60's Live: I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) - Otis Redding

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The 60's live series continues at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. My song selection for today is Otis Redding's live performance of 'I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)'. If you follow the site then you know I used this song last year, but I made an executive decision to post it again because it is one of the best live performances of the 1960's.

People talk about the greatness of Woodstock, and while I agree it was an important cultural experience, it doesn't compare musically to the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. One of the biggest highlights of Redding's career was his performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. This is the event where the world discovered Janis Joplin, where The Who smashed their equipment for an American audience, and where Jimi Hendrix set his guitar on fire. Backed by Booker T. and The M.G.'s, Redding made a splash on a predominately white audience, which made him a bigger star. He died six months later and the video below shows a one-of-a-kind artist that left us too soon.  



TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll and is also the head writer and owner of Champion City Comics. Follow him @TonyDougWright on Twitter.

'Respect' by Aretha Franklin

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Detroit Rock City week is about to end, but The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll is ending the week with a Motor City classic. The song of the day for October 5, 2012 is 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin.

Aretha Franklin was born in Tennessee, but moved to Detroit when she was a young girl. Her father, C.L. Franklin, was a famous preacher, and Aretha was a star singer for his church. She was pursued by Berry Gordy, Jr. of Motown records, but her father demanded she sign with Columbia. Aretha recorded I Have Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You in 1967, and the opening track to that album was 'Respect', an Otis Redding cover.

It should be a law that you can't hate on this song. This is timeless music that has all the right ingredients for a major hit. Motown's history is very impressive and their roster of talent was and will always be second to none. I wonder what would have happened had Aretha signed with Motown instead of Columbia. 'Respect' is not only one of the greatest songs in the history of rock and roll, but it is a song that never gets old. I don't know what else I can say about this fabulous song, but click the video below and enjoy.

I've Been Loving You Too Long by Otis Redding

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Last night, my wife asked me to name a song that was "sexy" and I mentioned 'These Arms Of Mine' by Otis Redding. She found the song online and played a clip, but then she played 'I've Been Loving You Too Long'. Both of those songs are definitely sexy and I decided to share Otis Redding's performance of 'I've Been Loving You Too Long' at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.

Otis Redding has been a personal favorite of mine for many years and his songs can be incredibly sexy or incredibly sad. For every 'Try A Little Tenderness' there is a 'I've Got Dreams To Remember'. His catalog is solid and don't forget that this was the man that wrote 'Respect', which became a major hit for Aretha Franklin. Sadly, Redding was 26 years old when he died in a plane crash, but his musical legacy will never be forgotten.

One of the biggest highlights of Redding's career was his performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. This is the event where the world discovered Janis Joplin, where The Who smashed their equipment for an American audience, and where Jimi Hendrix set his guitar on fire. Backed by Booker T. and The M.G.'s, Redding made a splash on a predominately white audience, which made him a bigger star. He died six months later and the video below shows a one-of-a-kind artist that left us too soon.  

Donald 'Duck' Dunn (1941 - 2012)

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May has been a tough month for rock and roll fans. We've lost Adam 'MCA' Yauch, Donna Summer, Robin Gibb, and Donald 'Duck' Dunn to name a few.

I grew up in a house where Stax and Motown were on heavy rotation. Every weekend, my mom would play the Best of Sam and Dave and she would have my sister and I be her back-up dancers while she would lip-sync. It was great. The music of Stax and Motown was - and still is - wonderful and I am a fan to this day.

Stax was record label based out of Memphis, Tennessee and the house band was Booker T. and the M.G.'s. Booker T. Jones (piano), Donald 'Duck' Dunn (bass), Steve Cropper (guitar), and Al Jackson, Jr. (drums) were the backbone of Stax and they are the musicians on hits for artists like Otis Redding and Sam and Dave. Those hits include 'Hold On, I'm Comin', 'Soul Man', and 'Try A Little Tenderness'. Booker T. and the M.G.'s had a major hit with the ultra cool instrumental, 'Green Onions'.

Donal 'Duck' Dunn not only performed as a member of Booker T. and the M.G.'s but he also worked with artists such as Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Diana Ross, and The Blues Brothers.

Enjoy some classic clips featuring Donald' Duck' Dunn, Otis Redding, and Sam and Dave.