Otis Redding - Groovin' Time
Otis Redding's death in December 1967 and the end of Stax Records' distribution arrangement wiht Atlantic Records the following spring was a double whammy for the Memphis label. The label lost one of its biggest stars in that fateful plane crash and Atlantic walked away with almost all of the label's masters (which label head Jim Stewart had inadvertently signed over in 1965). Stax's loss turned out to be a big gain for Atlantic, which released erstwhile-unissued Otis Redding material on Atco through 1970, scoring several hits in the process. Today's selection came from the Atco album Love Man. Stax didn't delve into the funkier side of things very often in those days (a few notable exceptions being the Mar-Keys' "Grab This Thing," the Bar-Kays' material, Otis & Carla's "Tramp," and Rufus Thomas' "Sophisticated Sissy"), but it's indeed "Groovin' Time" on this recording, as Al Jackson's creative drumming adds punch to Otis' intense - but otherwise uninspired - vocal.
No comments:
Post a Comment