A master of his craft at work.
FYI, if you’ve any suggestions about a classic song that we should feature then feel free to get in touch with our music geek @ElChiefMoore
Artist, album and year: Otis Redding, Live In Europe, 1967 (originally released as B-side in 1965)
Why is it a classic? : The song ‘Just One More Day’ is a fine entry into Redding’s cannon of work but what the studio executives were thinking when they decided to make ‘I Can’t Turn You Loose’ its B-Side is incredible.
Without a hint of hyperbole, in this writers opinion, Redding is one of the most influential, iconic and important artists of all-time and it’s so hard to choose just one song to define his genius.
‘Shake’, ‘Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)’, ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ and ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ are just a microcosm of his talent but we’ve opted for the brass blowing, bass trembling and passion stirring genius of this tune.
Those opening few chords of the sax are akin to a soulful klaxon that summons everyone in the room to get up and dance.
Without even trying, that bassline just burrows under your skin and it takes a rare artist not to have their vocals drowned out by this double whammy.
Redding is that rarity, his voice is so raw and passionate but his biggest talent was being able to deliver bombastic dancefloors anthems and tender love songs with equal gravitas.
As a teenager, he was part of Little Richard’s backing band, the Upsetters, and his delivery, style and showmanship was clearly shaped by this time spent with Little Richard. It really does show on this track.
The vocals here are a lovely representation of his iconic vocals, half-way between soulful singing and deeply personal preaching.
At times it seems like he’s narrating an internal conflict in his head, especially with those little half finished words, muttered sentences, mmm’s and ahh’s.
This is the sound of a man that’s struggling to stick or twist about whether or not he should stay or leave a relationship.
The biggest compliment to this song is that it was covered by Aretha Franklin, Etta James and The Rolling Stones among others.
Did you Know? : Booker T and the Mg’s sampled/covered this song on their track ‘Time is Tight’. This is ironic because the band frequently played with Redding when he performed live and they’re sometimes referred to as Otis Redding’s band.
The lyrical hook : “I can’t turn you loose to nobody, ’cause I love you, baby, yes I do”.
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