THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

712-Otis Redding-(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.

1968-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 2.21. Pucker up.

Otis Ray Redding Jr. (see also best songs 377) was born on September 9th, 1941, in Dawson, Georgia, United States, he died in an aeroplane crash on December 10th, 1967, at the age of 26 (see also best songs 831.) Otis Redding who was nicknamed the ‘King of Soul,’ was heavily influenced in his early career by the singing style of Little Richard, (1932-2020) (see also best songs 521) Redding’s singing style also gained inspiration from the ‘Gospel Music’ that had preceded ‘Soul Music.’ At the time of his death Redding was branching out in to a more mainstream sound, that was at odds with the ‘Soul’ sounds of his record label ‘Stax,’ and it is said that if he had lived, he would have gone on to be a very successful commercial selling artist, as his last recording (‘Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ suggests. Otis Redding is considered to be one of the most influential artists of all time, being an inspiration for many of the top ‘R&B,’ and ‘Soul’ musicians of the early 1960’s, including Aretha Franklin, (1942-2018) Marvin Gaye, (1939-1984) and Al Green. He was also an influence on the world of ‘Rock Music,’ with groups such as The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin acknowledging his significance on them, Janis Joplin said that she learned ‘To push a song instead of just sliding over it,’ after hearing Redding.

The discography of Otis Redding includes 11 studio Albums that have been released between 1964-1992, the first six being issued before his death, with the remainder being made up of the extensive amount of tracks that were unused, and in the vaults at ‘Stax’ records at the time of his death. There are also 15 official compilation Albums, and nine live Albums available. Otis Redding released 27 singles during his lifetime, with a further 17 issued after his death. In 2011 the ‘Rap’ artists Jay-Z and Kanye West released the song ‘Otis,’ which heavily samples Redding’s version of ‘Try a Little Tenderness,’ on the track Otis Redding is credited as the featured artist, the song reached Number 12 in America on Billboard, and Number 28 in the UK. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart Otis Redding has had 11 top 40 hits with (‘Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ making Number 1 in 1968, while in the UK, he has charted within the top 40 also on 11 occasions with (‘Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ peaking the highest at Number 3.

(‘Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ was co-written by Steve Cropper and Otis Redding, with the production being by Cropper, and is the opening track on Redding’s seventh studio Album of the same name from February 1968. (‘Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ was the last song Otis Redding had been working on before his death. While on tour in August 1967, Redding was sitting on a rented houseboat in Sausalito, California, which gave him the idea for the song, and it was Steve Cropper (see also best songs 906-828 and 530) who had been working on the song previously with Redding, just days prior to his death, who completed the song. As well as writing extra lyrics, Cropper also added the sound of seagulls and waves, as Redding had requested, recalling the sounds he had heard when staying on the houseboat. (‘Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ is also notable for some of the most famous whistling in ‘Pop’ music. Redding was well known for ad-libbing at the end of his songs in the studio, but with this being a more mellow track than what was his usual, it is possible that Redding couldn’t think of anything appropriate, so decided to whistle, although who actually provided the whistling is not certain. Some sources claim Sam Taylor, (1934-2009) who was a guitarist, and a bandleader for Redding during the 1960’s, overdubbed Redding’s original, weaker whistle. Steve Cropper, however, insists that Redding’s original whistle was used. (‘Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ was completed quickly by Steve Cropper after the death of Otis Redding, and rush released by the ‘Stax’ record label, it became the first ever posthumous Number 1 single on Billboard in America, and the Album of the same, would become the first ever posthumous Number 1 in the UK.

In 1987 the American singer Michael Bolton covered (‘Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ for his fifth studio Album ‘The Hunger,’ Bolton’s version was released as a single, and reached Number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is said that Michael Bolton couldn’t whistle, so he had to have whistling dubbed on to song. Zelma Redding, Otis Redding’s widow, wrote a letter to Michael Bolton saying his cover was her all-time favourite version of her husband’s classic. She was so moved by Bolton’s performance ‘That it brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me so much of my husband.’ Bolton had the letter framed, and it hangs on his office wall.

‘Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun, I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ comes. Watching the ships roll in, then I watch ’em roll away again, yeah. I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay, watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh, I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay wastin’ time.’