Saturday Night Ready Steady GO!

 What ya gonna do!? SHAKE - Otis Redding Eric Burdon, Chris Farlowe LIVE!

Shake it don’t break it!

Otis Redding, Eric Burdon & Chris Farlowe - Shake 

(Live, READY STEADY GO! 1966)

From the Twilight Zone

Birthdays | OTIS REDDING

 I still remember where I was when I heard Otis had died . . . . . (JFK not so much) it’s just true and we all went out and bought Sittin’ On The Dock of The Bay (didn’t we?)

Otis Redding was born in Dawson, Georgia on this day in 1941. 

He's been loving you too long to stop now.

Go on click it anyway . . . . 

If you don’t like this first check your pulse then if its still so get the hecken fleck OUTAHERE!

thanks to Route

THANK YOU! Giving thanks to all my Merkin pals! From Otis to Dido - Thank You!

 Classic pop revisited |

• Track Name

  I Want to Thank You

• Artist

  Otis Redding

Otis Redding - I Want to Thank You (1964)

an authentic look at the traditional Macy's Parade!

[wot?]

So perhaps we shall sign off with the master, The King of Soul himself : OTIS Redding - Try a Little Tenderness

Otis

Try A Little Tenderness

one of the finest songs ever written, certainly of soul music but right across modern writing in its entirety in my opinion as a plea as to how to treat the opposite sex

Glorious and thank you for your company this week I will bid you Goodnight and look forward to our continued musical journey nest week starting tomorrow . sleep well my compatriots in music - Andy

Remembering the great Otis Redding (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967)

such a handsome man 

 

On December 10, 1967, a private plane carrying Otis Redding and the members of his touring band stalled on its final approach to the municipal airport in Madison, Wisconsin, and crashed into the waters of Lake Monona, killing all but one of the eight people onboard. Though Redding was only twenty-six years old at the time of his death, he was regarded by growing numbers of black and white listeners in the United States and Europe as the most charismatic and beloved soul singer of his generation, the male counterpart to Aretha Franklin, whom he had recently endowed with the hit song “Respect.” In the preceding year, on the strength of his triumphant tours of Britain, France, and Scandinavia, his appearances at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, and his domineering performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, Redding had pushed beyond the commercial constraints of the so-called “Chitlin’ Circuit” of ghetto theatres and Southern night clubs. He was determined to become the first African-American artist to connect with the burgeoning audience for album rock that had transformed the world of popular music since the arrival of the Beatles in America, in 1964.

Redding’s success with this new, ostensibly hip, predominantly white audience had brought him to a turning point in his career. Thrilled with the results of a throat surgery that left his voice stronger and suppler than ever before, he resolved to scale back his relentless schedule of live performances in order to place a greater emphasis on recording, songwriting, and production. In the weeks before his death, he had written and recorded a spate of ambitious new songs. One of these, the contemplative ballad “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” became his self-written epitaph when it was released as a single, in January of 1968. A sombre overture to the year of the Tet Offensive, the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Senator Robert Kennedy, and the election of Richard Nixon as President, the song went on to become the first posthumous No. 1 record in the history of the Billboard charts, selling more than two million copies and earning Redding the unequivocal “crossover” hit he had sought since his début on the Memphis-based label Stax, in 1962. To this day, according to the performance-rights organization BMI, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” remains one of the most frequently played (and streamed) recordings in the annals of American music.

From Don’s Tunes (FACEBOOK)

Photo: Pictorial Press Ltd

OTIS REDDING 

Sitting on The Dock of The Bay

Now here's a song for a Sunday and we all adored this didn't we? I stone classic of pop/soul music if ever there was one

On this day in music history: March 16, 1968 - “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 4 weeks, also topping the R&B singles chart for 3 weeks on the same date. Written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper, it is the biggest hit for the R&B vocal legend from Dawson, GA. Redding writes the majority of the song in August 1967 while staying on house boat at Waldo Point in Sausalito, CA. The track is recorded at Stax Studios in Memphis on November 22, 1967. Additional overdubs are recorded on December 8, 1967, and is the final recording session before Redding’s death on December 10, 1967. Booker T. & The M.G.’s guitarist and co-writer Steve Cropper overdubs the song’s shimmering lead guitar lines on the song just before it is mixed. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” is released a month after Otis’ death on January 8, 1968. The single is an immediate smash and ascends the pop and R&B charts simultaneously. Entering the Hot 100 at #67 on January 27, 1968, it climbs to the top of the chart seven weeks later. The record becomes the first posthumous chart topper on the Billboard pop singles chart. “Dock Of The Bay” wins two Grammy Awards in 1969 including Best R&B Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, and are accepted by Redding’s widow Zelma.  Revered as one of the greatest R&B singles of all time, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” is inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1998. To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of its original release, Rhino Records reissues the song as a limited edition 7" pressed on gold vinyl on January 9, 2018. The reissue features the rare initial mono mix which is quickly withdrawn from the marketplace, and is replaced with the more commonly heard mix with Redding’s lead vocal placed more prominently in the track. As well as being pressed on colored vinyl, the single also features replicas of the original red and black Volt Records labels, and the correct period Atlantic company sleeve. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

