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Redding, Otis


The lexicon of soul is littered with superlatives, hyperbolic descriptions of “superhuman” musical talent captured in a recording studio or displayed on a stage. Say one name, however, and all those platitudes suddenly fall short: Otis Redding. Redding was simply one of the best soul singers of all time with a voice that no amount of hype can ever obscure. The Georgia-born vocalist’s tough yet tender delivery enthralled audiences around the globe and earned respect and awe from his peers. During his all-too-brief twenty-six years, he accrued just about every accolade available. Alternately dubbed “The Crown Prince” and The King of soul, Redding could effortlessly relay the pain in his heart through song and take the listener on an extraordinarily emotional journey.

Redding found a perfect setting for his unique style at Stax Records in Memphis. Recording with a sympathetic backing band comprised of Booker T. & the MGs as well as the Stax/Volt horns, he recorded a series of instant classics. A prolific writer, many of the songs in his repertoire came from his own pen. He also co-wrote with MG's guitarist Steve Cropper and friend Jerry Butler, among others. He was equally adept at spotting great songs from other writers, taking tracks like the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” and Sam Cooke’s “Shake” and completely making them his own. His biggest live performance took place at 1967’s Monterrey Pop Festival where, in the middle of a rock-heavy lineup, he gave perhaps the most heartfelt, soulful performance of his career. “I got to go, y’all, I don’t wanna go!,” he exclaimed as he left the stage, leaving the exuberant crowd screaming for more. he concert greatly increased his visibility in the mainstream media and as he went back into to studio to record songs such as “(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay” for his next album, his future couldn’t have been brighter.

Sadly, a plane crash on December 10, 1967 erased that future in an instant. While there have been many posthumous releases and countless compilations over the years, nothing can match Redding’s original albums. The seven Sundazed reissues have been sourced from the original analog tapes to bring you these historic recordings in the best fidelity possible. To listen to them is to hear a master at work, a true giant of contemporary popular music. Whether recorded in the studio or on a concert stage, Redding comes across as one of music’s most superb showmen. Speaking about his performance at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium, the late, legendary promoter Bill Graham said, “By far, Otis Redding was the single most extraordinary talent I had ever seen. There was no comparison. Then or now — That was the biggest gig I ever put on in my entire life."

Redding, Otis

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Redding, Otis - The Dock Of The Bay LP
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Redding, Otis - The Dock Of The Bay LP
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Item #: LP 5172 -

    When Otis Redding recorded "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" in late 1967, the singer knew that the song was a milestone in his creative evolution. But before Redding got the chance to explore his new direction, he was killed, along with most of his backup band the Bar-Kays, in a plane crash while on tour. Released just a few weeks after his death, the song shot to Number One on the Pop and R&B charts, eventually winning Redding a pair of posthumous Grammy awards. The album bearing the song's...

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    Redding, Otis - Live In Europe LP
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    Item #: LP 5134 -

      Otis Redding's first live release was recorded in March 1967, on the now-legendary Stax/Volt tour of Europe, on which Otis and company demonstrated that soul is a universal language. Backed by the erstwhile Stax studio combo Booker T. and the MGs and the Memphis Horns, the Big O rises to the historic occasion, delivering incendiary, emotion-charged readings of such iconic tunes as "Respect," "I Can't Turn You Loose," "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)," "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)"...

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      Redding, Otis - In Person At The Whisky A Go Go LP
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      Item #: LP 5133 -

        Otis Redding's live performances are legendary for their raw, sweat-soaked intensity. For those of us not fortunate enough to have seen the legendary soul icon on stage, this is the next best thing. Recorded in April 1966 at Los Angeles' Whisky A Go Go, this is the only live recording of Otis in a small club setting, and it's a scorcher, capturing the spellbinding fervor that he generated on a nightly basis. Backed by his raw-and-ready touring band, Redding delivers a fiery set that includes...

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        Redding, Otis - The Soul Album LP
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        Item #: LP 5132 -

          The aptly titled 1966 release The Soul Album is one of the most beloved LPs in Otis Redding's catalogue, and a powerful evocation of this singular soul icon's massive talent and impressive versatility. While such original tunes as "Cigarettes and Coffee," "Good to Me," "Just One More Day" and "Any Ole Way" demonstrate Redding's remarkable songwriting talent, his remarkable interpretive gifts are spotlighted on his deeply compelling versions as Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang," Smokey Robinson's "It's...

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          Redding, Otis - Otis Redding & Carla Thomas King & Queen LP
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          Item #: LP 5069 -

            As Stax Records' top male artist, it was only natural that Otis Redding would team up with Stax's top female singer, Carla Thomas. The soulful twosome generated considerable musical sparks on this 1967 release, which produced a pair of sizzling hit singles, the sassy "Tramp" and a hard-driving reading of Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood." With Booker T. and the MGs, the Memphis Horns and Isaac Hayes providing typically eloquent support, King and Queen also features the frisky duo numbers "Lovey...

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            Redding, Otis - Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul LP
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            Item #: LP 5064 -

              Considered by many soul connoisseurs to be Otis Redding's finest and most fully realized LP, 1966's Otis Blue delivers a compelling encapsulation of all of the qualities that made Redding the greatest soul performer of his era. In addition to the artist's self-penned classics "Respect" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long," Otis Blue spotlights the artist's peerless interpretive skills, as he puts his dynamic stamp upon such iconic tunes as the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,"...

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              Redding, Otis - Dictionary Of Soul LP
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              Item #: LP 5063 -

                Otis Redding's fifth album, whose cover bears the full title Complete and Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul, more than lives up to that grandiose monicker. The last solo album that the artist would complete prior to his death at the age of 26, this 12-song set demonstrates how Redding combined raw talent and boundless charisma with a restless creative spirit that drove him to expand his horizons beyond the traditional boundaries of contemporary rhythm and blues. With typically...