Jimmie Dean recorded his classic track “Big Bad John” on August 18, 1961. The track was recorded as part of Dean’s album “Big Bad John and Other Fabulous Songs and Tales” and followed his previous 1961 single "Give Me Back My Heart.” The song was a number one hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, bumping "Runaround Sue" by Dion from the top spot on November 6, 1961. He held on at number one with the track through December 4 of that year when "Please Mr. Postman" by the Marvelettes hit number one. Dean initially expected the track to be released as a B-side, but radio DJs quickly started spinning it as the main single. The track came out when Dean was between two contracts with Columbia as he recalls in “The Billboard Book of Number One Hits”:“By the time we got around to signing another contract with Columbia, it was one of the better ones they had ever issued.”