Otis Redding last live tv appearance: (December 9, 1967, Cleveland's "Upbeat", WEWS TV- note the homage to Aretha's cover)
The previous year, Otis intros Patti & The Bluebelles on live tv, (note that Cindy Birdsong is still a member):
Otis died 12/10/67. His role model, Sam Cooke, died 12/11/64. Otis covered Sam's "Shake" & "A Change Is Gonna Come". He owned his publishing because Sam had:
Like Little Richard. Otis is from Macon. Early Otis:
Otis never charted higher than # 21 pop while alive ("I've Been Loving You Too Long", 1964). "Try A Little Tenderness" peaked at #25 Billboard. "Pain In My Heart" charted # 61 pop, "Mr. Pitiful" 41 pop (# 10 Soul)
His cover of "Satisfaction" peaked @ # 31 Billboard pop. "Tramp" & "I've Been Loving You Too Long" hit # 2 on the Soul charts.
Otis Redding & The Bar-Kays, "Satisfaction":
No popular male soloist conveyed as personal a message to the individual listener as Otis. The ballads were titled to this advantage
"These Arms Of MINE", "Pain In MY Heart", "Come To Me", "I'VE Been Loving YOU Too Long", "I Can't Turn YOU Loose", "That's How Strong MY Love Is", "MY Lover's Prayer", "Let ME Come On Home", "That's What MY Heart Needs"
Otis is always singing about himself & yourself. When he does sing of love in the abstract, it is about "The Glory Of Love". But he even covers "I Can't Get No Satisfaction". His "Respect" opens w/ "What YOU want"
In the fade of one tune, Otis sings, "...and I need you, and I need YOU, I need YOU, I need YOU"
"Try A Little Tenderness" was a Sam single before Otis covered it
Otis embraced "country" when it was a derogatory:
At 1:40 the STAX house band quotes The Temptations "(I Know I'm) Losing You"
Otis' timing is uncanny. With all the jazz & the ad libs, he hugs melody:
Otis sings Sam:
From the last album Otis completed before his death. It was a highly popular holiday gift in The Community in December 1967:
Otis sings The Temptations:
Another thing which distinguishes Otis is how he draws out significant syllables for emphasis:
And Otis doesn't use backing vocalists. It's him & the horns.
Otis sings Sam, w/ The Memphis Queen Of Soul:
Redding is really one of the first A List male souloists to wear his hair naturally, particularly at the length he did
Otis got into music because Little Richard was from his home. He won a Macon talent contest 15 straight weeks singing a Richard tune. When Little Richard quit singing secular, Otis fronted The Upsetters. He cited Richard & Sam as his main influences
Otis first release on a label w/ a Confederate motif:
This is one of the directions Otis was exploring right before the fatal accident:
Otis is different than Ray, Richard, Wilson, Solomon, James, Joe Tex or Percy:
In case you were wondering:
I read your mind:
As only he can:
When folk would ask Otis about Aretha's cover of "Respect",
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T", he laughed it off. "That lil' girl done took my song"- an acknowledgement of both her re-imagining, & its success.
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T", he laughed it off. "That lil' girl done took my song"- an acknowledgement of both her re-imagining, & its success.
Otis' emotive depth is why from 1964-1972, deejays, fans, journalists, promoters & record stores didn't call it "Rhythm & Blues"
