Otis Redding's 1967 *Greatest Hits* collects five years of Stax Records sessions with Booker T. & the M.G.'s and the Memphis Horns, capturing a vocalist at absolute peak power. Recorded in a modest four-track studio with equipment that was simple but musicians who were not, these tracks document soul music's tightest moment. Essential for anyone serious about American music, and mandatory for those who've never heard Redding's voice reshape itself across "Respect," "I've Been Loving You Too Long," and a nearly three-minute "Try a Little Tenderness" that rewires something permanent. Redding was twenty-six
⚡ Quick Answer: Otis Redding's 1967 Greatest Hits captures the Stax Records legend at his peak, featuring his collaboration with the incomparable Booker T. & the M.G.'s and Memphis Horns. Recorded in a modest four-track studio with simple equipment but extraordinary musicians, these sessions showcase Redding's transformative vocal power and the tight, loose brilliance of his era-defining soul music.
There is a two-minute-and-forty-four-second version of “Try a Little Tenderness” on this record that will rearrange something inside you permanently.
Otis Redding was twenty-six years old when Greatest Hits came out on Volt Records in the fall of 1967. He had maybe twelve weeks left to live. The collection wasn’t assembled with the weight of an ending — it was a career summary for a man who seemed to be just getting started, a document of five years of work at Stax’s 926 East McLemore Avenue studio in Memphis, where the room was small and the band was the best in the world.
The Band Behind the Voice
That band was Booker T. & the M.G.’s — Steve Cropper on guitar, Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass, Al Jackson Jr. on drums, Booker T. Jones on keys — augmented on nearly every session by the Memphis Horns, which in its classic configuration meant Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor saxophone. These were not backing musicians. They were co-authors. Listen to the horn riff that answers Redding on “Respect” and tell me that’s decoration.
Tom Dowd engineered some of these sessions. So did Ron Capone. The gear at Stax was modest by the standards of the era — four-track tape, a room with notoriously live acoustics — and Jim Stewart, who co-founded the label with his sister Estelle Axton, ran a tight, unsentimental operation. What came out of it sounds warmer than almost anything recorded with twice the resources.
Steve Cropper co-wrote much of this material with Redding directly — “Mr. Pitiful,” “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was still a few months away, but you can hear the collaboration working across track after track. Cropper has said the sessions often moved fast, that Redding would come in with an idea and they’d cut it within hours. The looseness is still audible. The best soul records always sound like they could fall apart at any second.
What the Record Actually Does
The track sequencing is blunt in the way that 1960s compilations often were — no arc, no thesis, just hit after hit stacked like inventory. That turns out to be exactly right.
“These Arms of Mine” opens the record with Redding at the piano himself, playing a chord structure so simple it becomes profound through sheer conviction. By the time “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” arrives, Al Jackson’s brushed snare is one of the most restrained and devastating performances in American music. Jackson almost never played loud. He didn’t need to.
“Pain in My Heart” draws directly from Irma Thomas’s “Ruler of My Heart,” which draws from Allen Toussaint’s writing, which is its own conversation about how New Orleans and Memphis were always talking to each other across Highway 61. Redding didn’t cover songs so much as he inhabited them until the original became hard to remember.
The vocal instrument itself is the argument. Otis Redding sang like a man who understood that the note after the note is the one that matters — the way a phrase turns, drops, climbs back, breaks slightly at the top. He could put more weight on a held syllable than most singers could put on an entire song. He was from Dawson, Georgia, and had been singing since he was a teenager in Macon, following Little Richard’s footsteps and then departing from them entirely into something that was purely his own.
December 1967
He died on December 10th in a plane crash over Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. He was on his way to a show. Four members of the Bar-Kays died with him. He’d recorded “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” just three days before.
This record was already in stores. It was already doing what it still does tonight — making whoever is in the room feel something specific and true about being human and wanting things and not always getting them.
Put it on after everyone else is asleep.
🎵 Key Takeaways
- 🎙️ Otis Redding's 1967 Greatest Hits was recorded on four-track tape with modest gear at Stax's tiny Memphis studio, yet sounds warmer than most contemporary releases with triple the resources.
- 🤝 Booker T. & the M.G.'s and the Memphis Horns weren't backing musicians—they were co-authors, with horn riffs and rhythm arrangements integral to the compositions rather than decorative.
- ⏱️ Redding was 26 when this compilation dropped in fall 1967; he died in a plane crash 12 weeks later, making this an accidental epitaph rather than a career retrospective.
- 🎵 The 2:44 version of 'Try a Little Tenderness' is the standout—Redding's control over syllabic weight and phrase dynamics creates an effect the piece calls permanently rearranging.
- ⚡ Steve Cropper co-wrote much of the material directly with Redding, and sessions moved so fast that Redding would arrive with an idea and complete the track within hours.
What equipment and studio setup did Stax Records use to record Otis Redding?
Stax operated on four-track tape in a small room with notoriously live acoustics at 926 East McLemore Avenue in Memphis. Despite these modest resources by 1960s standards, the label's tight operation and exceptional musicians produced recordings warmer than many contemporary sessions recorded with far more gear.
Who were the musicians backing Otis Redding on Greatest Hits?
Booker T. & the M.G.'s—Steve Cropper (guitar), Donald 'Duck' Dunn (bass), Al Jackson Jr. (drums), and Booker T. Jones (keys)—were augmented by the Memphis Horns, typically Wayne Jackson (trumpet) and Andrew Love (tenor sax). These were co-authors of the arrangements, not session players.
When did Otis Redding die and what was he doing?
Redding died on December 10, 1967, in a plane crash over Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin, while traveling to a performance. He was only 26 years old and had recorded '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay' just three days before his death.
How did Otis Redding and Steve Cropper work together on songwriting?
Cropper co-wrote much of the material directly with Redding, and their sessions were notably efficient—Redding would arrive with an idea and they'd often complete the track within hours. The looseness audible on the recordings reflects this rapid, collaborative approach.