Top 25–Otis Redding – Bomani Jones

December 16, 2005

First, lemme start by saying that I hope Bush and the Boys like Otis as much as I do.
Moving on, I went with Otis Redding this week because I’ve been on a serious Otis kick lately. A member of that dreaded 27 club, Otis was rivaled in the sixties by only Sam Cooke as far as soul singers went. The interesting thing about Otis is that his best album, Otis Blue, is a collection of Cooke covers, a few of which are better than Sam’s versions.
Those work because Otis was the anti-Sam, really. Where Sam was smooth, silky and totally composed, Otis extracted every ounce of passion in his soul to put out his tracks. There’s no telling if he had any idea what to do with a pitch pipe, but he could sing his ass off. Gives the Otis Blue tracks a unique quality rarely found on covers. Not quite how Isaac Hayes could totally redefine a song, but of the same ilk.
So here we go. You know the drill–tell me where I messed up.

25.Mr. Pitiful. This is the first song I’ve put at 25 that I know should be higher. However, I cannot condone calling yourself Mr. Pitiful. That’s just not gonna work.
24.Merry Christmas, Baby. It’s the season, yanno? But the definitive version of this was recorded by one Mr. Dynamite.
23.I Love You More Than Words Can Say. Bad news, Otis–if you’re talking this yap and she already sent you packing, you waited too late. Then again, if you say it early, she might run from you. Tough call.
22.Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song). Not quite literary genius on the hook, but who needs words when you’ve got feeling? Always remember–the purpose of communication is to convey ideas, not to sound smart.
21.Let Me Come On Home. Should be in the top ten, but I’m not rearranging the list. I tell you this, though…Otis gets kicked out the house a lot. I’m starting to wonder if we should root for him. Clearly, he’s had trouble getting his shit together. But they kept taking him back, it seems.
20.These Arms of Mine. Otis’ first single. The story goes it was recorded on extra studio time. Otis was there because he was driving for Stax at the time, and he convinced them to let him cut a song that he had written since they had the time. And the rest…
19.I Can’t Turn You Loose. I’m honestly not sure of the chronology, but this sounds like a Motown bite with Stax horns thrown on top. Otherwise, this would be a lot higher.
18.Look at the Girl. Here’s a general rule for Otis tracks–you can tell what you’re gonna get the second you hear the bass. This is a great example. The second you hear it drop, you know it’s gonna be on.
17.I’ve Got Dreams to Remember. If I ever sound like this, shoot me.
16.Tramp. Just for the back-and-forth between Otis and Carla Thomas.
15.Satisfaction. This must be said–even though this version is great, anyone that thinks it’s better than the original from the Stones needs to stop smoking rocks. The problem is that they took all the lyrical genius of “Satisfaction” out and substituted sweatiness. The sweatiness is great, but that song is one of Jagger’s crowning lyrical moments (right up there with “Sympathy for the Devil”). This from Jagger–“well I’m watchin my TV/and the man comes on and tells me/how white my shirts can be/but he can’t be a man cuz he doesn’t smoke/the same cigarettes as me.” I’d kill to write stuff that good.
14.Glory of Love. As I do this list, I realize that Otis really does a lot of begging. Why do I tolerate old school beggars more than the new ones?
13.Shake. A Cooke cover. Here’s my question, though–who ever thought this was a good song for Sam, anyway? This song was made for Otis.
12.Respect. Greatest line ever uttered in concert. “This little girl stole my song. But I’m gonna sing it anyway.” That little girl would be Aretha Franklin, and she did a number on this one, goodness. Turned it into a feminist anthem at a time when one was needed. Otis’ version isn’t as strong, but it’s no slouch.
11.Knock on Wood. So many versions of this song, and Otis’ is probably the strongest one. Another great song from Cropper.
10.Trick or Treat. “If you love me, don’t say that you like me/if you like me, don’t say that you love me.” Real friggin’ talk.
9.Open the Door. “Open the door/or I’ll bust it in.” For real, just let him in. Perhaps this is the precursor to song #7.
8.Ole Man Trouble. Man, that same old nigga’s been messin with me for twenty-five years.
7.Cigarettes and Coffee. The visual on this is just so amazing. You can see him with a square in his mouth, a cup of strong coffee, and a woman he’s dragged out of the house in the middle of the night so he could do some beggin’. He’s up on the game if he got her out of the house.
6.(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay. Ahh, the song that prompts all the what ifs. Thsi was recorded days before Otis’ plane went down, and it signaled to many an artistic leap for Redding. I’m not sure of that. It’s just not as gritty as the old stuff. It is a different type of writing, but I was always afraid that this would have become the beginning of Otis turning off the soul. That wouldn’t have been cool at all. Great record, though. “Looks like nothing’s gonna change/everything still remains the same/I can’t do what ten people tell me to do/so I guess I’ll remain the same.” Words to live by.
5.That’s How Strong My Love Is. I absolutely love Steve Cropper on guitar. I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure his is him on guitar (sounds like him). Anyway, listen to Otis beg. “I’ll be the weeping willow/drowning in my tears/and you can go swimming when you are here/I’ll be the rainbow after the tears are gone/wrap you in my colors and keep you warm.” If she ain’t appreciate that, she’s just heartless.
4.I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now). This is the record I normally see listed as Otis’ best. Since this wasn’t pop and isn’t “Try a Little Tenderness,” it makes people look kinda smart to profess affection for this one. And please believe it’s smokin, but it’s not the best cut in the catalog. Check the Monterrey Pop version, if you get the chance.
3.A Change is Gonna Come. A Cooke cover, as most know. Where Sam’s song is a tale of resignation peppered with hope, Otis’ version is one of exasperation. His frustration is so palpable that it doesn’t even sound like a cover or reinterpretation. It sounds new, which is the greatest compliment anyone can give a cover song.
2.Try a Little Tenderness. Originally a Sam Cooke ballad, Otis turned this into a recorded orgasm. It starts slow, builds gradually, gets closer and crunker, finally exploding until Otis can’t even talk. If that ain’t an orgasm, what is? Most interesting thing–the quasi-echoing hi-hats toward the end were recorded by Isaac Hayes. Hayes didn’t use the sound they way he wanted–fully in a song–until “Theme from Shaft.”
1.Hard to Handle. Inexplicably, this cut gets left off a lot of compilations. Beyond the fact that the piano on this has been lifted more times than I can count, this is one of the greatest smack talking records of all time. The thesis of ths–girl, I’ll beat the brakes off that. So much to talk about on this one. There’s the cad-like quality of the lyrics, the strange meter on the hook, the genius of “yesiram,” the Stax house band, and more things I just don’t feel like typing. “Take my hand/don’t be afraid/I’m gonna prove every word I say/I got love for free/so baby place your ad with me.” How can you not love that?

