Was popular music actually once this good?
Like the greatest of musical artists, Otis Redding was at his absolute best when performing in concert. Yes, his studio albums like Otis Blue or The Soul Album are exciting in their own right, but any self-respecting fan has in his Desert Island Disc collection either Otis Redding Live In Europe or In Person At The Whisky A Go Go, which was released posthumously in 1968. The former, covering his tour with Booker T and the MGs in ‘67 was reissued as Live in London and Paris. Finally, the entire collection of shows from Friday to Sunday, April 8-10 1966 is put together as a six cd box set, and to say that it captures the soul of “soul” music is the understatement of the year.
As with many R&B singers like Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke, Redding grew up in the church. Being the son of a preacher, he understood the importance of cadence, timing and delivering a testimony. At times, Redding works this crowd (congregations?) into a Pentecostal frenzy, going off program to add intensity to each lyric.
During the European tour, Redding would shout out “Think I’m gonna stop now? AIN’T GONNA STOP!” in the middle of “Can’t Turn You Loose” or staccato’d “Je T’aime” during “Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa”. During this earlier series of shows, he stops mid-song and declares “We’re gonna do this over and over until we get it right,” and during one of the versions of “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” he stretches out the message as he ad libs “One time I loved you…two times…three times…TEN times” with the last one an ecstatic declaration with the sweat from his brown being palpable.
He’s accompanied by his “working” band here. A rhythm section of James Young/g, Ralph Stewart/b and Elbert Woodson/dr snap sharply like an Italian suit, and the horn section of Robert Holloway-Robert Pittman-Donald Henry/sax, Sammy Coleman-John Farris/tp and Clarence Johnson Jr/tb steam up the room like a sauna. The band is relentless on a ten minute cruise of “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” (which actually became a hit single back in the day) and the horns wail with a swoon. Lead by Young’s down home and earthy twanging guitar, the rhythm team cuts a deep rivulet on a swirling “I Can’t Turn You Loose” and stomps like a Whack a Mole on “Mr. Pitiful” and “I’m Depending On You.”
What’s interesting about having all of the music from these three nights is that you can see how not only how the 25 year old man paced a show, but how he timed out an entire evening’s work. The first sets are invariably shorter, clocking in at around 30 minutes; Saturday has three short sets, with the second performance of Saturday evening almost always 50% longer, and Sunday’s second concert clocking in at around an hour, with two songs not included on any other performances, such as a fist pounding on the table take of “A Hard Day’s Night” with Redding rasping out the lyrics. He didn’t want to leave! And, yes, there are repetitions of songs throughout the collection, including seven of “I Can’t Turn You Loose” and ten, count ‘em, 10 of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, it all makes sense, as even the best preachers know how to give different perspectives of the same message. Remember, there are four gospels! People have debated for decades which of the of Otis Redding concert performances are the best; Europe, Monterrey or The Whiskey. It’s like asking which Rita Hayworth movie you must see. As long as she’s on the screen, it doesn’t matter. This is Otis Redding’s Gilda.