"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...

"Never My Love: The Anthology" by DONNY HATHAWAY (2013 Rhino 4CD Box Set Which Features 2CDs Of Previously Unreleased Material) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 100s Of Others Is Available in my

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Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs 

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

"…Sack Full Of Dreams…" 

Back in 2010 - I reviewed the first ever multi-disc Box Set on the wonderful American Soul Artist DONNY HATHAWAY. It was issued by Rhino France and called "Someday We'll All Be Free" (see detailed review) - and even though it had great newly remastered sound quality - its liner notes were in French - not a lot of good to anyone outside of Paris. 

Well at last - along comes an English-language Box Set in late 2013 - a superb 4CD 'companion' piece to "Someday We'll All Be Free" that boasts two whole discs of exclusive previously unreleased material. Here are the 'everything is everything' details...

UK released November 2013 - "Never My Love: The Anthology" by DONNY HATHAWAY on Atco/Rhino 8122796543 (Barcode 081227965433) is a 58-track 4CD DigiBook Box Set of Remasters that breaks down as follows...

Disc 1 - Favourites (79:10 minutes):

1. I Thank You Baby

2. Just Another Reason

Tracks 1 and 2 are a 1969 USA 7" single on Curtom CR-1935 credited to JUNE & DONNIE.  It was reissued in 1972 as "I Thank You" on Curtom CR-1971 - re-credited to JUNE CONQUEST and DONNY HATHAWAY

3. The Ghetto Part 1

4. The Ghetto Part 2

Tracks 3 and 4 are a 1969 USA 7" single on Atco 45-6719 (the album version is one long track - the single edits are unique)

5. Thank You Master (For My Soul) - a 1970 A-side Promo-Only Edit on the USA 7" single Atco 45-6759. The album version is 5:47 minutes - the edit here is 3:26 minutes.

6. Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)

7. Tryin' Times

8. To Be Young, Gifted & Black

9. I Believe To My Soul

Tracks 6 to 9 are taken from his debut LP "Everything Is Everything" released October 1970 in the USA on Atco SD 33-332 and 1971 in the UK on Atco 2465 019

10. This Christmas - the A-side to a non-album 7" single issued November 1970 in the USA on Atco 45-6799

11. A Song For You - the A-side of a 1971 USA 7" single on Atco 45-6828

12. Magnificent Sanctuary Band - the B-side of "Take A Love Song" - a 1971 USA 7" single on Atco 45-6817 (new to CD in Mono)

13. Giving Up - the non-album A-side of an USA 7" single issued 1972 on Atco 45-6884

14. Come Back Charleston Boy

15. Little Ghetto Boy (Studio Version)

Tracks 14 and 15 both from his June 1972 Soundtrack album "Come Back Charleston Blue" on Atco SD-7010. Track 14 credited to DONNY HATHAWAY with MARGIE JOSEPH

16. Valdez In the Country

20. Love, Love, Love

21. Someday We'll All Be Free

Tracks 16, 20 and 21 taken from his 5th album "Extension Of A Man" released July 1973 in the USA on Atco SD-7029

17. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know

18. Lord Help Me

Tracks 17 and 18 are the A&B-sides on a 1972 USA 7" single on Atco 45-6903

19. Come Little Children - a non-album A-side to a 1973 USA 7" single on Atco 45-6951

22. You Were Meant For Me - a non-album A-side to a 1978 USA 7" single on Atco 7092

[DISC 1: Tracks 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 17 and 18 are MONO - all others STEREO]

Disc 2 - Unreleased Studio Recordings (70:00 minutes):

1. Never My Love (November 1973)

2. A Lot Of Soul (November 1973)

3. Let's Groove (January 1974)

4. Latin Time (1974)

5. Tally Rand (February 1975)

6. Memory Of Our Love (1974)

7. Sunshine Over Showers (December 1975)

8. After The Dance Is Done (September 1978)

9. Don't Turn Away (1968)

10. Always The Same (Recording Date Unknown)

11. Brown Eyed Lady (1974 Instrumental)

12. The Sands Of Time And Change (Recording Date Unknown)

13. Zyxygy Concerto (aka "Life, Parts 1-4") (October 1973)

Disc 3 - Live At The Bitter End, 1971 All Previously Unreleased (77:28 minutes):

1. What's Going On

2. Sack Full Of Dreams

3. Little Ghetto Boy

4. You've Got A Friend

5. Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)

6. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

7. Jealous Guy

8. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know

9. Hey Girl

10. The Ghetto

THE BAND: Donny Hathaway on Keyboards, Cornell Dupree and Mike Howard on Guitars, Willie Weeks on Bass, Fred White on Drums and Earl DeRouen on Conga

