Otis Redding / The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul (US, mono, Volt, 415) <October 15, 1966>

Otis Redding / The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul (US, mono, Volt, 415) <October 15, 1966>
(Side 1) VO-12445-A
(Side 2) VO-12446-A

モンタレー・ポップ・フェスティバルの映像から作られた『ライブ・アット・モンタレー ジミヘン&オーティス』が公開されたのが1986年で、その後に発売されたビデオで初めてオーティス知りました。もともとジミヘン目的で見たのですが、すごくオーティスが気になって買ったのがこの「Dictionary Of Soul」のCD。最初に買った作品って特別な感じがしますよね。

"Try a Little Tenderness"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnPMoAb4y8U

Otis Redding - Live At Monterey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBllG7TTLgw
今から見ると、オーティス緊張してますね。演奏が性急すぎてオーティスの魅力の「タメ」が効いてなくて、いい演奏じゃないです・・・。

"Dictionary of Soul" features the Booker T. & the M.G.'s—organist Booker T. Jones, pianist/guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, drummer Al Jackson, Jr.—pianist Isaac Hayes, and the Memphis Horns, consisting of tenor saxophonist Joe Arnold, trumpeter Wayne Jackson, tenor saxophonist Andrew Love and baritone saxophonist Floyd Newman.

The album opens with "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)".Derived from the theme of The $64,000 Question,the song was written by Redding and Cropper and its lyrics are about Redding's habit to hum or sing the horn lines. David Porter served as the background singer, singing the "fa-fa-fa-fa-fa" part alongside Redding.

The second single on this album, "Try a Little Tenderness", was written by English songwriter duo Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly and American Tin Pan Alley songwriter Harry M. Woods in the early 30s, but it was not until February 1933 when bandleader and clarinetist Ted Lewis' version became a hit. The first version by a black artist was by Aretha Franklin, who recorded it in 1962 for her The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin.Two years later, Sam Cooke recorded it as a part of a medley alongside Tin Pan Alley standard "For Sentimental Reasons" and "You Send Me" on his At The Copa. According to Cropper, Redding listened to the latter two songs, but rearranged it with the help of pianist Hayes. Examples of what the latter arranged and introduced was the tree-part, contrapuntal horn line in the first seconds, which was inspired by Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" strings, and the cymbal break in the peak, which Hayes later featured on his "Theme from Shaft". The song was recorded on September 13 and released on November 14, 1966, charting at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 4 on the Hot R&B chart.Side one features mainly cover versions, including country standard "Tennessee Waltz" and The Beatles' "Day Tripper", the latter of which was praised for turning "into a swaggering stomper" as opposed to the original. Parts of the song were later mixed in the Grammy Award-winning "Otis" by hip-hop artists Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Side two is mainly composed of Redding songs, the exception being Chuck Willis' "You're Still My Baby" and "Love Have Mercy", co-written by David Porter and Hayes. The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul was released on October 15, 1966 on the Stax label and peaked at number 73 and at number 5 on the Billboard 200 and the R&B LP charts respectively.