The lost project is reborn after 20 years
The Kentucky Headhunters are proud to announce the long-awaited reissue of Big Boss Man, a one-of-a-kind project originally recorded in partnership with Sony/ATV Music Publishing two decades ago. Long considered a hidden gem within the band’s storied catalog, Big Boss Man returns this Halloween, newly remastered, fully restored, and released on the band’s Practice House Records label.
Back in 2005, then Sony/ATV President Donna Hilley, alongside compilation supervisor Jack Jackson and creative director of new music Tom Long, approached The Kentucky Headhunters with an idea: take 12 classics from the Sony/ATV catalog and “Headhunterize” them, infusing each song with the group’s signature southern rock, country, and blues energy.
The purpose behind the project was to breathe new life into iconic songs for synchronization licensing, offering film, TV, and advertising producers refreshed, sync-ready versions of timeless hits. The band eagerly accepted, diving into Sony’s vast catalog.
“In 2005, I traveled to Sony to pick up CDs of the catalog and came home with two very large boxes of music,” recalls Headhunters guitarist Richard Young. “The whole process was so much fun, but as the rest of the band will tell you, we probably spent more time in the Practice House just listening to the catalog and entertaining ourselves than it took to actually record the album! Sony’s catalog is so vast, it was a challenge narrowing it down to twelve songs.”
When the album, christened Big Boss Man, was completed, a small independent label issued a limited run of records before dissolving shortly thereafter. For nearly 20 years, the original recordings remained available only in digital form and under a different title. No official CD or vinyl release ever followed, until now.
Fast forward to 2025: Kathy Scobey, current head of Sony/ATV Publishing, worked with Young to strike a new agreement allowing the Headhunters to remaster and reissue Big Boss Man on Practice House Records. Fans of vinyl and CD alike can now enjoy the project the way it was meant to be heard.
The original recordings, mixed and mastered by Southern rock legend Rodney Mills, have been reimagined and remastered by Mills himself for this 2025 reissue, bringing the album to what the band calls “off the chain” status.
“We’ve always been about honoring where we come from while pushing things forward,” adds Young. “This record captures that better than ever. It’s loud, raw, honest, and pure Headhunters.”
Big Boss Man will officially be reissued on October 31st in select record stores known for deeper musical roots and taste. Memphis-based Select-O-Hits is handling hard copy distribution of the CD and LP. The Orchard (Sony) is handling the digital release.
To help celebrate the album’s release, The Kentucky Headhunters will return to the Grand Ole Opry on November 6th, performing as the Spotlight Artist for the Opry’s Country Classics show, a fitting stage for the band’s enduring connection to the roots of American music.
1. Big Boss Man
2. Honky Tonk Blues
3. Take These Chains From My Heart
4. Walking After Midnight
5. Hey Good Lookin’
6. Like A Rolling Stone
7. Chug-A-Lug
8. So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)
9. Made In Japan
10. You Win Again
11. Don’t It Make You Wanna Go Home
12. I’m Down
