"The King Of Soul" by OTIS REDDING – 92-Tracks from 14-Albums Released Between January 1964 and November 1993 Including Posthumous Compilations and Non-LP Single Sides – featuring duets with Carla Thomas and The Stax In-House Backing Band of Isaac Hayes, David Porter and all of Booker T. & The MG's (3 February 2014 UK Rhino/Atlantic '50th Anniversary' 4CD Compilation - Charles Benson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Turn It Loose..."

If you want a big old hunk of Otis funk on CD – there are four ports of call in 2020 – each with varying prices.

The oldest is "The Otis Redding Story" from 1987 with 60 Remastered Tracks – but its small audio beer by today’s standards and sells for as little as four to five quid. That got quickly kicked into touch by the November 1993 set "Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding" – a 4CD 96-Track Book Set with a 100-page booklet that was part of the Rhino/Atlantic & Atco Remasters Series. It's a thing of presentation and audio beauty for sure and even though it has been deleted for decades - secondhand copies can be obtained for as little as £20 to £25. One to bear in mind...

Door Number Four is more recent - October 2015's "Soul Manifesto: 1964-1970" on Rhino/Atlantic 081227951979 (Barcode 081227951979). That mini box offers you all twelve albums from "Pain In My Heart" in January 1964 through to the posthumous compilation "Tell The Truth" in July 1970. At 138-tracks in twelve single Mini LP Repro Card Sleeves - it certainly offers the most bang for your buck - even if there isn't a shred of annotation or any of those single mixes and non-LP cuts (it has a price tag of £34.00). Which brings me to my poison of choice...

"The King Of Soul" by Otis Redding and its sister set "The Queen Of Soul" for Aretha Franklin – are both 3 February 2014 packages celebrating 50th Anniversaries for the King and the Queen of Soul Music. With the Otis instalment, you get 4CDs with a generous 92-tracks, great new remasters from a chap called CHARLES BENSON and a reasonably good 12-page booklet that gives all the factoids you'll need. You even get a pretty card wrap holding in the double jewel-case that gives the whole thing a respectable look. Best of all it ranges between £12 and £14. Let's get to the details and turn it loose...

UK released 3 February 2014 - "The King Of Soul" by OTIS REDDING on Rhino/Atlantic 8122796068 (Barcode 081227960681) is a 4CD '50th Anniversary' Compilation of Remasters that plays out as follows:

CD1: (63:42 minutes):

1. These Arms Of Mine (December 1962 US 45 on Volt 103, A)

2. Hey Hey Baby (December 1962 US 45 on Volt 103, B)

3. That's What My Heart Needs (June 1963 US 45 on Volt 109, A)

4. Mary's Little Lamb (June 1963 US 45 on Volt 109, non-LP B-side)

5. Pain In My Heart (September 1963 US 45 on Volt 112, A)

6. Something Is Worrying Me (September 1963 US 45 on Volt 112, B)

7. Come To Me (February 1964 US 45 on Volt 116, A)

8. Don't Leave Me This Way (February 1964 US 45 on Volt 116, non-LP B-side)

9. Security (April 1964 US 45 on Volt 117, A)

10. Chained And Bound (September 1964 US 45 on Volt 121, A)

11. Your One And Only Man (September 1964 US 45 on Volt 121, B)

12. That's How Strong My Love Is (January 1965 US 45 on Volt 124, B)

13. Mr. Pitiful (January 1965 US 45 on Volt 124, A)

14. A Woman, A Lover, A Friend

15. Nothing Can Change This Love

16. It's Too Late 

17. For Your Precious Love

18. Home In Your Heart

19. I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) (Mono Version) (April 1965 US 45 on Volt 126, A)

20. I'm Depending On You (April 1965 US 45 on Volt 126, non-LP B-side)

21. Respect (Mono Version) (August 1965 US 45 on Volt 128, A)

22. Ole Man Trouble (Mono Version) (August 1965 US 45 on Volt 128, B)

23. Change Gonna Come 

NOTES:

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9 from the January 1964 US LP "Pain In My Heart" on Atlantic 33-161 in Mono

Tracks 7 and 10 to 18 from the March 1965 US LP "The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads" on Volt 411 in Mono