Disc 4 - Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway Duets (62:45 minutes):

1. I (Who Have Nothing)

2. You've Got A Friend 

3. Baby I Love You 

4. Be real Black For Me

5. You've Lost That Loving Feeling 

6. For All We Know

7. Where Is The Love

8. When Love Has Grown

9. Come Ye Disconsolate 

10. Mood

Tracks 1 to 10 are the 1972 album "Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway" issued in the USA on Atlantic SD-7216

11. The Closer I Get To You from the Roberta Flack album "Blue Lights In The Basement" - issued 1977 in the USA on Atlantic SD-19149

12. You Are My Heaven

13. Back Together Again

Tracks 12 and 13 are from "Roberta Flack featuring Donny Hathaway" - issued 1979 in the USA on Atlantic SD-16013

The 28-page booklet has fantastically detailed liner notes by noted Blues & Soul Writer CHARLES WARING with a proper break down on each disc (could have done with more photos though). Long-time Rhino Engineer BILL INGLOT did the Tape Research and CHARLES BENSON the remastering and the sound is superb. These are not audiophile recordings - so there's hiss on many songs - but the remasters let them breath and the clarity is wonderful.

Eagle-eyed fans will notice from the listing about that there's only 4 tracks from his 10-song debut LP "Everything Is Everything", none at all from his 2nd album "Donny Hathaway" and only 3 from 1973's fabulous "Extension Of A Man" album (his last proper studio outing). The stunning "Live" set from 1972 is absent entirely - replaced obviously by the Previously Unreleased Concert on Disc 3. There were also 5 previously unreleased studio cuts and two live songs on the "Someday We'll All Be Free" Box - none of which are on here either. As that French box set contains `all' those albums and a smattering of the "Come Back Charleston Blue" Soundtrack in remastered form - throwing out that 2010 4CD set isn't an option just yet.

What is cool about "Never My Love: The Anthology" is to finally get those non-album 7" single versions - most of which have never appeared on compilations prior to this. But the real prize has to be Disc 3 and 4 - 13 Previously Unissued Studio cuts and a full 10-track gig circa his classic "Live" album from 1972 (one of my favourite Soul albums ever). As fans will know from 1974 right through to 1978 (before he tragically took his own life in January 1979 by jumping out of a hotel window) - represent the wilderness years for Hathaway - plagued as he was with inner personal demons and a creative crunch. To find a stash of unreleased recordings mostly from that time frame is little short of astonishing. Also - the "Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway" duet album from 1972 hasn't been remastered since 1995 - so a 2013 upgrade was long overdue as well.

The unreleased studio tracks on Disc 2 are a very mixed bag alternating between the sublime and the dismissible. Fans may ask why Rhino decided to call this entire compilation after an unreleased song - because the Disc 2 opener "Never My Love" is beautiful - a gorgeous love song and a true find. Where has this been all these years? The countrified "A Lot Of Soul" is unfortunately awful Hicksville and the vaudeville "Let's Groove" not much better. "Latin Time" is an interesting six-minute funky instrumental that feels like a run-through towards something to be completed at a later stage and "Tally Rand" the same. After a slew of mediocre outtakes "Memory Of Our Love" comes as a refreshing `song'. But then we get to the other gem on here "Sunshine Over Showers" - another languid ballad sung as only he could. "After The Dance Is Through" is a horrid fast-paced Disco song. It's followed by a brass-blasting 1968 outtake called "Don't Turn Away" that’s more gritty Stax than mellow Atlantic - it's excellent. "Always The Same" is another uptempo brass belter with a late Sixties Motown feel. You're then hit with two gorgeous slow instrumentals - "Brown Eyed Lady" and "The Sands Of Time And Change" - both clearly going to make great ballads had he gotten round to filling them with words. It ends with the entirely instrumental melancholy of "Zyxygy Concerto" or "Life Parts 1 to 4" – a Strings and Soul monster sounding to me like the opening track "I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry (Parts I & II)" on "Extension Of A Man" - but in full form. A long-lost Soundtrack of sorts - it lasts a huge 20 minutes plus and is monumentally good.

The live gig features a slowed down "What's Going On" and the lovely Grady Tate song "Sack Full Of Dreams" and his cover of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy". When he gets into "Voices Inside (Everything is Everything)" the show ignites - it's a stunning 16-minute band funky workout like the 12-minute version of "The Ghetto" - what a wow!

In the annals of Soul there are giants - Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding and for me there's always been the curtailed genius of Donny Hathaway. What a legacy he left and what a loss. Be with the angels you beautiful spirit...

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