Episode notes

The Album: Otis Redding The Very Best of Otis Redding (1992)

Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart is the son of a record producer and session player who blessed him with the gift of The Very Best of Otis Redding, the 1992 compilation of sixteen of the best songs from the late Otis Redding’s catalogue. His father gave him instructions for listening – the charge to learn all about feel.

We talked about the nuances of jabs and riffs and Otis Redding’s pathos, his restraint, Otis’ use of “uncool words” his penchant for the word “lovely”, and his wonderfully nuanced cover of the Rolling Stones “Satisfaction”.

We discussed the sound Memphis music – Stax/Volt, the musicianship, the organic country friend soul sound of the label, and how that sound benefitted Otis Redding.

What Jamie Stewart learned most from Otis Redding was awareness, how beats affect emotion, awareness of feel and how rhythm and emotion impact singing.

It was a great conversation about a career and a life interrupted.

Xiu Xiu’s newest album Girl with Basket of Fruit releases 02/08/2019 via Polyvinyl.

Check out the music video for their newest single Scisssssssors.

Editor’s note: Xiu Xiu was formed in San Jose, but the band is now LA-based.

More on Jamie Stewart

Show Tracklisting (all songs from The Very Best of Otis Redding unless indicated otherwise):

I’ve Got Dreams to Remember

Shake

Pain in My Heart

Otis Redding: Ole Man Trouble

Try a Little Tenderness

Frank Sinatra: Try a Little Tenderness

The Happy Song (Dum-Dum-De-De-De-Dum-Dum)

Satisfaction

Respect

I’ve Been Loving You Too Long

Jay-Z and Kanye West: Otis

I’ve Got Dreams to Remember

These Arms of Mine

Otis Redding: Free Me

Otis Redding: Hard to Handle

Otis Redding: Change Gonna Come

Otis Redding: Try a Little Tenderness (Live on Upbeat)

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.

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