Remember Otis

[Guest Paul]

Remember OTIS REDDING who died so young and tragic on this dark day in 1967.

Also killed in the plane crash on 10 December 1967 were Matthew Kelly, Jimmy King, Phalon Jones, Ronnie Caldwell, Carl Cunningham and pilot Richard Frazer.

 

Shocking to think that Otis was only 26 years old.

Paul

Edited December 10, 2013 by Paul

[Citizen P]

What could have been..

[Sunnysoul]

Interesting to think what musical directions Otis would have taken over the decades had he lived.

 

Unlike Aretha who went with the flow of funk and disco in the mid 70s and then uptown, contemporary RnB with writers and producers like Luther etc in the late 70s /early 80s, you get the feeling that Otis would gradually have aligned himself more closely over the decades to the "blues" movement in the same way that Johnnie Taylor , ZZ Hill and others did. In fact, Otis would probably have wound up at Malaco in the 80's like the rest of them and then in the 90s and new millenium  would have been feted and brought back into the spotlight by rockers such as the Stones or in the way U2 did with BB King ...

 

What do the rest of you think ?

Edited December 10, 2013 by sunnysoul

[Twoshoes]

Interesting to think what musical directions Otis would have taken over the decades had he lived.

 

Unlike Aretha who went with the flow of funk and disco in the mid 70s and then uptown, contemporary RnB with writers and producers like Luther etc in the late 70s /early 80s, you get the feeling that Otis would gradually have aligned himself more closely over the decades to the "blues" movement in the same way that Johnnie Taylor , ZZ Hill and others did. In fact, Otis would probably have wound up at Malaco in the 80's like the rest of them and then in the 90s and new millenium  would have been feted and brought back into the spotlight by rockers such as the Stones or in the way U2 did with BB King ...

 

What do othe rest of you think ?

Very hard to imagine what direction Otis would have taken I think. Dock of the Bay was a little different to a lot of his output in its feel , his performance at Monterey introduced him to a whole new audience and  maybe that would have taken him away from his roots into a more mainstream  pop culture, we'll never know but great question ,I look forward to reading others thoughts.

[Guest Paul]

Interesting question, we can only wonder, but I reckon he would have also become an important producer.

 

[Mike Lofthouse]

I think he would of went the business route  and only an occasional performer - bit like Jerry Butler I guess.  By 26 he was a publisher, writer,  a mentor to many with his own label.  He had already branched out from the standard soul formula post Monterey.  Couldn't see him slogging around the circuit for all these years.

 

Whatever, a genius took too soon, R.I.P. Otis.

 

Mike

[Guest Paul]

Very true, Mike, he was definitely a leader, directing his own recordings and controlling his own businesses at such a young age, he obviously had his own visions and the confidence to follow his instincts.

 

[Chris L]

Interesting to think what musical directions Otis would have taken over the decades had he lived.

 

Unlike Aretha who went with the flow of funk and disco in the mid 70s and then uptown, contemporary RnB with writers and producers like Luther etc in the late 70s /early 80s, you get the feeling that Otis would gradually have aligned himself more closely over the decades to the "blues" movement in the same way that Johnnie Taylor , ZZ Hill and others did. In fact, Otis would probably have wound up at Malaco in the 80's like the rest of them and then in the 90s and new millenium  would have been feted and brought back into the spotlight by rockers such as the Stones or in the way U2 did with BB King ...

 

What do the rest of you think ?

 

I would have thought Muscle Shoals would have suited him.

[Steve L]

Interesting to think what musical directions Otis would have taken over the decades had he lived.

 

Unlike Aretha who went with the flow of funk and disco in the mid 70s and then uptown, contemporary RnB with writers and producers like Luther etc in the late 70s /early 80s, you get the feeling that Otis would gradually have aligned himself more closely over the decades to the "blues" movement in the same way that Johnnie Taylor , ZZ Hill and others did. In fact, Otis would probably have wound up at Malaco in the 80's like the rest of them and then in the 90s and new millenium  would have been feted and brought back into the spotlight by rockers such as the Stones or in the way U2 did with BB King ...

 

What do the rest of you think ?

 

What do I think? I think posts like this highlight how extremely limited my knowledge of music is in a broader sense.

I have absolutely no idea what your talking about

[Pete S]

I'm just amazed that Otis was only 26 when he died, he looked so much older, sang and acted it as well...

