OTIS REDDING The Soul Album UK 1st Press ATLANTIC Superb Copy EX+

	£		39
	$		52

A BREAKDOWN OF THE ARTIST/S :-

Born 9 September 1941, Dawson, Georgia, USA, d. 10 December 1967, Lake Monona, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. The son of a Baptist minister with the same name, Redding assimilated gospel music during his childhood and soon became interested in jump blues and R&Born After resettling in Macon, he became infatuated with local luminary Little Richard and began singing on a full-time basis. A high-school friend and booking agent, Phil Walden, then became his manager. Through Walden's contacts Redding joined Johnny Jenkins And The Pinetoppers as a sometime singer and occasional driver. Redding also began recording for sundry local independents, and his debut single, "She's Alright", credited to The Shooters Featuring Otis, was quickly followed by "Shout Bamalama". Both performances were firmly in the Little Richard mould. The singer's fortunes blossomed when one of his own songs, "These Arms Of Mine", was picked up by the Stax Records subsidiary Volt. Recorded at the tail end of a Johnny Jenkins session, this aching ballad crept into the American Hot 100 in May 1963. Further poignant releases, "Pain In My Heart", "That's How Strong My Love Is" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long" (written with Jerry Butler), were balanced by brassy, up-tempo performances including "Mr. Pitiful", "Respect" and "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)".

Redding remained something of a cult figure until 1965, although he had already released a series of excellent albums. It was the release of the magnificent Otis Blue that triggered off a major appreciation, in which original material nestled beside cover versions of the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and two songs by another mentor, Sam Cooke ("Wonderful World and 'A Change Is Gonna Come"). His version of the Temptations' "My Girl" then became a UK hit. Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul contained a stunning version of "Try A Little Tenderness". This song was written in 1933 by Harry Woods, James Campbell and Reginald Connelly, yet Redding turns it into his own aching contemporary soul ballad. Meanwhile the singer's popularity was further enhanced by the tour of the Hit The Road Stax revue in 1967, particularly in Europe. "Tramp", a magnificent call and response duet with Carla Thomas, also provided major success, while Redding's production company, Jotis, was responsible for launching the career of Arthur Conley.

A triumphant appearance at the legendary 1967 Monterey Pop Festival gave indication that Redding was about to attract an even wider following. He appeared on stage completely out of fashion with the colourful beads and bells of the audience, wearing one of his familiar dark green silk and mohair suits, with tie and smart shoes. His explosive set was, along with that of Jimi Hendrix, the highlight of the festival. More importantly, he calmed and unified the "love crowd" like never before. He brought his music of black origin into the hearts of white hippies (many of them middle-class kids who had never heard soul music). Horribly poignant were the last words he uttered on the victorious stage at Monterey at the end of an astonishing finale of "Try A Little Tenderness". He said, "I've got to go now, but I don't want to".

A few months later tragedy struck. On 10 December 1967, his light aircraft in which he was travelling plunged into Lake Monona, Madison, Wisconsin, killing the singer, his valet, the pilot and four members of the Bar-Kays. He had recently been voted the world's top male singer by Melody Maker. This was highly significant because for the previous 10 years Elvis Presley had held the crown. He died on the cusp of greatness at the age of 26 not living to see how important a figure he would become.

The wistful "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay", a song Redding had recorded just three days earlier, was immediately mixed and released. It became his only million-seller and US pop number 1. The single's seeming serenity about sitting on a jetty in San Francisco's harbour, as well as several posthumous album tracks, suggested a sadly unfulfilled maturity as a songwriter. Although some critics now point to Redding's limited vocal range, few could match his guttural sounding voice, which, at any volume could send shivers into the spine. Such was his emotional drive, and his distinctive sound remains immediately compelling. There is no doubt that Redding matched the smooth vocal intensity of artists such as Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Al Green. What should also be acknowledged in addition to his quite remarkable voice is the considerable amount of classic songs he wrote, often with guitarist Steve Cropper. They stand as some of the most enduring moments of the golden age of soul music. Redding should be regarded as a giant of the genre, even though his achievements were made in just a three-year burst of unrivalled energy and explosive talent.

Discography:
Pain In My Heart (Atco 1964)****, The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads (Volt 1965)****, Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (Volt 1965)*****, The Soul Album (Volt 1966)****, Complete And Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul (Volt 1966)****, with Carla Thomas The King & Queen (Stax 1967)****, Live In Europe (Volt 1967)****, The Dock Of The Bay (Volt 1968)***, The Immortal Otis Redding (Atco 1968)***, In Person At The Whisky A Go Go (Atco 1968)***, Love Man (Atco 1969)****, Tell The Truth (Atco 1970)***, shared with Jimi Hendrix Monterey International Pop Festival (Reprise 1970)****, Live Otis Redding (Atlantic 1982)**, Good To Me: Recorded Live At The Whiskey A Go Go, Vol. 2 (Stax 1993)***.