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On this day in music history: February 23, 1968 - “The Dock Of The Bay”, the sixth album by Otis Redding is released. Produced by Steve Cropper, it is recorded at Stax Studios in Memphis, TN from July 11, 1965 - December 8, 1967. The first posthumous release from the legendary R&B vocalist features tracks from his final recording sessions cut just two days before his death, combined with unreleased material that dates as far back as 1965. The album also includes the hugely successful title track “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” which becomes a posthumous number one single on the pop and R&B singles chart in March of 1968. The album makes its CD debut in 1991 as part of Rhino Records’ “Atlantic & ATCO Remasters Series”. Out of print on vinyl for over thirty years, the original mono mix (regarded as superior to its stereo counterpart) is remastered and reissued as a 180 gram LP by Sundazed Music in 2003. The mono LP is reissued by Rhino Records in 2014, and current remains in print. “The Dock Of The Bay” spends three weeks (non-consecutive) at number one on the Billboard R&B album chart, peaking at number four on the Top 200, and is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

check the arrangement and the rhythm changes highlighted by the horn working this!

It is exceptional and truly uniquely sophisticated the coda is amazing IMHO

I like many bought Dock of the Bay upon hearing of Otis' death and prior to that I had bought 'Too Hard To Handle' with 'Amen' on the B-side! Awesome! How can you NOT miss that voice . . . . . . his song choices lead me to New Orleans and 'It's Raining'  and 'Ruler of My Heart' by my main Nawleans gal, Irma Thomas. Thank you Otis

"Poor Otis dead and gone left me hear to sing his song" Jim Morrison 'The Doors'

One of the greatest songs ever written . . . . . . simples

On this day in music history: September 15, 1965 - “Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul”, the third album by Otis Redding is released. Produced by Jim Stewart, Isaac Hayes and David Porter, it is recorded at Stax Recording Studios in Memphis, TN from April 19 - July 9 - 10, 1965. It features covers of three songs by Redding’s idol Sam Cooke, as well as originals “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” (#2 R&B, #21 Pop) and “Respect” (#4 R&B, #35 Pop). The album also becomes a big hit in the UK both through word of mouth and a now legendary tour that features Redding backed by Booker T. & The MG’s. In time it is acclaimed as a landmark R&B album, and one that helps to define the “Memphis Soul” sound. In 2008, Rhino Records releases a remastered version of the album featuring both the stereo and mono mixes along with non-LP B-sides, alternate takes and tracks from his live albums “In Person At The Whisky A Go Go” and “Live In Europe”.  The album is remastered and reissued on CD in 1991, and the original mono mix is reissued as a 180 gram vinyl LP by Sundazed Records in 2001. In 2008, a two CD expanded edition featuring both the mono and stereo mixes of the album is released, with the second disc also containing live tracks and other previously unreleased material. “Otis Blue” spends one week at number one on the Billboard R&B album chart on October 30, 1965, peaking at number seventy five on the Top 200.

posted before and doubtless will post again . . . . . too much of a good thing. . . . Mae West said . . . . . . can't be done


thanks to Jeff Harris super blog . . .

because . . . . . . 

just because  . . . . . . . . and no, I DIDN'T buy this when it came out and have to say largely soul didn't take on so fast here and there always seemed a time delay from hearing the truly great performances over here in the UK. That said who couldn't get shivers when hearing this voice and who couldn't help but respond when hearing their song performed like this by someone else

"that little girl done stole my song!" 

