Sittin' In The Morning Sun...

After his rise to fame following his performance with guitarist Steve Cropper at the Monterey Pop Festival in August of 1967, Otis Redding was overwhelmed by the throngs of adoring fans who were waiting for him back at his hotel. Concert organizer Bill Graham saved the day by allowing Redding to stay on his houseboat at Waldo Point Harbor in Sausalito until the chaos subsided. It was there the classic song, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was born.

In November, Redding brought early verses of the song to Memphis where he met up again with Cropper, who was working as a producer for Stax Studios. After two demo sessions, they were able to find the right groove and completed the first solid take on December 7, 1967. Redding had some concerns he wanted to address about that version though and was hoping for a final recording session to perfect the song, but that chance would never come. On December 10, Redding, along with six others from his new band, died in a plane crash in Madison, Wisconsin.

Cropper honored Redding by adding the sounds of seagulls, whistling, and waves crashing on the shore. The song was later released under the Volt label at Stax Studios in 1968 and became the first posthumous #1 single in the US.

On the block in our upcoming “Lyrics For A Cause: Benefiting Music Health Alliance Auction” is a sheet of lyrics for the beloved track, “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay” hand-written and with an original watercolor illustration by Steve Cropper. Make sure you register for your chance to bid today!