Compilations:
The History Of Otis Redding (Volt 1967)****, Here Comes Some Soul From Otis Redding And Little Joe Curtis pre-1962 recordings (Marble Arch 1968)*, Remembering (Atlantic 1970)***, The Best Of Otis Redding (Atco 1972)****, Pure Otis (Atlantic 1979)***, Come To Me (Charly 1984)**, Dock Of The Bay: The Definitive Collection (Atlantic 1987)****, The Otis Redding Story 4-LP box set (Atlantic 1989)****, Remember Me US title It's Not Just Sentimental UK title (Stax 1992)***, Otis!: The Definitive Otis Redding 4-CD box set (Rhino 1993)*****, The Very Best Of Otis Redding (Rhino 1993)****, The Very Best Of Otis Redding, Vol. 2 (Rhino 1995)***, Love Songs (Rhino 1998)****, Dreams To Remember: The Anthology (Rhino 1998)****.

THE COVER :- Single laminated sleeve

THE LABEL :- Atlantic labels

THE VINYL VISUALLY :- On initial inspection of this piece of vinyl there are a couple of things worthy of a mention. The vinyl sits perfectly flat on the turntable so there are no nasty warps to worry about. Side One displays a few tiny marks, nothing that i would consider a scratch,  more scuffs on the surface. Side Two displays some slightly heavier scuffs but nothing again that I consider a scratch. There is also a very tiny dink in the surface. I only noticed it when the vinyl was tilted into the light as it is very small. Still a lovely piece of vinyl considering the age. Excellent condition visually.

THE VINYL PLAY GRADED :- The playgrading of the vinyl reveals barely any lessening in the sound quality. It lives up to its visual grading and in my opinion plays much better. There is very very minimal surface noise. What there is can be only heard on the run in and run out of tracks and extra quiet areas of the album, but as I say it is a bare minimum. I would say that Side Two has slightly more surface noise than Side One but again very minimal. The sound quality is high with a full dynamic range and very detailed sound. I feel certain this album has barely been played and stored well over the years. I would grade the audio playback as Excellent Plus condition.

THE SLEEVE FRONT CONDITION :- This is the very earliest 1st press laminated Ernest J. Day sleeve. The front of the sleeve is free from writing, free from stickers or evidence of previously removed stickers. The sleeve reveals no ringwear and only a couple extremely light creases in the laminate. Just some very light opening edge feathering. The colours are bright and crisp. I would grade the front of the cover as Excellent Plus condition. ? .

THE SLEEVE REAR CONDITION :- The rear of the sleeve is free from writing, free from stickers or evidence of previously removed stickers. There are no creases on the rear of the sleeve and no ringwear. Just some very very light ageing around the perimeter . Again the rear still retains its original crisp colours and just pressed feel, amazing for a white rear of this age. I would grade the rear as Excellent Plus condition.

THE LABEL SIDE ONE CONDITION :- Original Atlantic label in excellent order free from stickers or writing and no damage at all, no signs of play around the spindle hole, some small marks on the surface. Excellent condition.

THE LABEL SIDE TWO CONDITION :- Original Atlantic label in excellent order free from stickers or writing and no damage at all, no signs of play around the spindle hole, some small marks on the surface. Excellent condition.

THE SPINE CONDITION :- The writing on the spine is crystal clear, no spine splits at all just very light signs of shelfwear in the two corners. Excellent Plus condition

THE INNER SLEEVE CONDITION :- Generic white polylined inner in Excellent Plus condition

THE EXTRAS :- No extras were given with this album

THE CATALOGUE NUMBER :- 587011

THE YEAR OF RELEASE :-  1966

THE LABEL :- ATLANTIC

THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN :-  UK

PLAYING FORMAT :- MONO

THE MATRIX NUMBERS :-  587011 A//2  &  587011 B//2

TRACK LISTING :-

SIDE ONE :-

1. JUST ONE MORE DAY
2. IT'S GROWING
3. CIGARETTES AND COFFEE
4. CHAIN GANG
5. NOBODY KNOWS YOU (WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND OUT)