Otis Redding

On this day in music history: May 20, 1967 - “Respect” by Aretha Franklin hits #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart for 8 weeks, also topping the Hot 100 for 2 weeks on June 3, 1967. Written by Otis Redding, it is the second consecutive R&B chart topper for “The Queen Of Soul”. Written and originally recorded by R&B legend Otis Redding in 1965, Aretha Franklin’s version of “Respect” features members of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. It is one of the tracks cut during the week long sessions that produce Franklin’s debut album for Atlantic. Aretha’s version receives a dramatic rearrangement when it is recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York City on February 14, 1967. One of the significant changes made on Franklin’s version is in the songs instrumental break. Saxophonist King Curtis plays the solo using the chord changes from Sam & Dave’s hit “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby”. Aretha, along with her sisters Erma and Carolyn (also singing background vocals) come up with the signature “sock it to me” line as well as the refrain of “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” and the lines that follow including “take care, T-C-B” (street slang for “taking care of business”). Upon hearing Aretha’s version, Otis Redding is quoted as jokingly saying “That little girl done stole my song!”, recognizing that she had just recorded the definitive version of his song. The response to “Respect” is immediate when it begins receiving radio play as soon as the album “I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You” is released on March 10, 1967. With the title track holding down the top spot on the R&B singles chart for eight weeks and reaching the top 10 on the pop chart, Atlantic holds off just long enough for the other single to have its moment to unleash the follow up. Entering the Billboard R&B singles chart at #19 on May 6, 1967, it pole vaults up the chart to #5 then #1, just narrowly succeeding herself in the top spot by one week. “Respect” takes a similar ascent up the Hot 100, entering the chart at #50 on April 29, 1967, it rockets to the top five weeks later. Its upward chart movement is so strong, that it temporarily bumps The Young Rascals’ “Groovin’” from the number one spot for two weeks. “Respect” earns Aretha Franklin the first Grammy Award given for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female in 1968. It is the first of eleven times Franklin wins the award over the years, receiving it eight years in a row consecutively, making her the undisputed champ in that category. In the wake of the records huge success, it not only is adapted as a feminist anthem, but also as a rallying cry for the Civil Rights Movement. Regarded as Franklin’s signature song, it is inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1998. “Respect” is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

"Poor Otis dead and gone . . . . . . . "*

Born on this day: September 9, 1941 - R&B vocal icon Otis Redding (born Otis Ray Redding, Jr. in Dawson, GA). Happy Birthday to “The Big "O”“ on what would have been his 76th Birthday.

Perhaps my favourite Otis Redding song . . . . . . ironically first heard by 'Willie and The Poorboys', Bill Wyman's first outing with people other than the Stones and sung really well by Paul Rogers I would place it along side the original but by preference take Otis any time. The first single I bought by him was 'Too Hard Too Handle"

thanks to the most excellent Jeff Harris' blog 'Behind The Grooves  On this day in Music History

*'Running Blue - The Doors          link

seems rude on his birthday but you make your own mind up . . .

Try (A Little Tenderness)

74,596 plays

Maybe one more . . . . . I didn't buy this when it came out but did have it on an album. I bought 'Too Hard To Handle' as a single and it had 'Amen' on the other side (get the irony yeah!?) and I think it was a double 'A' side but had to wait to buy an album by which the posthumous' Dock of The Bay' had got in at no. 1 as I recall!

Still it makes for a nice nighttime treat . . . . . . . 

On this day in music history: March 16, 1968 - “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 4 weeks, also topping the R&B singles chart for 3 weeks on the same date. Written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper, it is the biggest hit for the R&B vocal legend from Dawson, GA. Redding writes the majority of the song in August 1967 while staying on house boat at Waldo Point in Sausalito, CA. The track is recorded at Stax Studios in Memphis on November 22, 1967 with additional overdubs on December 8, 1967, the latter is the final recording session before Redding’s death on December 10, 1967. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” is released a month after Otis’ death on January 8, 1968. The single is an immediate smash and ascends the pop and R&B charts simultaneously. Entering the Hot 100 at #67 on January 27, 1968, it climbs to the top of the chart seven weeks later.  "Dock Of The Bay" wins two Grammy Awards in 1969 including Best R&B Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, and are accepted by Redding’s widow Zelma. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA, and is inducted into the Grammy 

THESE ARMS OF MINE

One of the finest songs ever written . . . . . . here by the master Mr Otis Redding, but the only matching version interestingly enough IMHO was by Bill Wyman's band Willlie and The Poor Boys whose album I enjoyed featuring Paul Rogers on vocals. try track it down if you can . . . . . .

20,788 plays

Otis Redding - These Arms Of Mine

 . . . . . . .. oooh look there it is . . . . . . Willie and The Poor Boys