The Dock Of The Bay

by Otis Redding

Overview

It was never supposed to be like this: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was supposed to mark the beginning of a new phase in Otis Redding's career, not an ending. Producer/guitarist Steve Cropper had a difficult task to perform in pulling together this album, the first of several posthumous releases issued by Stax/Volt in the wake of Redding's death. What could have been a cash-in effort or a grim memorial album instead became a vivid, exciting presentation of some key aspects of the talent that was lost when Redding died. Dock of the Bay is, indeed, a mixed bag of singles and B-sides going back to July of 1965, one hit duet with Carla Thomas, and two, previously unissued tracks from 1966 and 1967. There's little cohesion, stylistic or otherwise, in the songs, especially when the title track is taken into consideration -- nothing else here resembles it, for the obvious reason that Redding never had a chance to follow it up. Despite the mix-and-match nature of the album, however, this is an impossible record not to love. Cropper chose his tracks well, selecting some of the strongest and most unusual among the late singer's orphaned songs: "I Love You More Than Words Can Say" is one of Redding's most passionate performances; "Let Me Come on Home" presents an ebullient Redding accompanied by some sharp playing, and "Don't Mess with Cupid" begins with a gorgeous guitar flourish and blooms into an intense, pounding, soaring showcase for singer and band alike. No one could complain about the album then, and it still holds more than four decades later. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	09/23/2003
Label:	Sundazed
UPC:	0090771517210

Tracks

1. (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
2. I Love You More Than Words Can Say
3. Let Me Come on Home
4. Open the Door
5. Don't Mess with Cupid
6. The Glory of Love
7. I'm Coming Home to See About You
8. Tramp
9. The Huckle-Buck
10. Nobody Knows You (When You're Down and Out)
11. Ole Man Trouble

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Otis Redding   Primary Artist,Vocals
Carla Thomas   Primary Artist,Vocals
Andrew Love   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)
Isaac Hayes   Piano,Keyboards
Charles "Packy" Axton   Sax (Tenor)
Donald "Duck" Dunn   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Floyd Newman   Saxophone,Sax (Baritone)
Gene Miller   Trumpet
Wayne Jackson   Trumpet
Al Jackson, Jr.   Drums
Joe Arnold   Sax (Tenor)
Steve Cropper   Guitar
Booker T. Jones   Organ,Piano,Keyboards
Gene "Bowlegs" Miller   Trumpet
Sammy Coleman   Trumpet

Technical Credits

Andy Gibson   Composer
Bill Inglot   Digital Remastering,Remastering Engineer
Jimmy McCracklin   Composer
Isaac Hayes   Producer
Eddie Floyd   Composer
Donald "Duck" Dunn   Producer
Deanie Parker   Composer
Jon Landau   Liner Notes
Jim Stewart   Producer,Supervisor
Lowell Fulson   Composer
Nesuhi Ertegun   Producer
Jimmy Cox   Composer
Otis Redding   Composer
Al Jackson, Jr.   Composer,Producer
Yves Beauvais   Reissue Producer
Steve Cropper   Composer,Producer
Booker T. Jones   Composer,Producer
Billy Hill   Composer
Roy Alfred   Composer
Jimmie Cox   Composer
Tom Dowd   Engineer
James Cox   Composer
Daniel Hersch   Digital Remastering,Remastering Engineer
Jim Marshall   Cover Photo,Photography
Loring Eutemey   Design
Jerry Cunningham   Photography
Lowell Fulsom   Composer