From:   "flippar54" 
Date:  Sun Sep 22, 2002  10:16 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You - Otis Redding (September 9th)

OTIS REDDING
 
Otis' birthday (like Shaun's) came when I was still off line on
September 9th, as it's a non BTBWY day I include it here with an
apology for its late appearance. I have concentrated on his early
SAO period and not the hit period. UK Sue, Pye Int and Evolution
issued his pre Atlantic sides on 45/ep in the 60s, does anyone know
if they are available on cd? I know that Shout Bamalama is.

Phil

OTIS REDDING
Born 9th September 1941, in Dawson, Georgia
Died December 10th 1967, Lake Monona, nr Madison, Wisconsin

Otis' family moved to Macon, Georgia in 1944. His father, Otis Snr,
worked at a local USAF base and also as a part time preacher, before
becoming too ill to work. Otis and his four sisters all had to find
work to aid mother Fanny in this difficult period. Young Otis worked
as a well digger, gas jockey and as a drummer in local bands. Before
quitting school in the 10th grade he'd learnt to play drums in
school. He backed local gospel groups every Sunday morning on
Macon's local station WIBB, earning $6 for the family pot. Later he
began singing with the groups and learnt simple guitar and piano
licks too. His heroes included local boy made good Little Richard and
Sam Cooke.

In 1958 he went on the road with Richard's road band The Upsetters,
and entered a few local talent shows. he won several times singing
Elvis tunes. He also met his future wife Zelma and guitarist Johnny
Jjenkins.Jenkins was managed by a local white teen Phil Walden.
Walden became a key figure in Otis' career and later managed The
Allman Brothers, ran Capricorn records and was a close ally of future
US President, Jimmy Carter.

Otis went to Los Angeles in 1960 to stay with an older sister, he
wroked in a local car wash and also managed to record 4 songs, She's
Alright, Tuff Enuff, I'm Gettin' Hip and Gamma Lamma. The first pair
were released on Finer Arts 2016 and the latter on Alshire 5082.
Returning to macon in 1961 he cut a 3rd single for Bobby Smith's
Confederate label, Shout Bamalama and Fat Girl. His early sides were
influenced by Mr Penniman. The single was recorded in Athens Georgia
at a PBS station and featured Wayne Cochran on bass.

Legendary white r&b dj John R picked up on Bamalama on his 50,000
watt Nashville radio show on WLAC. Whilst the single was a flop a
later cover in 1967 by Mickey Murray on Shelby Singleton's SSS label
reached no. 11 in the R & B charts. Otis worked in this period with a
phony set of Drifters, Clyde McPhatter being one of his heroes,
allegedly doing a spot on take off on Clyde's Money Honey.Otis became
a full time member of Jenkins' band The Pinetoppers, the guitarist
being the star of the show with a wild acrobatic guitar style wowing
the crowds.

James Newton, a local banker signed them to his Atlanta based Tifco
Records, to record an instumental Love Twist/Pinetop. at a local
radio staion,Otis was not featured on the record and it became a
small local hit , Newton leased the master to Atlantic Records' local
rep Joe Galkin who re-released it on his Gerald label, where it sold
around 25,000 copies. A follow up session was arranged at the Stax
Studio in Memphis. The success of Booker T's Green Onions had lead to
a Stax/Atlantic distribution deal. Otis was in attendance this time
(some stories say he was Jenkins valet and driver, but he'd been a
band member for some time so this is in doubt) and he was given a
chance to record towards the end of the band's instrumental session.

The Jenkins songs Spunky/Bashful Guitar came out 2 years later on
subsidiary Volt(Spunky is available on a later Teen Beat volume on
Ace) Galkin gave Stax's Jim Stewart half the publishing on Otis'
songs as an inducement. Steve Cropper played piano (as Booker T had
left) and jenkins played guitar. Otis first attempt was another
Richard take off, Hey hey baby but the second was a Southern soul
gem, the self penned These Arms Of Mine. Stewart passed his share of
publishing to John R (to ensure heavy airplay) and this now classic
ballad reached 20 in the R & B charts and 85 in opo. 5 years of dues
paying finally bore fruition.

In the soul world outside of the SAO era Otis became established as
the king of Southern styled soul, winning over the white rock
audience as well. He had hits both in the r&b and pop charts until
his untimely death in a tragic plane crash that also killed members
of his Bar Kays band. It was exactly 3 years to the day that his idol
Sam Cooke was shot to death in LA.

Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay became a pop classic and posthumous
transatlantic hit. Luckily his sensational (if histrionic) stage
shows have been captured on film. I well remember his earth
shattering Ready Steady Go UK tv show and the Monterey pop festival
movie which showed the ultimate soul man having the hippies eating
out of his hands, there's also some fine fooage of Otis on his
European tour with the equally incendiary Sam & Dave.He was voted
best world male singer in Melody maker poll after the UK tour,
becoming the first artist to beat Elvis.Many artists like Tom Jones,
Rod Stewart,the Blues Brothers, Commitments and Mick Hucknall owe a
lot of their success to Otis' over the top stylings.

Dotted amongst his ballads, movers and rock covers, are some fine
versions of old R &b favs like Lovey Dovey, Shake, Chain Gang,Merry
Xmas Baby and Rock Me Baby, which show that like us SAOers, ole Otis
was a real fan of the big beat that changed all our lives

Phil Davies

Recommended listening
any of the greatest hit compilations out there like
Very Best Of OR 2cd Atlantic (2001)
Otis Anthology -Rhino/Atlantic, 2cd from 1998 inc Shout Bamalama
For devotees there's a 4cd box, Otis or the fine 3cd Atlantic set The
Otis Redding Story, with a good booklet written by Stax expert Rob
Bowman, where most of the above info was gathered.
Ace issued It's just not Sentimental (cdof alts/unissued)
Good To Me- Live at Whisky A Go Go vol 2
and Charly had a good lp Come To me in their brief Atlantic period

There are two recent biogs (which I haven't read)
Scott Freeman, Otis : The Otis Redding Story. New York : St. Martin's
Press, 2001. Paperback just published by Griffin, New York.
Geoff Brown, Otis Redding : Try a little tenderness. Edinburgh: Mojo
Books, 2001.(the latter is a very slim volume)

NB there are excellent sections on Otis and Southern soul in general
in the highly recommended
Swwet Soul Music -Peter Guralnick (say no more) -Virgin, 1986
Nowhere To Run - Story of Soul Music - Gerri Hirshey - Pan, 1984