Tracks 19, 21, 22 and 23 on the September 1965 US LP "Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul" on Volt 412 in Mono 

CD2: (73:52 minutes):

1. Shake

2. Satisfaction (February 1966 US 45 on Volt 132, A)

3. Down In The Valley

4. My Girl

5. Rock Me Baby

6. You Don't Miss Your Water (April 1967 US 45 on Volt 149, B-side of "Shake" (Live))

7. I Can't Turn You Loose (November 1965 US 45 on Volt 130, A)

8. Just One More Day (November 1965 US 45 on Volt 130, B)

9. Any Ole Way (February 1966 US 45 on Volt 132, B)

10. It's Growing

11. Cigarettes And Coffee

12. Chain Gang

13. Nobody Knows You (When You're Down And Out)

14. Good To Me (An Edited Version was on September 1966 US 45 on Volt 138, B - for A, see Track 2 on CD3)

15. Everybody Makes A Difference

16. Just One More Day (Live, 1966)

17. Mr. Pitiful (Live, 1966)

18. (I Can't get No) Satisfaction (live, 1966)

19. These Arms Of Mine (Live, 1966)

20. Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (Live, 1966) (November 1968 saw an Edited Version US 45 on Atco 6636, A - for B, see Track 17, CD4)

21. Don't Mess With Cupid (May 1966 US 45 on Volt 136, A)

22. My Lover's Prayer (May 1966 US 45 on Volt 136, B)

NOTES:

Tracks 1 to 6 from the September 1965 US LP "Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul" on Volt 412 in Mono 

Tracks 8 to 15 from the April 1966 US LP "The Soul Album" on Volt 413 in Mono

Tracks 16 to 20 on the October 1968 US LP "Otis Redding In Person At The Whisky A Go Go" on Atco SD 33-265 in Stereo

Track 21 from the February 1968 US LP "The Dock Of the Bay" on Volt 419 in Mono

Track 22 from the October 1966 US LP "Complete & Unbelievable...The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul" on Volt 415 in Mono - see also Tracks 1 to 8 on CD3

CD3: (64:44 minutes):

1. Try A Little Tenderness (November 1966 US 45 on Volt 141, A)

2. Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) (September 1966 US 45 on Volt 138, A - for B see Track 14 on CD2)

3. I'm Sick Y'all (November 1966 US 45 on Volt 141, B)

4. Tennessee Waltz

5. Sweet Lorraine (January 1968 US 45 on Volt 157, B-side of "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay")

6. Day Tripper

7. You're Still My Baby

8. Hawg For You (Mono Version)

9. I Love You More Than Words Can Say (March 1967 US 45 on Volt 146, A)

10. Let Me Come On Home (March 1967 US 45 on Volt 146, B)

11. Open Your Door (April 1968 US 45 on Volt 163, B)

12. Trap - OTIS REDDING and CARLA THOMAS (April 1967 US 45 on Stax 216, A)

13. Knock On Wood - OTIS REDDING and CARLA THOMAS (July 1967 US 45 on Stax 228, A)

14. Let Me Be Good To You - OTIS REDDING and CARLA THOMAS (July 1967 US 45 on Stax 228, B) 

15. Lovey Dovey - OTIS REDDING and CARLA THOMAS (January 1968 US 45 on Stax 244, A)

16. New Year's Resolution - OTIS REDDING and CARLA THOMAS (January 1968 US 45 on Stax 244, B)

17. Ooh Carla, Ooh Otis - OTIS REDDING and CARLA THOMAS (April 1969 US 45 on Atco 6665, B)

18. White Christmas (November 1968 US 45 on Atco 6631, A)

19. Merry Christmas Baby (November 1968 US 45 on Atco 6631, B)

20. Glory Of Love (June 1967 US 45 on Volt 152, A)

21. The Huckle Buck

22. Tell The Truth
NOTES: 

Tracks 1 to 8 from the October 1966 US LP "Complete & Unbelievable...The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul" on Volt 415 in Mono) - see also Track 22 on CD2

Tracks 9, 10, 11, 20 and 21 from the February 1968 US LP "The Dock Of the Bay" on Volt 419 in Mono (Track 21 in Stereo) - see also Track 21 on CD2

