Soul Manifesto: 1964-1970
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an America… Read Full Bio ↴Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, and talent scout. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. Redding's style of singing gained inspiration from the gospel music that preceded the genre. His singing style influenced many other soul artists of the 1960s. During his lifetime, his recordings were produced by Stax Records, based in Memphis, Tennessee.

Redding was born in Dawson, Georgia, and at the age of 2, moved to Macon, Georgia. Redding quit school at age 15 to support his family, working with Little Richard's backing band, the Upsetters, and by performing in talent shows at the historic Douglass Theatre in Macon. In 1958, he joined Johnny Jenkins's band, the Pinetoppers, with whom he toured the Southern states as a singer and driver. An unscheduled appearance on a Stax recording session led to a contract and his first single, "These Arms of Mine", in 1962.

Stax released Redding's debut album, Pain in My Heart, two years later. Initially popular mainly with African-Americans, Redding later reached a wider American pop music audience. Along with his group, he first played small gigs in the American South. He later performed at the popular Los Angeles night club Whisky a Go Go and toured Europe, performing in London, Paris and other major cities. He also performed at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.

Shortly before his death in a plane crash, Redding wrote and recorded his iconic "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" with Steve Cropper. The song became the first posthumous number-one record on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. The album The Dock of the Bay was the first posthumous album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart. Redding's premature death devastated Stax. Already on the verge of bankruptcy, the label soon discovered that the Atco division of Atlantic Records owned the rights to his entire song catalog.

Redding received many posthumous accolades, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In addition to "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," "Respect" and "Try a Little Tenderness" are among his best-known songs.

Redding has been called the "King of Soul", an honorific also given to Brown and Cooke. He remains one of the genre's most recognized artists. His lean and powerful style exemplified the Stax sound; he was said to be "the heart and soul of Stax", while artists such as Al Jackson, Dunn and Cropper helped to expand its structure. His open-throated singing, the tremolo/vibrato, the manic, electrifying stage performances and perceived honesty were particular hallmarks, along with the use of interjections (such as "gotta, gotta, gotta"), some of which came from Cooke. Producer Stewart thought the "begging singing" was stress-induced and enhanced by Redding's shyness.

Artists from many genres have named Redding as a musical influence. George Harrison called "Respect" an inspiration for "Drive My Car". The Rolling Stones also mentioned Redding as a major influence. Other artists influenced by Redding include Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Doors, and virtually every soul and R&B musician from the early years, such as Al Green, Etta James, William Bell, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Conley. Janis Joplin was influenced by his singing style, according to Sam Andrew, a guitarist in her band Big Brother and the Holding Company. She stated that she learned "to push a song instead of just sliding over it" after hearing Redding.

The Bee Gees' Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb wrote the song "To Love Somebody" for him to record. He loved it, and he was going to "cut it", as Barry put it, on his return from his final concert. They dedicated the song to his memory.
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Soul Manifesto: 1964-1970
Otis Redding Lyrics


