His death at the age of 26 was tragic not just because he seemed on the verge of breaking through to a wide pop audience . It was also unfortunate because, as "Dock of the Bay" demonstrated, he was also at a point of artistic breakthrough in terms of the expression and sophistication of his songwriting and singing. What Redding might have achieved, or what directions he might have explored, are among the countless tantalizing "what if" questions in rock & roll history.
Redding wrote much of his own material, sometimes with the assistance of Booker T. & the MG's guitarist Steve Cropper.
Redding's biggest triumph, however, came just days before his death, when he recorded the wistful "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," which represented a significant leap as far as examination of more intensely personal emotions. Also highlighted by crisp Cropper guitar leads and dignified horns, it rose to the top of the pop charts in early 1968.
A few other singles became posthumous hits, and a good amount of other unreleased material was issued in the wake of his death.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed three Redding recordings ("Shake", "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", and "Try a Little Tenderness") among its list of "The 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll." American music magazine Rolling Stone ranked Redding #21 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and in 2008 named him the eighth greatest singer of all time.
"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" is a song co-written by Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper. It was first recorded by Redding in 1967, shortly before his death. It was released posthumously on Stax Records' Volt label in 1968, becoming the first posthumous number-one single in U.S. chart history.The song went on to win two Grammy Awards: Best R&B Song (for songwriting) and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (for vocals) Marvin Gaye performed a special cover version for Magic FM.
The song has been covered by many artists, from his peers like Glen Campbell, Percy Sledge and Sam & Dave to artists of various genres, including Bob Dylan, Michael Bolton , Pearl Jam, , Sammy Hagar (1979)
In 1999, BMI named the song as the sixth-most performed song of the 20th century, with about six million performances.
"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was ranked twenty-eighth on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, the second highest of four Redding songs on the list, after "Respect". Rolling Stone ranked Redding's album, The Dock of the Bay number 161 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, the third of five Redding albums that made the list.
"The above text is a mushup from AllMusic.com & Wikipedia."
No comments:
Post a Comment