Tracks 12 to 17 from the March 1967 US LP "King & Queen" on Stax 716 in Mono

Tracks 18 and 19 from the November 1968 Various Artists US LP "Soul Christmas" on Atco 33-269 in Mono)

Track 22 from the July 1970 US LP "Tell The Truth" on Atco SD 33-333 in Stereo

CD4: (74:33 minutes):

1. Respect (Live, 1967)

2. Can't Turn You Loose (Live, 1967) (April 1969 US 45 on Atco 6677, B-side of "Love Man", Stereo)

3. I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) (Live, 1967)

4. My Girl (Live, 1967)

5. Shake (Live, 1967)

6. Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) (Live, 1967)

7. Try A Little Tenderness (Live, 1967)

8. I've Got Dreams To Remember (September 1968 US 45 on Atco 6612, A, Stereo)

9. Nobody's Fault But Mine (September 1968 US 45 on Atco 6612, B, Stereo)

10. Hard To Handle (June 1968 US 45 on Atco 6592, B-side to "Amen", Stereo)

11. Thousand Miles Away

12. The Happy Song (Dum-Dum-De-De-De-Dum-Dum) (April 1968 US 45 on Volt 163, A, Stereo)

13. A Waste Of Time

14. Champagne And Wine

15. A Fool For You

16. I'm A Changed Man

17. Direct Me (November 1968 US 45 on Atco 6636, B-side of "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" - for A, see Track 20, CD2, Stereo)

18. Love Man (April 1969 US 45 on Atco 6677, A - for B, see Track 2, CD4, Stereo)

19. Look At That Girl (November 1969 US 45 on Atco 6723, A as "Look At The Girl", Stereo)

20. Free Me (July 1969 US 45 on Atco 6700, A, Stereo)

21. The Match Game

22. A Little Time (Mono)

23. Johnny's Heartbreak (March 1970 US 45 on Atco 6592, B-side of "Demonstration", Mono)

24. Amen (June 1968 US 45 on Atco 6592, A - for B, see Track 10, CD4, Stereo)

25. (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay (January 1968 US 45 on Volt 157, A - for B, see Track 5, CD3, Stereo)

NOTES:

Tracks 1 to 4 and 6 to 7 from the July 1967 US LP "Live In Europe" on Volt S-416 in Stereo

Track 5 originally issued as a Mono 45 in April 1967 on Volt 149: this mix is STEREO first issued on the November 1993 4CD Box Set "Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding" on Atlantic/Rhino R2 71439 

Tracks 8 to 15 and 24 from the June 1968 US LP "The Immortal Otis Redding" on Atlantic SD 33-252 in Stereo

Tracks 16 to 20 from the June 1969 US LP "Love Man" on Atlantic SD 33-289 in Stereo

Tracks 21, 22 and 23 from the July 1970 US LP "Tell The Truth" on Atlantic SD 33-333 in Stereo

The bulk of CD1, CD2 and CD3 are mostly MONO recordings (Stereo tracks are noted) whilst the majority of CD4 is all STEREO baring two songs towards the end (Tracks 22 and 23). The Audio is just superb and as you can see from the detailed lists above – you get a huge number of his singles – both A&B-sides. The balls-to-the-wall classic Soul albums from 1965 "The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads" and "Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul" get a chunky ten and four songs each and there are nuggets in-between like the 45 B-side "Merry Christmas Baby" from October 1968 – as joyous a Soul sound as you're ever likely to hear.

And although Soul Music live can be a precarious thing to capture (especially 60ts recordings) – you have to bow your head in sheer awe to his staggering stage presence and majesty in the two sets presented here - "Live In Europe" (1967) and "Otis Redding In Person At The Whisky A Go Go" (1968). In sky-slicing form, it's not surprising that both are given hefty representations.

But I dig the later compilations that followed after his tragic and horrible passing in December 1967 – the posthumous LPs like "The Immortal Otis Redding" from June 1968 (8 of its 11 tracks are here), "Tell The Truth" from July 1970 and more wicked groovers ahoy on the July 1969 "Love Man" LP too. It's all jut so bloody good and man is there a lot of it...

Get your daily dose of the original "Love Man" here and find out why those who saw him in the UK and Europe when he did those tours have never been the same since. Immortal indeed...