Punch the Big Guy
Punch the Big Guy was recorded and released in 1987, first as an LP and then later on cassette. It was a great change from John’s previous recordings in that it was louder and the songs were produced to a higher level. I don’t mean to imply that his previous work wasn’t well-produced. Punch the Big Guy just took it to a different level with the addition of some echo in the vocals and some computer orchestration. It is, perhaps, his most critically acclaimed album. Many of the songs are ones that he would continue to do in live shows until the end of his life. Ticket To the Stars, Night of a Distant Star, Runaway Train, all were songs that he loved to sing.
Oddly enough, the song titled Punch the Big Guy was not on the album. Not many people have heard it and this recording, while not of great quality and in mono, is one of the best that I’ve been able to find. I don’t know why it was left off of the album; possibly due to the time constraints of the LP. Thanks go to Fred Grittner for cleaning up the audio file.
In any case, here is
this old song 
Hello Paul,
Just a note to ask that you change my email address – it is now swhitehead@bell.net
Hope that we will see you in August,
Sandra Whitehead
I love it. I miss John.
Paul, thanks for posting this…I didn’t know this song existed. It really sounds like it belongs in the album. Every time I play the album PTBG, my wife says, I can’t believe John Stewart wasn’t more famous. Yeah…..
Hi, Paul,
I asked John about why it was left off when I met him in York…he said that it didn’t fit the other songs on the album!! Ah, well!
Rod
Paul thanks again for the clip, I seem to remember Punch the Big Guy being around 1986/87 though?
Thanks for the correction. You are correct. It was 1987.
pr
Here’s what rediscover has:http://www.folkera.com/jstewart/bio.html
No prob, love the site.
John was spot on with his statement about this. PTBG was a great album and I cant see how this would have fitted the mood. Perhaps someone should have punched the drummer!!