SIDE TWO :-

1. GOOD TO ME
2. BABY SCRATCH MY BACK
3. TREAT HER RIGHT
4. EVERYBODY MAKES A MISTAKE
5. ANY OLE WAY
6. 634-5789

WHAT WE PLAY THE RECORD ON :- 

We use a Project 6 Perspex Turntable to play grade our records which delivers a rich authoritative sound and achieves a rich and weighty vibrancy unrivalled by the majority of decks within its price range

HOW WE CLEAN YOUR RECORD :- 

We use a V.P.I. HW-16.5 record cleaning machine to clean your vinyl. "A highly recommended machine" as quoted by Stereophile magazine. This removes any excess dirt before playing

HOW WE PACKAGE YOUR RECORD :- 

Your record will be package very securely to minimise any risk of damage during transit. We remove the record from the outer sleeve unless asked not to do so. This helps to minimise the risk of seam spliting. We use a high quality record mailer which is designed to give superior protection for your vinyl record. We place stiffeners either side of the record for added protection. The album will also be placed in a 450 gram Poly outer sleeve for even extra added protection

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING CHARGES FOR UK CUSTOMERS :-

We advise that items reaching over £50 in price to be insured and sent by Special Delivery. This protects both of us and ensures better handling of the parcel during transit.We are in no way out to make money from postage. The postage price includes the record mailer, stiffeners and plastic sleeve. We just want your item to reach you in the best possible condition. A breakdown of insured postal services are listed below. Please choose to use the relevant postal service for your own protection as once these rare records are lost they can quite often seldom be replaced

SECOND CLASS RECORDED (INSURED UP TO £50) :- FREE

FIRST CLASS RECORDED (INSURED UP TO £50) :- £0.45

SPECIAL DELIVERY NEXT DAY UPTO 500g :- £3.80

SPECIAL DELIVERY NEXT DAY FROM 500g - 1000g :- £5.00

(SPECIAL DELIVERY INSURES YOUR ITEM UPTO £500)

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION :-    

All records reaching under £15 are sent to the European Union by Airmail small packets. We will not ship abroad without insured post for items reaching over £15

AIRMAIL SMALL PACKETS  :-  £6.22 (For items under £15)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :-  £11.37 (For items £15 - £50)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :-  £13.97 (For items £50 - £500)

(These prices are based on a package weight of no more than 500g and can vary for heavier packages)

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING FOR THE USA AND CANADA :- 

All records reaching under £15 are sent to the USA & Canada by Airmail small packets. We will not ship abroad without insured post for items reaching over £15

AIRMAIL SMALL PACKETS  :-  £8.78 (For items under £15)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £13.93 (For items £15 - £50)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £16.53 (For items £50 - £500)

(These prices are based on a package weight of no more than 500g and can vary for heavier packages)

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING FOR THE AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN AND ROW :- 

All records reaching under £15 are sent to the Australia & Japan by Airmail small packets. We will not ship abroad without insured post for items reaching over £15

AIRMAIL SMALL PACKETS :- £9.06 (For items under £15)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £14.21 (For items £15 - £50)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £16.81 (For items £50 - £500)

(These prices are based on a package weight of no more than 500g and can vary for heavier packages)

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DO NOT PROFIT FROM POSTAGE, THE PRICES WE QUOTE ARE QUITE ACCURATE AND INCLUDE THE PACKAGING MATERIALS AT COST PRICE

NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS:

PLEASE AWAIT AN INVOICE BEFORE PAYING SO WE CAN WORK OUT THE CORRECT POSTAGE/SHIPPING CHARGES

BUYERS OF MULTIPLE ITEMS :- 

Postage prices and courier methods for multiple purchases will be calculated after the auction end. It is impossible for us at the pre auction stage to determine these prices as the final weight is unknown.If you are the winner of multiple items the please await contact from us or alternately contact us yourself for a breakdown of the shipping costs.You will only pay the stamp price + relevant packaging charges so there are big savings to be made with multiple purchases

HOW TO PAY FOR YOUR RECORD :-

We can accept the following payment methods

UK BUYERS :- 

• PayPal
• Personal cheque (Please allow to clear)
• Bankers Draft
• Postal Order

OVERSEAS BUYERS :-

• Paypal only

TERMS AND CONDITIONS :-

We always try to appraise the record for sale as openly and honestly as possible and provide plenty of pictures for you to look at but please be aware that errors however rare do occur and not everyone has the same audio  equipment. There is no problem that cannot be worked out in a civilised manner. We urge you to contact us so that we can discuss any small problems that may occur. We offer a refund of the purchase price for returned items within 7 days of purchase and are happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have during the auction

SAVE US TO YOUR FAVOURITES LIST AS WE INTEND TO LIST MANY MORE RARE VINYL TREATS OVER THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS