I could never dream of calling myself anything other than a total novice when it comes to soul music. There’s not a great deal of it to be found in the collection. But I did buy this CD single in 1992. I can’t recall why it was released at that particular time, but I’m guessing it might have had something to do with some sort of telly advert.
mp3 : Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay
It really is quite a beautiful song, one that I can’t imagine too many folk saying they don’t like it. I hadn’t been aware that it was one of the last things ever worked on by Otis Redding during sessions at the Stax Recording Studios in Memphis between 22 November and 7 December 1967. The singer died in a plane crash on 10 December 1967.
The single came with three other tracks:-
mp3 : Otis Redding – Sweet Lorene
mp3 : Otis Redding – Hard To Handle
mp3 : Otis Redding – The Glory Of Love
I just felt a change of scene and pace might be welcomed.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
I got into Otis Redding thru Weller in the early eighties. I saw in some magazine where he’d given My Girl as his favorite song. One of the local bands did a great cover of My Girl too, so I went off down that mod road.
Anyway a year or two later I did the first of many job interviews. Unfortunately, attention to detail and all that. I can remember that I wore a polka dot shirt so you’ll know it doesn’t end well.
Interviewer: “you have on your cv that you like listening to music.”
Me with a solid bond in my heart: “yes”
Int: “what sort of music do you listen to?”
Me:”Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett”
Int (baffled): “oh….and are they famous?”
Me (scalded and scarlet): “they used to be”
I like a change in pace and scene – and no better way to do it than this. Masterful.
Otis – we were close enough for me to call him that – has been a mainstay and absolute favourite since 80/81. The tv footage of him live on stage just blew my tiny mind in much the same way that Janis TV performances did and still do.
The sheer quality of the songs in what was a ‘supported’ recording career are just astonishing.
Sittin’ On – The Dock of the Bay is a thing of merciless beauty – it’s not alone.
The song has been played, perhaps beyond its usefulness by DJs, ad companies, in TV shows and film, yet… it still possesses the ability to stop me in my tracks and remember Otis Redding – that voice, that song writing ability.
I’m delighted to see this appear.
More of this sort of thing!
A classic. Unexpected here, but a classic all the same.