C&L's Late Nite Music Club with Carla Thomas and Otis Redding
By Howie Klein Friday May 09, 2008 11:00pmI hired Otis Redding to play a show at my school when he was 25. I was amazed by the show; I had never seen anything like that kind of energy before-- and I really had never even understood soul before I see that gig. The following year, when he was breaking through to the mainstream with an amazing album of duets-- King & Queen-- with Carla Thomas, he died in a plane crash. Although there are several incredible songs on the album ("Knock on Wood," "It Takes Two," "Bring It On Home To Me," "Ooh Carla, Ooh Otis...), "Tramp" was the big hit. Listen and you'll hear Isaac Hayes, Booker T and Steve Cropper.
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Otis was The Man!
Here he's backed up by the biggest little soul band in the world, Booker T. & The MGs, with the Mar-Keys--later the Memphis Horns--on brass.
It doesn't hardly get better than THIS, boys and girls.
This is, as the kids say, the shizit.
Hey, Howie -- have you gotten a look at that excellent Stax Volt Revue: Live in Oslo 1967 disc? It's amazing to watch (especially fun to watch a young, thin and dapper Steve Cropper), but the absolute smash highlight of the show is Otis. He was indeed The Man.
The "so called" singers of today couldn't carry Otis' jock strap. What style.
Left&Left @ 4:
Isn't that the truth!!! Love ya L&L...
Otis, live at Monterey! I've Been Loving You Too Long.
What a voice!!
Thank you for pointing out that Mr. Redding was only 26 years old when he died.
I would guess that most people do not know that. RIP Otis.
My girlfriend and I took a trip down to Memphis for a vacation last year. The Stax Museum was the main reason for our visit. It completely changed my musical life. I haven't played music the same way since. Speaking as a musician and a music lover, I would highly suggest visiting the Stax Museum.
God bless Otis Redding's "soul". ;-)
Stax: THE REAL DOPE SHIT, now and forever. Absolutely, positively untouchable. Booker T and the MGs will never be surpassed. Otis Redding - God, what a loss. Watch the Stax documentary RESPECT YOURSELF if you EVER get the chance - it came on PBS Great Performances last year. Samuel L. Jackson narrates. Tons of great music and footage and information to be had. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W4zlYem67w
"Absolutely, positively untouchable."
I wish I would have said that, Jeon!
oh yea ,
I remember part of the 50's , 60's and very early 70's , Otis R . most people will remember your next song ,but tramp , is one of my all time faves , just resting my bones .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLIwvYUfTt0
Just driving by & couldn't resist.
and
Bobby Blue , Etta James , Ella , Tina , Albert and BB , there was a club ( the Showcase 33rd and Telegraph , Oakland Ca. ) I was about 5 ( there abouts ) and starting playing music about 1952 , when the 60's hit it was big time . I would take my axe and go sit on the corner , oh yea I remember later , Jimi , Janis , ah Berkeley / Frisco , native son .
miss_kitty @ 5:
Love ya back, Miss Kitty. I just got from a friends party. While there I brought up Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, The Bar Kays, Booker T, and how music today sucks so horribly. My best friend cut me off and told me that I needed to "sell all of my father's old LP's". So sad. A lot of people have no respect or knowledge of history.
thanks, Howie for the trip down memory lane. Here's a little 'rest of the story"...
almost all of the R&B music from this wonderful period came from a tiny office first on Cotton Ave and later, on Walnut St in Macon Ga. The stable of artists was the virtual 'who's who' of R&B.
I wish there was a way to share the many evenings of impromptu sessions and collaborations that I was fortunate to be in the middle of (I was a road manager for number of years) It's a pity there were very few portable recorders in those days. Now those would be some sessions.
After the crash, Otis' legacy was the seed of what became Capricorn Records and evolved to the Allman Brothers period out of Macon.
There was an unseen force behind Otis that the public never saw, a little 5 foot tall (on her best days) dynamo named Zelma Redding. While the public Otis was seen as the ladies man, the only lady really in his short life was Zelma. She and Otis wrote the powerful "Dreams to Remember" which turned out to describe much of what they were about. One other track that is rarely heard is 'Champagne and Wine' which I promise, once heard, will stay with you.
BTW, Zelma and her daughter still own and operate a shoe store on Cherry St in downtown Macon.
I saw Otis Redding at Clemson U. in 1965 and the show was fantastic.
In 1989 I was catching a show at The Royal Peacock in Atlanta late one night and Carla Thomas came in to listen. Unfortunately I have never been able to hear her sing live.
The "Big O" is the greatest soul singer of all times. His production, in such a short period of time, was not only his own songs, but Motown covers, Sam Cooke covers, development of other talented singers and musicians, and making loads of money for Stax and Atlantic.
The arrangements for the horn section was sung to them in rehearsal by Otis. Fa fafa fafa fa fa fa.
He sang back-up for other Stax singers when they were recording and he was in the studio.
He gave co-writing credit to Steve Cropper on many of his songs.
The other two core members of the MG's (besides Booker T and Cropper) were Donald "Duck" Dunn on Bass and Al Jackson on Drums.
Take a listen to Al on "Try a Little Tenderness" as he and Otis go from English Ballroom to Memphis Soul in 3 minutes.
Booker T and (the late) Al Jackson are black. "Duck" Dunn and Steve Cropper are white.
Only Bob Marley can rival Otis in terms of quality, quantity and variety in such a short period of time.
Not to take anything away from Otis, The guy is in a class all his own.
But Last night, My wife and I went and saw Joe Jackson in Redwood City.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrazznRgrOo
This is from his new cd, Invisible Man.
Joe Jackson is also in a class all his own.
He even played some Duke Ellington.
Just Unbelievable, That guy has more talent in his little toe, Than I do in my entire body. Or even hope to have.
Absolutely Wonderful.
Oh, The cd is titled "Rain".
It's worth the money.
I've loved Otis forever.
I've visited the site of the crash- they have a nice park bench shaped like his initials.
I've visited his bridge- dedicated to him via his widow by Jimmy Carter.
King and Queen is the only LP I still own.
I love Carla, too:)
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