everclear brought it back to me when it came out. I was shocked also when she didn’t have another hit either…neither did King Floyd either.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. Good AM hit I remember a little from my childhood &:still hear on oldies stations. I didn’t notice it being worked into that Everclear song before.
    I get her mixed up with ‘the Clean-up Woman’ singer, but I guess that was Betty Wright.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It is one of those very good AM songs. Like Randy said I’m surprised she didn’t have any more hits…along with King Floyd…
      The Everclear song used it perfectly.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Yea…that is par for the course with a lot of those old songs…
      I’m going to post Melt WIth You soon and the first thing I thought of was the Hersey commercial.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. I like the name Jean Caliste, and the bass part is great. I never listened to Everclear, but that was a fun song, even if I’d given up on AM radio by 1970, except for Beaker Street, broadcast on clear-channel AM from Little Rock, AK and a staple for all-night road trips. Otherwise, FM stations playing album cuts had taken over here by then. The first good FM station here only broadcast from 10 PM to 3 AM, so I didn’t sleep much. At the time of the British Invasion, it was WLS (AM) out of Chicago that the cool kids listened to while hiding the radio under the covers.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. This song and Groove me sounds similiar…the sound part anyway and I found out why.
      Everclear has some good melodic songs…this one is a lot of fun.
      That I didn’t know…that some only broadcast during a certain time period…I remember TV being that way…to close with the National Anthem.
      Country fans had it good back then with WSM…I think it was picked up by most of the country. Thats what I read anyway.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. The first FM station here rented a studio from a small broadcaster who only worked days and played easy listening music. He agreed to let them use his studio and transmitter after 10 PM for an hourly fee. The second station was a program on an existing FM station but also only at night to test the market before changing the station’s format to album-oriented rock.

        Oh, yeah. TV went off the air with the anthem and then a test pattern before they turned off the transmitter and the screen went to snow. The snow and white noise often woke people up who had fallen asleep in front of the TV. In the morning it would come back on with a test pattern before broadcasting began.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. While I knew that King Floyd song though didn’t recognize the title, I don’t think I heard Jean Knight’s song – pretty groovy stuff! I also agree that bass part is great. I wasn’t aware of “AM Radio” either. I think I like the video and the lyrics better than the music.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. AM Radio is pretty cool Christian…Everclear had some very good songs…this one is a lot of fun and they used Jean’s song really well in this.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment