‎43 years ago today we lost soul brother OTIS REDDING.

Tomorrow in the Studio I've declared it Otis Redding Day.

Time to let those young feckers hear some real music!

Sleep on Otis.

Sean

Otis Redding had a major influence on me as a young teen.

He inspired me to seek out other soul music and consequently brought me to where I am today.

Having the Ready Steady Go Otis Redding Special video bought for my birthday as a youngster when it was released it became the closest I could ever get to seeing the man perform live. It blew me away then and still does today.

An absolutely awesome live performer and not hard to see why he blew the Montraeux pop festival hippies away when he wasn't even the main act! Check it out if you've not seen it - highly recommended!

Only a few days ago did I play his "Cigarettes And Coffee" track whilst feeling in a mellow mood with my woman and I was reminded how integral in my life the part Otis played in shaping my direction for this music that we all can't let go of.

It's easy to overlook the more commercially succesful 60's R&B and soul output but well worth reminding yourself of these artists works from time to time.

Without them there would never of been a Rare/ Northern Soul scene.

For me, Otis was STAX and epitomised the southern soul sound with his outstanding heartbreaking vocal's on ballads such as the previously mentioned "Cigarettes....." as well as the full on up-tempo fuel packed stompers like "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Respect" etc .

In the southern soul genre no one came close. Period!

Long live Otis.

Edited December 10, 201014 yr by eddiep

otis is the man,,along with aretha, wilson ,,listening to them got me into northern,,fab artist...

OMG 43 years ago! Won't tell you what I was doing at the time..............

MR SOUL in my humble opinion - could cover ANY type of song/genre

2 brilliant cover versions of My Girl & A Change Is Gonna Come & Satisfaction & oh the list grows!

I WILL FEATURE OTIS REDDING IN MY RADIO SHOW SUNDAY 7-10PM WWW.REDROADMUSIC.COM

"He was born in Macon Georgia

A poor boy without a dime" et al

Thanx 4 the excitement, anguish, pain and fun you brought to my life

O R - RIP Big Soul Man

It's easy to overlook the more commercially succesful 60's R&B and soul output but well worth reminding yourself of these artists works from time to time.

Without them there would never of been a Rare/ Northern Soul scene.

For me, Otis was STAX and epitomised the southern soul sound with his outstanding heartbreaking vocal's on ballads such as the previously mentioned "Cigarettes....." as well as the full on up-tempo fuel packed stompers like "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Respect" etc .

In the southern soul genre no one came close. Period!

Long live Otis.

I was just thinking something along your lines how easy it is to ignore the "commercial" side sometimes, but when you think of Otis, Sam&Dave, Aretha, sometimes, and sadly not often enough, the cream did rise to the top, and ignoring artists like that means you just don't get the overall soul picture,

I would take the second part of your statement differently and saying listening to Otis actually makes the Rare/Northern scene, as much as I truly loved my time on it, irrelevant in the bigger picture.

An Aretha and Otis weekend I think!

OMG 43 years ago! Won't tell you what I was doing at the time..............

43 years, geez! I was sixteen months old..

Along with Sam Cooke & Jackie Wilson, I would rate Otis in the top 3 all time greatest soul singers.

Has anyone seen that Stax documentary where his brother said about people waiting in line to see Otis at the talent shows, but his manager had to listen on his car radio across the street because he was white.

To hear his brother and former manager talk about his death was choking, the brother broke down, his manager said that he contemplated suicide at times after his passing.

27 years old.. What more tunes could have been.

Rest in peace Otis Ray Redding, Jr.

Otis Redding.........................5 words...................Hair On Back Of Neck.

Steve.

Unless I'm somewhere out of reach of my collection, there's never a week goes by without me listening to at least a tune or two by Otis. For me he will always be the Alpha and Omega of real soul music...

My uncle was a huge fan and seeing my early teen interest in the Mod thing demanded I borrow his Otis collection 'to hear what real music sounded like'. I still vividly remember the needle hitting the opening bars to Mr. Pitiful and that voice soaring out. My intro to Soul music and still my favourite artist.

I often wonder if he had lived longer how his voice and music would have developed.

Edited December 10, 201014 yr by Goldwax

I've Been Loving You Too Long is one of the greatest pieces of soul ever made, a true genius.

Edited December 10, 201014 yr by John Reed

Don`t get much better than this IMHO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Rhpae8Fog&feature=related

Yeh,thought that the other day when everyone remarked on Lennon,s anniversary( Dec 8 th.) R.I.P Otis--it,s all being said and Ash---HE FOUND HIS WAY TO MEMPHIS SINGING THESE ARMS OF MINE.........

T.C

So Long And Yet Only Seems Like Yesterday!! R.I.P Otis

I remember first listening to the Otis Blue album for the first time......blew me away

My favourite tracks by him are I've been loving you too long, and the awesome Try a little tenderness,and as rightly previously mentioned with him having been taken from us so early, it beggars belief to what his passing has deprived us of.....RIP Sir....

Yeh,thought that the other day when everyone remarked on Lennon,s anniversary( Dec 8 th.) R.I.P Otis--it,s all being said and Ash---HE FOUND HIS WAY TO MEMPHIS SINGING THESE ARMS OF MINE.........

T.C

TONY (cough clears throat)

"Listen people listen, I'm gonna sing you a song" etc etc

William Bell's Tribute To A King light blue stax lovely stuff indeed!