Tag Archives: Jim Stewart

Music Monday: September 7, 2026

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Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week’s edition of Music Monday.

#musicmonday #musicblog #musicandlyrics

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Today is Labor Day 2026. It is the day America honors the hardworking people who keep our country running.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor website, Congress officially made Labor day a federal holiday in 1894, designating “the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday”. However, many states began celebrating it on their own years earlier. Eventually the momentum spread to nearly half the country which made the holiday finally become an official part of the calendar.

Whatever work you do to contribute to this great nation of ours, thank you.

A Labor Day float from 110 years ago in 1916. (Image found on the United States Department of Labor website. Original source unknown.)

This week will mark soul and r&b giant Otis Redding’s 85th birth anniversary. He was born on September 9, 1941 in Dawson, Georgia and grew up nearby in Macon. He started singing in church and by the time he was a teenager, he was competing in a local talent show. After winning the $5 prize 15 consecutive times, he was barred from competing again.

In 1958 he joined a local group, Johnny Jenkins & The Pinetoppers. It was on a trip to Stax Records with Johnny in 1962 that led to Redding’s big break. The label’s co-founder, Jim Stewart, let Redding record a few tracks with Johnny’s remaining studio time. One of those songs-“These Arms Of Mine”-became Redding’s first hit. His debut album followed in 1964. His seminal recording, Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul, was released in 1965. He became a success in Europe first but after his earth shattering performance at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967, Redding’s popularity in America was sealed. Six months later, he died in a plane crash in Madison, Wisonsin. In his impossibly short 26 years on this earth, the man changed music forever and became The King Of Soul.

Otis Redding’s debut album was released in March 1964. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Five years ago during the Lockdown Countdown we celebrated Redding’s 80th birthday anniversary on Day 542. As of this writing, the official video of his biggest selling song-“(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay”-has amassed 160 million views on YouTube.

Over the last 40 years, Stax has released a lot of Redding’s material the public had not heard before, including two alternate takes on that incredible song. I have included both below for you today. At the end of Take 1, there are a few seconds of banter between Redding and some others in the studio, even mentioning one by name-Steve-as in Cropper, famed guitarist for Booker T & The MG’s and co-writer of the song. He was the person tasked with finishing the record from those takes after Redding’s death. By March 1968, it was the #1 song in the country for four consecutive weeks.

His voice is still one of the ones I love most in the universe. Thank you, Otis, for every single second of every single note.

Otis Ray Redding Jr.: September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967.

Otis Redding (center) on stage at The Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967 with Booker T & The MG’s as his backing band (L-R): Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Steve Cropper on guitar (off camera: Booker T. Jones on organ/keyboards). (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Bruce Springsteen: “Factory” (1978, written by Bruce Springsteen).

Otis Redding: “These Arms Of Mine” (1962, written by Otis Redding).

Otis Redding: “You Send Me” (1964, written by Sam Cooke).

Otis Redding: “Mr. Pitiful” (1965, written by Steve Cropper and Otis Redding).

Otis Redding: “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” (1965, written by Jerry Butler and Otis Redding).

Otis Redding and Carla Thomas: “Tramp” (1967, written by Lowell Fulson and Jimmy McCracklin).

Otis Redding: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” (1968, written by Steve Cropper and Otis Redding).

Otis Redding: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay (Take 1)” (1968, written by Steve Cropper and Otis Redding).

Otis Redding: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay (Take 2)” (1968, written by Steve Cropper and Otis Redding).

Stay safe & well.

Music Monday: January 1, 2024

Posted in Holidays, Music Monday by

Hi, everyone. Welcome to the first Music Monday of 2024.

Blog image for 2024

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Happy New Year, everyone! I wish all of you the best during the next 12 months. Thank you for being here with me week after week. I really appreciate it.

I do not believe in resolutions, but I do believe in Otis Redding. And his duets with Carla Thomas from their 1967 album, King & Queen, are some of his best moments. ”Tramp” was always my favorite collaboration of theirs, but today’s song is nearly tied with it. The lyrics offer good advice for every day, not just the first one. I can think of no better way to start off a week-let alone a new year-than with a lot of soul.    

“Let’s turn over a new leave
And baby let’s make promises
That we can keep
And call it a new year’s resolution“.

