The Immortal Otis Redding is a posthumous studio album by the American soul recording artist Otis Redding, released on June 15, 1968, by Atco Records. It compiles 11 songs recorded by Redding in a three-week stretch of sessions that concluded days prior to his death in December 1967. "The Happy Song (Dum-Dum)" was the only song previously released, having been a single in April 1968. The Immortal Otis Redding featured four charting singles including "The Happy Song", "I've Got Dreams to Remember", "Amen", and "Hard to Handle".
Critical reception and legacy Writing for Creem magazine in 1977, Robert Christgau called The Immortal Otis Redding his favorite album by Redding and "probably among my five most-played LPs", because it "showcases the unduplicated warmth, tenderness, and humor of his ballad singing". The following year, it was voted the 33rd best album ever in Paul Gambaccini's poll of prominent rock critics, published in his book Rock Critics' Choice: The Top 200 Albums. Christgau ranked it third in a list accompanying the book. The album was included in "A Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981).
Music critic Dave Marsh gave the album five stars in The New Rolling Stone Record Guide (1983). Lindsay Planer of AllMusic gave it three-and-a-half stars and said although it "wasn't quite on par with" Redding's several other studio albums, the songs on The Immortal Otis Redding were "welcome (if not mandatory) additions to all manner of listeners".
Track listing
Personnel Credits adapted from Allmusic. Otis Redding – vocals Booker T. Jones, Isaac Hayes – keyboards, piano Steve Cropper – guitar, producer Donald Dunn – bass guitar Al Jackson Jr. – drums Wayne Jackson – trumpet Andrew Love, Joe Arnold – tenor saxophone
Charts
Album ChartPeak positionUK Album Chart19US Billboard Hot R&B LPs3US Billboard Top LPs58
Singles SongChartPeak position"The Happy Song (Dum-Dum)"US Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles10US Billboard Hot 10025UK Singles Chart24"I've Got Dreams to Remember"US Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles6US Billboard Hot 10041"Amen"US Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles15US Billboard Hot 10036"Hard to Handle" (B-Side of "Amen")US Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles38US Billboard Hot 10051UK Singles Chart15
References
External links