Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

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Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Studio album by
Otis Redding
ReleasedSeptember 15, 1965
Recorded
StudioStax (Memphis)
Genre
Length32:22
LabelVolt
Producer
Otis Redding chronology
The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads
(1965) 		Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
(1965) 		The Soul Album
(1966)

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (often referred to simply as Otis Blue) is the third studio album by American soul singer and songwriter Otis Redding. It was first released on September 15, 1965, as an LP record through the Stax Records subsidiary label Volt.

Otis Blue is composed mainly of

R&B hits, exploring themes from the blues and love ballads, among others. Three of the LP's eleven songs were written by Redding, and three others were written by fellow soul singer Sam Cooke, who had died several months before the album was made. Except for one track, Otis Blue was recorded in the span of 24 hours from July 9 to 10, 1965, at the Stax recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee. As with Redding's previous records, he was backed by the Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, a horn section featuring members of the Mar-Keys and the Memphis Horns, and pianist Isaac Hayes, providing a rhythmic Southern soul accompaniment
for the singer's exuberant and forceful performances.

Otis Blue was a

collector's edition of Otis Blue was released in 2008 by Rhino Records
.

Background

Stax Records president Jim Stewart had released Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine" as a single after hearing him sing it at an audition in 1962. When it charted, he signed Redding to the label.[2] The moderately successful LP albums Pain in My Heart (1964) and The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads (1965) followed, with both performing well on the newly established R&B LPs chart (published by Billboard), although not on its pop counterpart.[3] Preparations for a third album followed soon after, which would also serve as Redding's second to be released through Volt Records, a subsidiary label of Stax.[4][5]

Recording

Recording equipment from the Stax studio preserved at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis; house-band player Steve Cropper shown on an adjacent screen, 2013

Redding recorded the album with the Stax house band

Memphis Horns. The album was largely recorded in a 24-hour session between 10 am on July 9 (a Saturday) and 2 pm on July 10, 1965, with a break from 8 pm Saturday to 2 am on Sunday to allow the house band to play local gigs.[6][7][8][9]

As with Redding's previous album, engineer

Billboard's R&B chart; it was re-recorded in stereo for the album.[3][11]

Music and lyrics

The Stax crew during Otis Blue's recording, from left to right: Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, engineer Tom Dowd, David Porter, Julius Green, Andrew Love, Floyd Newman, Wayne Jackson, and Isaac Hayes.

The majority of the tracks on Otis Blue are cover versions, including three songs originally by fellow soul singer

phantasmagoric tunes.[14][15] The lyrics deal with a man, who is "unable to escape the brutal realities of the blues",[14] and has been compared with Paul Robeson's "Ole Man River".[16]

"Respect" was possibly inspired by a quote of drummer Al Jackson Jr., who allegedly said to Redding after a tour, "What are you griping about? You're on the road all the time. All you can look for is a little respect when you come home."[17] An alternative story is told by Redding's friend and road manager, Earl "Speedo" Sims, who states that the song "came from a group I was singing with", and that even though Redding rewrote it, "a lot of the lyric was still there"; Sims adds: "He told me I would get a credit, but I never did".[18] Sims also states that he sang the backing vocals in the chorus.[3] Essentially a ballad, "Respect" is an uptempo and energetic song, which took "a day to write, 20 minutes to arrange, and one take to record", according to Redding.[16] Aretha Franklin covered this song in 1967 and with it topped the Billboard R&B and Pop charts.[19] Redding shouted to a woman for more respect, while Franklin ironically countered the song and transformed it into a "feminist hymn".[16]

Redding (1966) performs in a forceful and energetic style throughout the album.

The next song is an energetic version of Sam Cooke's ballad, "

Atlanta airport.[3] Redding's rendition of Cooke's "Shake" is again funkier. The song is about the club dancing in the so-called discothèques, which debuted in the early 1960s.[22] The song was described as "a hard-swinging, full-throated 2:40 of precision ferocity with a force that would flat-out explode during his live sets."[15]

The last five songs are all covers by popular artists:

B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby"; the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction", on which Redding sings "fashion" instead of "faction";[3] and William Bell's "You Don't Miss Your Water", which was characterized as "sorrowful country blues",[14] and has "one of the most devastating pleading-man lead vocals in the entire Stax catalog."[15] "Satisfaction" sounded so plausible that a journalist even accused the Stones of stealing the song from Redding, and that they performed it after Redding.[23] Music writer Robert Christgau describes it as an "anarchic reading" of the Stones' original.[24]

Release

Otis Blue was released on September 15, 1965,

German model Dagmar Dreger.[28][29] Although Otis Blue only reached number 75 on the Pop LPs chart in 1966,[30] three of its singles charted on the Billboard Hot 100: "I've Been Loving You Too Long" charted for 11 weeks and peaked at number 21, "Respect" spent 11 weeks and reached number 35, and "Shake" spent six weeks and reached number 47.[31] Both the stereo and mono versions of Otis Blue charted in the United Kingdom; the former spent 21 weeks and reached number six in 1966, and the latter spent 54 weeks and reached number seven in 1967.[32] Two different pressings of the song "My Girl" also charted in the UK; a 7-inch single peaked at number 11 and charted for 16 weeks in 1965, and a reissued single in 1968 reached number 36 and charted for nine weeks.[32] "Satisfaction" peaked at number 33 and "Shake" peaked at number 28 in the UK.[32]

Otis Blue's commercial performance helped Redding

certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry, indicating 100,000 equivalent-units in the UK.[36]

Critical reception and legacy

Retrospective professional reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
[37]
MusicHound R&B5/5[38]
Pitchfork10/10[15]
PopMatters9/10[14]
Q[39]
Record Collector[34]
Rolling Stone[40]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[41]

Otis Blue has been regarded by music critics as Redding's best work.

The Mojo Collection regarded it as "the definitive Southern soul album"[42] and Patrin deemed it the "greatest studio-recorded soul LP" from the 1960s.[15]

In a retrospective review for Pitchfork, Patrin went on to call Otis Blue "a hell of a record, the crowning achievement of a man who could sound pained and celebratory and tender and gritty and proud all at once, with a voice that everyone from

Cee-lo owes a debt to".[15] Bruce Eder from AllMusic explained further that "Redding's powerful, remarkable singing throughout makes Otis Blue gritty, rich, and achingly alive, and an essential listening experience", showcasing "his talent unfettered, his direction clear, and his confidence emboldened".[12] "Song for song, it's difficult to imagine a better soul record", wrote Stephen Deusner in the Memphis Flyer, crediting the singer's "effortlessly expressive vocals" and the "measured accompaniment" of the Stax house band.[6] Similarly, Spencer praised "Cropper's stinging guitar and the atonal Memphis horns", saying it is "as much their album as Redding's",[16] while Q noted how the performers' individual musical elements coalesce with "a beautiful precision which borders on a kind of Southern soul sorcery ... arguably the hottest and strongest half-hour in soul".[39] Angus Taylor of BBC Music found Otis Blue to be "at the crossroads of pop, rock, gospel, blues and soul", with a series of "short, punchy" songs "flawlessly ordered to ebb and flow between stirring balladry and foot stomping exuberance", making it Redding's "definitive statement".[43] Harold, in PopMatters, also praised the diverse sound, which, according to her, is a mixture of "Motown pop, the blues, British rock, and Southern Soul", although she cited Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul (1966) as Redding's best album.[14]

Otis Blue has featured on many professional lists of the best albums. According to Lewis, it is "predictably named as a Top 100 album, the

Q magazine's "Best Soul Albums of All Time" and Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[47]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."
Jerry Butler
3:10
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."
B.B. King
3:20
5."Satisfaction"Mick Jagger, Keith Richards2:45
6."You Don't Miss Your Water"William Bell2:53

2008 collector's edition

An expanded double-disc

B-sides, live recordings, and previously unreleased alternate mixes.[14][15] Christgau graded the edition with four out of five stars, saying it "comes with many useless alternate takes, but also with live tracks that preserve for history Redding's country-goes-uptown style of fun".[24]

Disc one: Otis Blue (mono version) and selections from In Person at the Whisky a Go Go (1968)
No.TitleLength
1."Ole Man Trouble" 
2."Respect" 
3."Change Gonna Come" 
4."Down in the Valley" 
5."I've Been Loving You Too Long" 
6."Shake" 
7."My Girl" 
8."Wonderful World" 
9."Rock Me Baby" 
10."Satisfaction" 
11."You Don't Miss Your Water" 
12."I've Been Loving You Too Long" (Previously unreleased / Mono) 
13."I'm Depending on You" (Bonus track) 
14."Respect" (Previously unreleased / Mono) 
15."Ole Man Trouble" (Previously unreleased / Mono) 
16."Any Ole Way" (Bonus track) 
17."Shake" (Bonus track: Live 1967, Stereo Mix of Single Version) 
18."Ole Man Trouble" (Bonus track: Live at the Whisky a Go Go) 
19."Respect" (Bonus track: Live at the Whisky a Go Go) 
20."I've Been Loving You Too Long" (Bonus track: Live at the Whisky a Go Go) 
21."Satisfaction" (Bonus track: Live at the Whisky a Go Go) 
22."I'm Depending on You" (Bonus track: Live at the Whisky a Go Go) 
23."Any Ole Way" (Bonus track: Live at the Whisky a Go Go) 
Disco two: Otis Blue (stereo) and selections from Live in Europe (1967)
No.TitleLength
1."Ole Man Trouble" 
2."Respect" 
3."Change Gonna Come" 
4."Down in the Valley" 
5."I've Been Loving You Too Long" 
6."Shake" 
7."My Girl" 
8."Wonderful World" 
9."Rock Me Baby" 
10."Satisfaction" 
11."You Don't Miss Your Water" 
12."Respect" (Bonus track: 1967 version) 
13."I've Been Loving You Too Long" (Bonus track: Live in Europe) 
14."My Girl" (Bonus track: Live in Europe) 
15."Shake" (Bonus track: Live in Europe) 
16."Satisfaction" (Bonus track: Live in Europe) 
17."Respect" (Bonus track: Live in Europe) 

