One of the most iconic soul albums of the ’60s, Otis Redding In Person at the Whisky a Go Go, will be expanded from one disc to six on a new boxed set release on its original label, Stax Records (now an imprint of Concord Bicycle Music). Otis Redding—Live At The Whisky A Go Go: The Complete Recordings will be released on October 28. It presents all of the concerts performed by the late R&B great at the legendary Sunset Strip venue over three nights, in chronological order. The new release arrives six months after the 50th anniversary of Redding’s shows.
Redding, who died in a plane crash in December 1967, at age 26, performed seven sets at the West Hollywood landmark, from Friday, April 8, to Sunday, April 10, 1966. Several of these recordings—remixed and remastered from the original 4-track analog tapes—will be made available for the first time. The collection is the first to offer all of the sets in their entirety, including between-song banter by Redding. Also included in the the package is a poster, plus new liner notes from Los Angeles-based journalist Lynell George and box set co-producer Bill Bentley.
Redding’s performances at the Whisky included such cornerstones of his catalog as “Respect,” “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and his cover of The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
Redding, who would have turned 75 in September, has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Georgia Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has been honored with a U.S. postage stamp and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In his liner notes, Bentley writes, “Redding’s music had a power and urgency that grabbed you by the throat…There wasn’t any other singer like him then, and those of us who had discovered his music knew we were listening to the very essence of what soul music really was.” The Los Angeles Times’ music critic Pete Johnson, who covered one of Redding’s sets that weekend, called the performance “\the most exciting thing the rock-worn room had ever harbored.”
According to the announcement from Stax, many musicians were in attendance at the Whisky concerts, including classic rock legends Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, the Doors’ Robbie Krieger and Stephen Stills.
