OTIS BLUE TURNS 50
Otis Redding's Legendary Album Celebrates Milestone Golden Anniversary On September 15; Collector's Edition Back In Print
Search Launched For Woman On Iconic Album Cover, Assumed To Be Model Dagmar Dreger, Using #FindDagmar
12-CD Career-Spanning Boxed Set Soul Manifesto Available October 30; Includes His Eight Studio And Live Records Recorded Between 1964-1967, Plus Four Essential Posthumous Albums
LOS ANGELES - With his powerful voice and boundless energy, Otis Redding helped define the sound of Sixties soul like no other male singer. Before his untimely death, the Georgia singer recorded an unrivaled body of work with the Stax Records house band that includes such incomparable classics as "Try A Little Tenderness," "Pain In My Heart," and the #1 hit "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay."
Undoubtedly, The Big O's crowning achievement was Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul. Released on September 15, 1965, this landmark album celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Redding recorded the majority of Otis Blue in a whirlwind 24-hour studio session in July of 1965, backed by the Booker T. & The MG's, Isaac Hayes, and the Mar-Key horns. The album went on to top the R&B charts behind such iconic singles as "I've Been Loving You Too Long," his take on The Rolling Stones classic "Satisfaction," and "Respect," a song famously covered two years later by Aretha Franklin. Otis Blue continues to be recognized as one of the most important recordings ever, being recognized by both Rolling Stone and Time Magazine as one of the greatest 100 albums of all time.
One of the enduring mysteries of music history is the identity of the woman on the cover of Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul . The photo was a stock image licensed for use on the cover, which was standard at the time. Recently, the photographer, Peter Sahula, told Stax Museum archivist Tim Sampson that "I'm almost sure this is Dagmar [Dreger], but I can't find any others from that shooting, and her face is in shadow. So it's hard for me even to be sure..." Sahula further went on to explain that if it wasn't Dagmar, it was almost certainly Nico, the enigmatic singer for The Velvet Underground, who was also an occasional model for Mr. Sahula's shoots. Mr. Sahula has no record of the shoot, and there is no further information in the Stax Archives. In an effort to solve this mystery once and for all, it is now being put to the fans to help Rhino, The Estate of Otis Redding, and the public to find Dagmar. Using a combination of Otis Redding's Facebook reach and other online efforts, it is hoped that the worldwide online community can find Ms. Dreger to confirm if it is she on the cover of the album or not. Join the search by following @OtisRedding on Facebook or Twitter, and contribute information with the hashtag #FindDagmar.
In 2008, Rhino released a two-CD Collector's Edition with stereo and mono versions of the original album, plus previously unreleased alternate mixes, as well as selections from Redding's explosive live albums Live At The Whisky A Go Go and Live In Europe. After several years out of print, Rhino is bringing the Collector's Edition of Otis Blue back for the 50th. It will be available on September 18 for a list price of $15.98.
This fall, Otis Blue will be included in Rhino's 12-CD boxed set SOUL MANIFESTO: 1964-1970. The collection features the eight studio and live albums that Redding recorded between 1964 and 1967, as well as several essential posthumous sets. SOUL MANIFESTO will be available on October 30 for a list price of $69.98. The set will also be available digitally.
SOUL MANIFESTO offers an in-depth look at the Redding's remarkable career, including his 1964 debut Pain In My Heart and 1967's King & Queen, an album he recorded with singer Carla Thomas and the last studio album released during his lifetime. The set also comes with four posthumous releases, including 1968's The Dock Of The Bay , which topped the R&B chart that year and featured Redding's classic "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay."
With the albums on SOUL MANIFESTO, Redding forever raised the benchmark for singers with his unforgettable performances on indispensable tracks like "Tramp," "Shake," "Security," "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)," "I Can't Turn You Loose," "Mr. Pitiful," and "Chained And Bound."
SOUL MANIFESTO: 1964-1970
Album Listing
Pain In My Heart (1964)
The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads (1965)
Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965)
The Soul Album (1966)
Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul (1966)
King & Queen - with Carla Thomas (1967)
Live In Europe (1967)
The Dock Of The Bay (1968)
The Immortal Otis Redding (1968)
In Person At The Whisky A Go Go (1968)
Love Man (1969)
Tell The Truth (1970)
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