Modern Music

The song heard ’round the hip-hop world last week was “Otis,” a new song by Kanye West and Jay-Z that samples Otis Redding.

The track, which leaked Wednesday before going public, is more of a three-way than a tag-team duet, thanks to producer West’s liberal use of Redding’s ‘Try a Little Tenderness.” If the first salvo from the Kanye/Jay-Z collaborative album, Watch the Throne — which is due August 1 — is anything to go by, it’s going to be one red-hot summer.

These two titans aren’t the first to nick bits of Redding; in fact, his golden voice has been a sample staple of rap songs since the late ’80s.

Redding, who died in a plane crash on Dec. 10, 1967, remains one of the baddest ever to play the game. Here are some songs that support this argument.

“Try a Little Tenderness” (1966)

Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin both beat Redding to the punch with versions of this legendary cut, but his version of the Ted Lewis original remains the definitive document. With backing from Booker T. & the MG’s, and help from Isaac Hayes, “Try a Little Tenderness” remains on par with anything in the catalogues of his competitors.

“(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” (1968)

Redding’s most famous song, from a commercial standpoint, doubles as one of the biggest posthumous hits in history. The tragedy was that he never got to bask in the glow of its success: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was recorded only three days before Redding’s death, and became the first posthumous No. 1 hit in U.S. chart history. For good reason, it should be said.

“That’s How Strong My Love Is” (1965)

On the utterly moving “That’s How Strong My Love Is,” Redding did in three minutes what couldn’t be done in twice that time by most soul singers — everyone save for the impeccable O.V. Wright, the other southern singer most associated with the Roosevelt Jamison original. Wright scored a hit with his gritty version in 1964, but Redding went the smoother, silkier route and wound up with a hit that snuck into the Top 20 on the R&B charts.

“Respect” (1965)

Everything about Redding’s version of “Respect” (a big hit for the author in 1965) hits hard. The version popularized by Aretha Franklin is the one everyone knows and loves, and is rightfully deemed the definitive version, but when you compare the two, it lacks the pop and punch of Redding’s original. The anthem takes on a new meaning when you hear Redding’s nuclear blast.

“Love Man” (1969)

If “Love Man” hadn’t taken on a life of its own in later years, there would be more of a focus on the actual content of the song, one of Redding’s first hippie-friendly compositions. That topic is rarely discussed, however, on account of the song’s use in Dirty Dancing, during a particularly swarthy scene in which a sweaty Swayze teaches Baby to dirty dance.

“Pain in My Heart” (1964)

The Rolling Stones were among Redding’s earliest supporters, and still cover his songs to this day. The group released a solid cover of “Pain in My Heart” in 1964, though in no way did said version match the raw, palpable passion of Redding’s original, which he recorded that same year — wait for it — when he was just 22. In a word, astonishing.

“Hard to Handle” (1968)

Yet again, Redding wasn’t around to see one of his songs become a posthumous success. In this case, he missed out on a celebration twice: In 1968, when his own version became a solid hit; and again in 1991, when a rock version by the Black Crowes made it to No. 1 on the rock charts.

“Shake” (live) (1967)

Redding died less than six months after his career-defining performance on June 17, 1967, at Monterey Pop, but the legend of that day has lived on in the decades since. A breathless version of “Shake” was included on 1970′s Historic Performances Recorded at the Monterey International Pop Festival, a live album that offered full sets from the festival’s two runaway highlights, Redding and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Not bad company.

“Mr. Pitiful” (1965)

His longtime right-hand man, Steve Cropper, co-wrote Redding’s breakthrough hit, and though it lacks the musical depth of his later material, the A-side to “That’s How Strong My Love Is” remains an integral part of Redding’s repertoire. The single was given renewed life in 1991 after being sung by Andrew Strong in the popular soul-centric film, The Commitments.

“I Can’t Turn You Loose” (1965)

A revved-up single that is heavy on the horns, “I Can’t Turn You Loose” leads a double life as both a hit for Redding and the much-loved theme song for the Blues Brothers. It doesn’t seem right not hearing Redding’s vivacious vocals on the cut, but the Blues Brothers’ version is no slouch, either.

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