It’s a merciless twist in an already tragic tale that the largest tune in Otis Redding’s whole catalog is the one who he by no means noticed transform a crossover anthem. His posthumous No.1 “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay,” co-written along with his nice pal Steve Cropper, was once launched on January 8, 1968, a month after his demise in a airplane crash on the age of simply 26.

Of path, it was once in part the uncooked grief of Otis’ numerous admirers that helped elevate it to the highest. However there’s some convenience within the sure bet that this extremely atmospheric and evocative piece would certainly had been a big hit anyway. He had taken two passes on the vocal, as soon as on November 22, 1967 after which when he returned to Stax Studio in Memphis on December 7, with Cropper taking part in acoustic and electrical guitar. 3 days later, Otis was once long gone.

Having a pipe dream on a houseboat

The having a pipe dream temper of the lyric was once primarily based actually, as Redding had began writing “Dock Of The Bay” when he was once in California, sitting on a rented houseboat in Sausalito. Possibly he was once reflecting at the memorable yr he’d skilled.

June 1967 had introduced Otis’ well-known efficiency on the Monterey Pop Pageant, and his R&B hits that yr integrated “Shake” and his duets with Carla Thomas, “Tramp” and “Knock On Picket.” Aretha Franklin took his tune “Recognize” to No.1, each pop and R&B, and 1967 was once additionally the yr wherein Otis was once named in UK pop weekly Melody Maker’s annual readers’ ballot as international’s perfect male vocalist, finishing Elvis Presley’s eight-year possession of that identify. 

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However for all that good fortune, and 21 R&B chart entries, none of them had absolutely crossed over to the pop marketplace. Redding’s perfect appearing in that marketplace was once the No.25 height, in overdue January 1967, of some other of his signature songs, “Take a look at A Little Tenderness.” However “Dock Of The Bay” was once other. It entered the Sizzling 100 on January 27, at No.67 and was once within the Most sensible 30 simply two weeks later.

The tune climbed to No.1 at the pop chart in March, for a four-week reign, additionally topping the R&B listings for 3 of them. It was once the primary time {that a} posthumous unmarried had long gone to the highest of both chart. In 1998, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” entered the Grammy Corridor of Repute.

Purchase or circulation “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” at the 3-CD Soulsville USA compilation.

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