Comments


aliajsmith

September 20, 2024, 7:27 pm

Oh, man...those top two have been in heavy rotation in the Pod since the summer. "Try a Little Tenderness" is a bit like a musical orgasm, isn't it? Almost like Ike & Tina's Proud Mary, but smoother in its ascent... Question: In Dock of the Bay, is that actually Otis whistling? I've wanted to know since I was a kid...it just sounds so clear, I've always wondered if it was a person or an instrument... It's a person, but I'm not sure who that is.

Stephanie

September 20, 2024, 7:28 pm

Love the list. If I could hear the voice of God, I would want it to speak like James Earl Jones but sing like Otis Redding. And I would want God to sing all the time. I'm sure it would even make eternal damnation sound a better and a lot less disappointing.

Stephanie

September 20, 2024, 7:29 pm

Love the list. If I could hear the voice of God, I would want it to speak like James Earl Jones but sing like Otis Redding. And I would want God to sing all the time. I'm sure it would even make eternal damnation sound a better and a lot less disappointing.

big grip

September 20, 2024, 7:30 pm

You never cease to amaze me with you knowledge of the old, old school music. I grew up listening to several of these songs, but I never knew of the "cross pollenation" between Cooke and Redding. Otis had that "gravelly" resonance that would always get him attention in any setting. Sam Cooke was the good looking, smooth talking devil who had a sophisticated approach to the woman's heart. Otis looked like he was 46 when he was only 26. He was country. Otis seemed like the kinda cat that would do something "ingnant" to get the girl, like Coffee and Cigarettes joint. I liked the way that these cats seemed to shadow each other's career. I don't see much evidence of rivalry or jelousy between the two. Aretha Franklin had hits with songs written by both of these guys. Maybe we could have a list for her sometime soon. Keep up the good work.

big grip

September 20, 2024, 7:31 pm

You never cease to amaze me with you knowledge of the old, old school music. I grew up listening to several of these songs, but I never knew of the "cross pollenation" between Cooke and Redding. Otis had that "gravelly" resonance that would always get him attention in any setting. Sam Cooke was the good looking, smooth talking devil who had a sophisticated approach to the woman's heart. Otis looked like he was 46 when he was only 26. He was country. Otis seemed like the kinda cat that would do something "ingnant" to get the girl, like Coffee and Cigarettes joint. I liked the way that these cats seemed to shadow each other's career. I don't see much evidence of rivalry or jelousy between the two. Aretha Franklin had hits with songs written by both of these guys. Maybe we could have a list for her sometime soon. Keep up the good work.

Solomeen

September 20, 2024, 7:32 pm

You sure you're just 25??? Anyway, I believe Otis is one of the few cats who was able to get away with simpish tendencies. Of course, you can get away with almost anything if you do it the right way--and with style. When you're scraight--that's what I said--out da Georgia woods, your beggin' has some genuineness (Is that a word?) to it. We tolerate it from the old-school cats 'cause they just did it better. For the record, "Tramp" is my shiznit... In talking about lists, I think it would be interesting to do something with all of the Prince proteges--The Time, Jesse Johnson, The Family, Ta'mara and the Seen, Maserati, et al... It'd be interesting to see what you come up with. Of course, it'd have to be stuff His Royal Badness had his stilettos in.

Solomeen

September 20, 2024, 7:33 pm

You sure you're just 25??? Anyway, I believe Otis is one of the few cats who was able to get away with simpish tendencies. Of course, you can get away with almost anything if you do it the right way--and with style. When you're scraight--that's what I said--out da Georgia woods, your beggin' has some genuineness (Is that a word?) to it. We tolerate it from the old-school cats 'cause they just did it better. For the record, "Tramp" is my shiznit... In talking about lists, I think it would be interesting to do something with all of the Prince proteges--The Time, Jesse Johnson, The Family, Ta'mara and the Seen, Maserati, et al... It'd be interesting to see what you come up with. Of course, it'd have to be stuff His Royal Badness had his stilettos in.