https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 03 May 2026 15:29:36 +0000 Tue, 31 Oct 2023 06:49:29 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.07 360 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=7756 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum//images/Top-40-Music-on-CD-Forum-Logo.png https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63863&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63863 Author: vanmeter
Subject: 7756
Posted: 31 October 2023 at 6:49am

We're definitely playing both it and the Marty Robbins in the original 45 versions on our little online classic country station, and "Crazy Arms" off the old Columbia Greatest Western Hits LP that sounds like it's the correct version to my ears.

Shameless plug but you might enjoy this since you know country music:

WIWS Classic Country

Edited by vanmeter]]> Tue, 31 Oct 2023 06:49:29 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63863&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63863 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63856&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63856 Author: CountryPD
Subject: 7756
Posted: 27 October 2023 at 10:14am

vanmeter wrote: I have the red/black Hall of Fame 45 and just played it and it's the faster/less dramatic "big big man," which is apparently the correct 45 version based on this thread. I compared it to all the other versions I have and it's definitely faster, especially noticeable on the opening "at the bottom of this mine..." line.

Many thanks for taking the time to check!

Seems to me that the Hall Of Fame singles were usually the
same as the original Columbia 45 release although there are
exceptions. Two country HOF releases that differed significantly
from the original 45's were Crazy Arms by Ray Price and
Singing The Blues by Marty Robbins. Both added a ton of
reverb. ]]> Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:14:13 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63856&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63856 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63848&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63848 Author: vanmeter
Subject: 7756
Posted: 26 October 2023 at 11:01am

CountryPD wrote: Also - I played the Big Bad John Columbia Hall Of Fame 45 on the radio back in the 70's. Seems to me that MONO 45 had the slower/drawn out big    big   man version. I do not have a copy of that release. Perhaps someone could verify that or prove me wrong. Unfortunately there's no post of that 45 on YouTube.

I have the red/black Hall of Fame 45 and just played it and it's the faster/less dramatic "big big man," which is apparently the correct 45 version based on this thread. I compared it to all the other versions I have and it's definitely faster, especially noticeable on the opening "at the bottom of this mine..." line.]]> Thu, 26 Oct 2023 11:01:19 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63848&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63848 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63827&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63827 Author: CountryPD
Subject: 7756
Posted: 19 October 2023 at 6:27am

eriejwg wrote: Looks as though the true mono 45 version has never and never will be released on CD.

The MONO 45 version of the original Big John release with the
"one hell of a man" lyric was issued on these two various
artist CD's:

Country USA 1961 - Time/Life CTD-01 [1988]

Billboard Top Country Hits 1961 - Rhino R2 70682 [1990]

That version MAY have also been reissued elsewhere but I am
not aware of it.

The 2nd 45 MONO release with the "big BIG man/faster
version" has not been issued on CD to my knowledge. But as
Santi indicated in an earlier post Hit Parade has created a
STEREO version by editing that first rendition of the line into the
album version. You could fold that down to MONO to get a close
approximation of that release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN3IRsGDbPg

Edited by CountryPD]]> Thu, 19 Oct 2023 06:27:29 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63827&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63827 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63826&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63826 Author: eriejwg
Subject: 7756
Posted: 18 October 2023 at 10:44am

Looks as though the true mono 45 version has never and
never will be released on CD.]]> Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:44:41 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63826&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63826 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63825&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63825 Author: CountryPD
Subject: 7756
Posted: 18 October 2023 at 10:34am

TomDiehl1 wrote: I'm having trouble determining if this is just a sped up copy of a previously known version or if this foreign 78 has yet another reading of the Big Big Man lyric.

Tom- this sounds to me like a slightly sped up copy of the first "big
BIG man/faster version" lyric that was issued to replace the original
"one hell of a man" release.

Nice find!]]> Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:34:39 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63825&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63825 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63822&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63822 Author: TomDiehl1
Subject: 7756
Posted: 17 October 2023 at 6:58am

I'm having trouble determining if this is
just a sped up copy of a previously known
version or if this foreign 78 has yet
another reading of the Big Big Man lyric.

Big Bad
78

Edited by TomDiehl1]]> Tue, 17 Oct 2023 06:58:05 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63822&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63822 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63821&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63821 Author: CountryPD
Subject: 7756
Posted: 17 October 2023 at 5:44am

davidclark wrote: I just wonder if any of the LPs (the mono ones) contained that 2nd 45 "big BIG man/faster" version!

Found this on YouTube. Discogs lists this as a 1963
release. Columbia various artists compilation Great Country
And Western Hits Vol. 4 CL 2081 This MONO LP has the
"faster" version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssJWEdD1elU

That album was also issued in STEREO. Wonder what version
of Big Bad John is on that? See all versions here:
https://www.discogs.com/master/694503-Various-Greatest-
Country-And-Western-Hits-No-4

Also - I played the Big Bad John
Columbia Hall Of
Fame 45 on the radio back in the 70's. Seems to me that
MONO 45 had the slower/drawn out big    big   man version. I do
not have a copy of that release. Perhaps someone could verify
that or prove me wrong. Unfortunately there's no post of that 45
on YouTube.

Edited by CountryPD]]> Tue, 17 Oct 2023 05:44:16 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63821&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63821 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63820&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63820 Author: davidclark
Subject: 7756
Posted: 16 October 2023 at 9:09pm

Glad you posted those links, CountryPD. This song has confused me as to
the two different "big BIG man" versions vis-a-vis when each was first
issued.

I'll label them the "long drawn out/slower" version vs. the "big BIG
man/faster" version, following your identifying them.

It's understood that initial copies of the 45 contained the "one hell of a
man" lyric. What I didn't know until I went to 45cat, was that they were
titled "Big John". Due to the "offensive" line, Dean re-recorded it as "big
BIG man" - the "big BIG man/faster" version - and most copies thereafter
were titled "Big Bad John".

From that YouTube post of the original LP, seems it has the 2nd re-recorded
line, the "long drawn out/slower" version, it appearing on both the mono
and stereo issue of the "Big Bad John And Other Fabulous Songs And
Tales" LP. It's THIS (stereo) version that has become the common version -
it was also issued on 1966 LP "Jimmy Dean's Greatest Hits", and it
permeated from there.

I just wonder if any of the LPs (the mono ones) contained that 2nd 45 "big
BIG man/faster" version!]]> Mon, 16 Oct 2023 21:09:49 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63820&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63820 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63815&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63815 Author: CountryPD
Subject: 7756
Posted: 16 October 2023 at 10:14am

thecdguy wrote: Does anyone know what version of the song was used on the song's parent LP, "Big Bad John And Other Fabulous Songs And Tales"?

Here's a YouTube rip from the original MONO LP. that has the
drawn out "big   big man"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlwkHp86adM

In most cases the YouTube posts by Legacy are the same as
their download files. Here's the post for Big Bad John from the
CD re-release of the 1961 stereo album with updated cover
graphics. This one also has the drawn out "big big man."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ukE3jwmOcA

Edited by CountryPD]]> Mon, 16 Oct 2023 10:14:05 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7756&PID=63815&title=jimmy-dean-big-bad-john#63815