[Guest MBarrett]

I'm just amazed that Otis was only 26 when he died, he looked so much older, sang and acted it as well...

 

Definitely agree with that.

 

Sorry to go off topic but along similar lines is C&W icon Hank Williams. You could think he was over 60 when he died - actually 29!!

[Mike Lofthouse]

Definitely agree with that.

 

Sorry to go off topic but along similar lines is C&W icon Hank Williams. You could think he was over 60 when he died - actually 29!!

the difference being Hank Williams felt over 60 when he died !!!!

[Guest MBarrett]

I've always liked this picture of Otis - got a really nice 60's feel to it.

 

Outside Billy Walker's club in E London (If you weren't there at the time BW was a big favourite of British boxing fans in the 60's)

 

At the top of the poster "Big L Party Night" - which was the pirate radio ship Radio London.

 

I like it anyway!

 

Edited December 10, 2013 by MBarrett

[Rob Moss]

A few images to remember Otis by.

 

 

 

 

[Rob Moss]

A few images to remember Otis by.

 

 

 

 

[Guest MBarrett]

A few images to remember Otis by.

 

And if nobody minds - a topical track by the great man.

 

He really should be the dictionary definition of Soul music ( IMHO of course )

 

[Rob Moss]

And if nobody minds - a topical track by the great man.

 

He really should be the dictionary definition of Soul music ( IMHO of course )

 

THE best version by a country mile!!

[Dave Thorley]

Funny enough I spent a very enjoyable afternoon with Allan Walden last week at his home near Macon, Ga. Allan was his manager. We discussed Otis at length. What became clear from this was that he was very much the master of his own destiny, I think that Otis may well have faried better than many as he wrote, produced and part owned his management/production company.

 

It's impossible to really say, but I get the feeling that he would have had the opportunity to be more like a Womack, master of his own destiny and a longevity of career. Even possibly becoming an industry figure beyond purely an artist.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Dave Thorley

[Pete S]

 I think that Otis may well have faried better than many

 

I thought he was married? 

 

 

[Chris L]

Try and sit still...........................

[TOAD]

Try and sit still...........................

https://youtu.be/0NN7pEajBzU

i did play this off the lp when it got released and they didn't dance!

[Guest MBarrett]

Try and sit still...........................

 

 

I don't think he ever sang a bad note - let alone made a bad record.

 

When he first came to Europe - either Otis or one of the band - said that where they were brought up they barely expected to see the other side of the Mississippi let alone the other side of the Atlantic ocean.

 

Funny enough I spent a very enjoyable afternoon with Allan Walden last week at his home near Macon, Ga. Allan was his manager. We discussed Otis at length. What became clear from this was that he was very much the master of his own destiny, I think that Otis may well have faried better than many as he wrote, produced and part owned his management/production company.

 

It's impossible to really say, but I get the feeling that he would have had the opportunity to be more like a Womack, master of his own destiny and a longevity of career. Even possibly becoming an industry figure beyond purely an artist.

 

Dave,

 

Are his boys still in the music industry?

[Drewtg]

Funny enough I spent a very enjoyable afternoon with Allan Walden last week at his home near Macon, Ga. Allan was his manager. We discussed Otis at length. What became clear from this was that he was very much the master of his own destiny, I think that Otis may well have faried better than many as he wrote, produced and part owned his management/production company.

 

It's impossible to really say, but I get the feeling that he would have had the opportunity to be more like a Womack, master of his own destiny and a longevity of career. Even possibly becoming an industry figure beyond purely an artist.

 

Yeah. I think Otis said he would never sing a song that a coal miner couldn't understand. I believe he got a bit lost when the cross-over came (according to Eric Burden) but he worked through it and was on the up when tradgedy struck.

 

I think he was so unique that any direction he went in would still be "Otis music". He was in a field of one. Such a shame.

[Dave Thorley]

I don't think he ever sang a bad note - let alone made a bad record.

 

When he first came to Europe - either Otis or one of the band - said that where they were brought up they barely expected to see the other side of the Mississippi let alone the other side of the Atlantic ocean.

 

 

Dave,

 

Are his boys still in the music industry?

 

 

Will ask Allan when I next speak to him

[Dave Thorley]

I thought he was married? 

 

 

Rushing again Pete

[Daved]

 

 

He really should be the dictionary definition of Soul music ( IMHO of course )

 

 

Agreed. I've always said that if an alien visited us and asked what soul music is, then the best way to answer them is to play an Otis Redding record.