Charts

Chart Peak
position
Billboard Pop chart 75[48]
Billboard R&B chart 1[48]
UK Album Chart 6[49]

Singles

Song Chart Peak
position
"Respect"
b/w
"Ole Man Trouble" 		Billboard Pop chart 35[48]
Billboard
R&B chart
 4[48]
"I've Been Loving You Too Long"
b/w "Just One More Day" 		Billboard Pop chart 21[48]
Billboard R&B chart 2[48]
"Shake"
b/w "You Don't Miss Your Water" 		Billboard Pop chart 47[48]
Billboard R&B chart 16[48]
"Satisfaction"
b/w "Any Ole Way" 		Billboard Pop chart 31[48]
Billboard R&B chart 4[48]

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Gold 100,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Musicians

Additional personnel

  • engineer
  • Jim Stewart – supervision
  • Yves Beauvais – reissue producer
  • Bill Inglot, Dan Hersch –
    remastering
  • Pete Sahula – cover photo
  • Haig Adishian – cover design
  • Bob Rolontz – liner notes

See also

  • List of number-one R&B albums of 1965 (U.S.)

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-87930-744-8
    .
  2. ISBN 9781438128559. Archived
    from the original on March 18, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Bowman 1997, p. 57.
  4. ^ Freeman 2002, p. 77.
  5. ^ Gulla 2007, pp. 401–408.
  6. ^ a b Stephen Deusner. "A Memphis-music landmark, lavishly re-released". Contemporary Media. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  7. ^ John Metzger (May 19, 2008). "Otis Redding – Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (Album Review)". Musicbox-online.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  8. ^ David Belcher (January 14, 1984). "Black star's posthumous come-back". The Glasgow Herald. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  9. ^
    ISSN 0035-791X. Archived
    from the original on May 16, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  10. ^ Bowman 1997, p. 59.
  11. Rhino, ATCO
    . 081227951856. For the Otis Blue sessions, Redding decided to recut 'I've Been Loving You Too Long' in stereo. The song had undergone substantial change since it was originally recorded in April.
  12. ^
    Rovi Corporation. Archived
    from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  13. ^ a b Mendelsohn, Jason; Klinger, Eric (December 9, 2011). "Counterbalance No. 61: 'Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul'". PopMatters. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Harold, Claudrena N (May 2, 2008). "Otis Redding: Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul". PopMatters. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  15. ^
    Pitchfork Media
    . Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  16. ^ a b c d e Spencer, Neil (April 29, 2008). "Otis Redding – Otis Blue (Collector's Edition)". Uncut. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  17. ^ Black 2008, p. 71.
  18. ISBN 9781847676375. Archived
    from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  19. ^ "Aretha Franklin – Charts & Awards – Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on January 13, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  20. ^ Matthew Greenwald. "A Change Is Gonna Come – Otis Redding : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  21. ^ "Otis Blue Deluxe – antiMUSIC News". Antimusic.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  22. ^ Matthew Greenwald. "Shake – Otis Redding : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  23. ^ Wyman & Coleman 1990, p. 480.
  24. ^ a b c d Christgau, Robert (May 2008). "Otis Redding: Otis Blue—Otis Redding Sings Soul". Blender. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  25. ^
    ISBN 978-1-84767-643-6
    .
  26. ISBN 0787612251
    .
  27. ISBN 9780190252946
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  28. ^ "5 Amazing Facts About Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul". September 15, 2015.
  29. ISBN 9780262044332
    – via Google Books.
  30. ^ "Otis Redding – Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  31. ^ "Otis Redding Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Hot 100. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  32. ^ a b c "Otis Redding". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  33. ^
    ISBN 978-1-85227-923-3
    .
  34. ^
    ISSN 0261-250X. Archived
    from the original on September 19, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  35. ISBN 978-1627887823
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  36. ^ a b "British album certifications – Otis Redding – Otis Blue". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  37. ISBN 9780857125958
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  38. ISBN 1578590264
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    ISSN 0955-4955
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    ISSN 0035-791X
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  41. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8. Archived
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  43. ^ Taylor, Angus (December 7, 2007). "Otis Redding Otis Blue Review". BBC Music. Archived from the original on January 9, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  44. ISSN 0028-6362. Archived
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  45. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  46. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  47. ^ "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Rocklist.net. Archived from the original on May 8, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
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  49. ^ "otis blue | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved June 17, 2022.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

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