“So baby before we fall out
Let’s fall on in, yeah yeah
And we’re gonna try harder
Not to hurt each other again“. 

otis 1

otis

 Top: Otis Redding & Carla Thomas’s 1967 album. Bottom: Carla Thomas (seated, then L-R): Otis Redding, Jim Stewart, co-founder of Stax Records, Rufus Thomas (Carla’s father) and Booker T. Jones in the Stax studio in 1967. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Otis Redding and Carla Thomas: “A New Year’s Resolution” (1967, written by Randle Catron, Mary Frierson and Willie Dean “Deanie” Parker).

Stay safe and well.

Music Monday: September 19, 2022

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Hi, everyone. Welcome to another edition of Music Monday.

Music Monday

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

September 9 marked the 81st birth anniversary for The King Of Soul. Otis Ray Redding Jr. was born in 1941 in Dawson, Georgia and lived in that state for his entire all too brief life. Like many soul and R&B artists, he started his career singing in church when he was a child. By the age of 17 he had already won numerous local talent shows and became a member of Johnny Jenkins and The Pinetoppers.

In 1962 Redding drove Jenkins to Stax Records in Memphis to record a few songs. His session ended early so Redding was given that time to record some of his own tracks by none other than Jim Stewart, one of the owners of Stax. The rest of the story involves five incredibly short but unbelievably powerful years that would account for Redding’s entire career. And what an outstanding one it was.

If you are not already a fan, I suggest you find any of his performances from the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival on YouTube and watch them. I promise it will not only change your mind, but your life as well. The energy, the passion, the soul, the presence, the unmitigated joy this man experienced on a stage was unmatched. That is why he remains a legend in every sense of the word.

Today’s song holds the number two spot on my top ten list of favorite songs of all time. The album of the same name was released in February 1968, a mere two & a half months after his death. But it changed music forever, as did Redding himself.

“Look like nothin’s gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can’t do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I’ll remain the same”.

Otis circa 1965

Otis Redding circa 1965. (Image courtesy of otisredding.com. Original source unknown.)

Otis Redding: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” (1968, written by Steve Cropper and Otis Redding).

Stay safe and well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 177

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Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

Bruce quote

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are in a serious situation, but I need a break from the gloom, doom and bullying by way of hoarding. Music has always been my refuge and watching those beautiful Italians singing to each other from their balconies reaffirmed my belief that music is the answer. So until the old normal returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day.  And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Today is another music birth anniversary.  This one belongs to the greatest soul singer who ever held a microphone (in my opinion), Otis Redding.  He was born 79 years ago in Dawson, GA but raised in nearby Macon.  He started singing in his church choir when he was a child.  By 1956 he was out of school helping to support his family.  He entered a local talent show 15 times and won the $5 prize every time.  Eventually he joined two vocal groups, first The Upsetters (who backed Little Richard) and then The Pinetoppers (who backed blues guitarist Johnny Jenkins).

In August 1962, after driving Jenkins to Stax Records in Mississippi, Redding met label owner Jim Stewart.  He gave Redding a chance to sing during some remaining studio time.  The song he recorded was “These Arms Of Mine”.  It became a hit and sent Redding on the path to his destiny as one of the most phenomenal performers in music history.  Since his death in 1967, his widow, Zelma (co-writer of “I’ve Got Dreams To Remember”), his daughter, Karla Redding- Andrews and his two sons, Dexter and Otis III (both music producers & songwriters) continue his legacy through The Otis Redding Foundation.  In addition to that, the website lists its mission statement as follows:  “To empower, enrich,and motivate all young people through programs involving music, writing and instrumentation”.

Today’s song was the B side to “Just One More Day” in 1965 but became more popular than the A side.  If you are a fan of The Blue Brothers, you will recognize today’s song as their introduction music, although in that capacity it is at a faster tempo.  But still fabulous, of course.

The link to the song is a performance video.  If you have never watched Redding sing, I strongly encourage you to view this and not just listen to the audio.  It is two minutes and ten seconds long and worth every single second.  To see his energy, his stage presence, his smile, his vibrance, his sheer utter joy of performing is just too grand not to see.  His voice was one of a kind and so was the way he absolutely owned any stage he was on.  As much as the people in the audience enjoyed watching him, no one had a better time during his shows than Redding himself.  And that was another gift he gave us.

“I can’t ever turn you loose now
If I do, I’m gonna lose my life
I can’t turn you loose to nobody
‘Cause I love you baby, yes I do now“.

Otis

  Otis Redding circa 1965.  (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Otis Redding:  “I Can’t Turn You Loose” ( 1965, written by Otis Redding).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.