Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding

Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding is a 1993 four compact disc compilation album by American soul singer-songwriter Otis Redding. The first three discs focus on studio material recorded for Stax records. These recordings are all original mono single or LP mixes. Three pre-Stax recordings and a demo recorded at Muscle Shoals are also included. The fourth disc, labeled "The Ultimate Live Otis Redding Show" was compiled from various live sources in an attempt to gather "the best version" of every song Otis ever recorded live and is mixed in stereo. The 100-page booklet includes testimonials from musicians and individuals from Redding's life, essays, a photo album, track listings, discographies, personnel and recording information.

This compilation received 5 stars on the 2004 "Rolling Stone Album Guide" and is cited as being the most complete collection of Redding's work.

Track listing

• tracks 3 & 4 recorded live at the Apollo Theater in New York, November 16, 1963
• tracks 8, 9, 11, 12, 14 & 16–21 recorded live at the Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles, April 8–10, 1966
• tracks 1, 2, 5–7, 10, 13 & 15 recorded live in London or Paris, March 1967
• tracks 22 & 23 recorded live at the Monterey Pop Festival, June 17, 1967

Personnel

Studio Personnel

• Otis Redding – vocals, guitar
• Steve Cropper – guitar, occasional piano, bass
• Booker T. Jones – organ, piano, occasional guitar
• Isaac Hayes – piano, organ
• Lewis Steinberg – bass
• Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass
• Al Jackson Jr. – drums
• Wayne Jackson – trumpet
• Sammie Coleman – trumpet
• Gene "Bowlegs" Miller – trumpet
• Charles "Packy" Axton – tenor sax
• Andrew Love – tenor sax
• Gilbert Caples – tenor sax
• Joe Arnold – tenor sax
• Floyd Newman – baritone sax
• Wayne Cochran – bass
• Johnny Jenkins – guitar
• The Veltones – backing vocals
• The Drapels – backing vocals
• William Bell – backing vocal
• Gene Parker – tenor sax
• David Porter – backing vocal
• Carla Thomas – duet vocal (disc 2, tracks 18–21)
• Rick Hall – drumming
• Phil Walden – tambourine
• Ron Capone – drums
• Ben Cauley – trumpet
• Tommie Lee Williams – tenor sax

Live Personnel

Apollo Theater

• James Albert Bethea, Cornell Dupree & Thomas Palmer – guitar
• George Stubbs – piano
• Alonzo Collins & Jimmy Lewis – bass
• Ray Lucas – drums
• Elmon Wright & Lamar Wright – trumpet
• George Matthews – trombone
• Jimmy Powell – alto sax
• King Curtis, Alva "Beau" McCain & Noble Watts – tenor sax
• Paul Williams – baritone sax

Whisky A Go Go

• James Young – guitar
• Ralph Stewart – bass
• Elbert Woodson – drums
• Sammie Coleman & John Farris – trumpets
• Clarence Johnson Jr. – trombone
• Donald Henry, Robert Holloway, Robert Pittman & (possibly) Albrisco Clark – saxes

Europe and Monterey

• Steve Cropper – guitar
• Booker T. Jones – keyboards
• Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass
• Al Jackson Jr. – drums
• Wayne Jackson – trumpet
• Andrew Love & Joe Arnold – tenor sax

References