(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction I can't get no satisfaction I can't get no satisfaction I ha…
(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay Sittin' in the morning sun I'll be sittin' when the evening…
634-5789 1, 2, 6, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 If you…
A Change Is Gonna Come I was born by a river in this little old…
A Fool for You I know you told me, long time ago That you didn't…
A Little Time If you don't think I'm loving you enough Oh, you got…
A Lover's Question Does she love me, with all her heart Should I worry,…
A Waste Of Time Hi there Should I've asked you what's your name? Should yo…
Amen Amen, uh, A-Amen, uh A-Amen, Amen, Amen, with the horns, now…
Any Ole Way I don't do the things that you do And I don't…
Are You Lonely For Me Baby Are you lonely for me, baby? Are you lonely for me,…
Bring It on Home to Me If you ever change your mind About leaving, leaving me behin…
Chain Gang That's the sound of the men They are working on the…
Chained And Bound Darling you made me change my mind Can go no further,…
Champagne And Wine Sittin' here thinking, about the times I roamed Different g…
Cigarettes and Coffee It's early in the morning About a quarter 'til three I'm sit…
Come to Me Come to me for I'm lonely Come to me for…
Day Tripper She was a day tripper girl, now She give me a…
Demonstration I was born to be a lover Cutest thing in this…
Direct Me I done cried a river of tears This you may not…
Don't Mess with Cupid You must have thought my love was for fun, honey You…
Down In The Valley Down in the valley, ha In the valley so low, Hang your…
Everybody Makes a Mistake Out in the street Playin' all night long While the one that…
Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa I keep s…
For Your Precious Love For your precious love means more to me Than any…
Free Me Turn me loose There ain't no use Free me darling Don't hang …
Good to Me I don't know what you got baby But you're so good…
Got To Get Myself Together My baby wrote me a ten-page letter She said I'll be…
Groovin' Time It's groovin' timeâ??that's what my baby told me If you…
Hard to Handle Baby Here I am I'm the man on the scene I can give…
Hawg for You I'm a hawg for you, baby I'm gonna root all around…
Hey Hey Baby Hey, hey pretty baby Baby, you sure is fine Hey,…
Home In Your Heart Don't you know I got to find me a home Right…
I Got the Will A boy I used to love, he up and left…
I Love You More Than Words Can Say Please, let me sit down beside you I've got something to…
I Need Your Lovin' I need your love every day I need it every hour Come…
I Want to Thank You I want to thank you for being so nice now…
I'll Let Nothing Separate Us I'll let nothing separate us I'll let nothing, no, no, separ…
I'm a Changed Man Learn how to love Learn how to walk Learn how to talk Like…
I'm Coming Home To See About You Hush, darling, and don't you cry I'm coming home to dry…
I'm Sick Y'All Standin' outside, y'all It's raining, children Gettin' soaki…
I've Been Loving You Too Long I've been loving you too long to stop now You were…
I've Got Dreams To Remember I've got dreams, dreams to remember I've got dreams, dreams …
It Takes Two One can have a dream, baby. Two can make a dream…
It's Growing Like a snowball rolling down that side Of that snow covered…
It's Too Late Wished i had told her Ooh she was my only one But…
Johnny's Heartbreak Do you remember when we were cold? Do you remember when…
Just One More Day I've been missing you for so many days I keep wanting…
Keep Your Arms Around Me Your arms around me How can I complain With your arms around…
Knock on Wood I don't want to lose you, this good thing That I…
Let Me Be Good to You Baby, let me be good to you I'll do anything you…
Let Me Come on Home Oh, baby?I want to come home to you Baby?I got to…
Look at That Girl I saw her dancing, dancing In some old smokey place I bet…
Louie Louie Fine little girl she waits for me, Me catch the ship…
Love Have Mercy Love have mercy, yeah, on my soul How many kisses, y'all,…
Love Man I'm a Love Man Call me the Love Man Oooh, baby I'm…
Lovey Dovey I said you're the cutest thing that I've ever seen I…
Lucille Lucille, won't you do your sister's will? Oh, Lucille, won't…
Mr. Pitiful Call me Mr. Pitiful Baby, that's my name now, oh Call me…
My Girl I've got sunshine on a cloudy day And it's cold outside I've…
My Lover's Prayer This is my lover's prayer I hope it'll reach out to…
New Year's Resolution I hope it's not too late Just to say that I'm…
Nobody Knows You (When You're Down and Out) (Jimmie Cox) Once I lived the life of a millionaire Spending…
Nobody's Fault But Mine I couldn't love you your way Yeah, and still you came…
Nothing Can Change This Love If I go million miles away I'll write a letter each…
Ole Man Trouble Ole man trouble leave me alone Go find you someone else…
Open The Door I've been so wrong, so many times. Now you know…
Pain In My Heart Pain in my heart Is treating me cold Where can my baby…
Respect What you want, honey, you got it And what you need,…
Rock Me Baby You can rock me baby, ha You can rock me all…
Satisfaction I can't get no satisfaction I can't get no satisfaction I ca…
Scratch My Back Aw, I'm itchy And I don't know where to scratch Come here…
Security I want security, yeah Without it I had a great loss,…
Shake You listen while I'm talkin' to you, now Tell you what…
She Put the Hurt On Me Oh she put the hurt on me, y'all Yes she did She…
Slippin' and Slidin' Slippin' and a-slidin', peepin' and a-hidin' Been told a lon…
Snatch a Little Piece If you don′t think I'm loving you enough All you go…
Something is worrying me Something is worrying me, yeah And that something is driving…
Stand by Me When the night has come And the land is dark And the…
Sweet Lorene Hey Lorene girl, huh Bring yourself home to me You've got my…
Tell It Like It Is If you want something to play with Go and find yourself…
Tell the Truth Tell the truth Tell the truth, girl, now You know you got…
Tennessee Waltz I was dancing with my baby To that Tennessee Waltz When an…
That's a Good Idea You make me wanna just dance and sing You make me…
That's How Strong My Love Is If I was the sun way up there I'd go with…
That's What My Heart Needs You left me, for another You told me, he was your…
The Dog Do the dog, do the dog Do the dog now, baby Come…
The Glory of Love You've got to give a little, take a little, And let…
The Huckle-Buck There's a dance you should know When the lights are down…
The Match Game Come on honey let's play the match game You strike me…
These Arms of Mine These arms of mine, they are lonely Lonely and feeling blue …
Think About it Wait! Before you walk out that door Hang your clothes in t…
Thousand Miles Away You are thousand miles away Ooh I miss you darling, yeah …
Ton of Joy My baby nothing but a ton of joy Children, yes she…
Tramp (Tramp!) What you call me? (tramp!) No you didn't! (you don'…
Treat Her Right I want to tell you a story Every man ought to…
Try a Little Tenderness Oh she may be weary Them young girls they do get…
When Something is Wrong with my Baby When something is wrong with my baby Something is wrong wit…
Wholesale Love Wholesale love, girl Wholesale love, girl Wholesale love, gi…
Wonderful World I don't know much about my history, now Don't know much…
You Don't Miss Your Water In the beginning You really loved me, oh I was too blind I…
You Made a Man Out of Me You make a man wanna just change his mind, girl And…
You Send Me Send me some lovin' Send it, I pray How can I keep…
You're Still My Baby You're gone away And you done left me alone, yeah I've got…
Your Feeling Is Mine I hurt your feelings And you hurt mine, girl But…
Your One And Only Man If I can only, make you see That you were only,…


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