Otis Redding – Try A Little Tenderness

Written by: Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly and Harry M. Woods
Released: 1966
Album: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul
When I got hooked: 1990
The thing that got me hooked: The try-try-try part from 2:04 to 2:07 and 2:17 to 2:20

I was ten years old when I watched a documentary celebrating the 20th. anniversary of Rolling Stone Magazine. The movie introduced me to a lot of «new» music, but I don’t think anybody made as big impression on me as Otis Redding did. The video above is from that documentary and it wasn’t just my introduction to Otis, but to soul music itself.

Back in 1990 I just called him the «gack-gack man», cos that’s what I thought he sang (though later as my English improved I realised he sang «try-try-try», not «gack-gack-gack»).

«Try A Little Tenderness» dates back to 1932 and has been performed by heeps of artists, including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Nina Simone.

Otis first did the song in 1966, but I have never been a big fan of the studio version. It belongs on stage with the adrenalin and enthusiasm that flowed through this great singer, who at just 26 years old died in a plane crash in December 1967, about six months after the live performance above.

The video above (and below) features the best backing band Otis ever had: The wonderful and brilliant quartet Booker T. And The MG’s with the horn section called The Mar-Keys. (The other backing band Otis used, The Bar-Keys, did not have the same groove or talent, and that affected Otis’ performances, in my opinion).

Otis Redding was without a doubt one of the greatest singers the world has ever seen and it is very sad that his career lasted for a mere five years.

As a bonus video I’ve included the live performance from Njårdhallen in Oslo, Norway, April 7th. 1967. This recording isn’t merely interesting to me because it was filmed in my current hometown, but because among the audience is a 16 year old boy who 13 years later became my father.

Frank Sinatra – For A While

Written by: Bob Gaudio and Jake Holmes
Released: 1969
Album: Watertown
When I got hooked: 2003
The thing that got me hooked: The lyrics and orchestral arrangements

«Watertown» is one of the most underrated albums of any artist ever. This hauntingly beautiful concept album is one of my top 5 albums of all time.

The album tells the story of a divorce and the narrator (Sinatra) is writing letters to his ex-wife. «For A While» is the third track on the album, and by then the narrator’s wife has left him and he’s trying to cope with it. Friends try to get him out of the house («when you have some time to spend, drop around and meet a friend»), but he’s not ready yet («they forget that I’m not over you for a while»). The lyrics takes on a deeper meaning when you know that Sinatra was at that time divorcing Mia Farrow.

Is it a positive album? No, it’s quite depressing. Is it a breathtaking album? Without a doubt! Do yourself a favour and check it out.

«Watertown» was nevertheless a flop. It fell between two chairs; on one hand you had Sinatra’s ring-a-ding-ding fans who thought it was too poppy, while on the other hand the pop and rock audience of the late 60’s dismissed it because it was too soft. Frank Sinatra was so dissapointed with the album sales and reception that he cancelled his plans of a televised «Watertown» concert and none of the original album’s 10 tracks were performed live. (The bonus track on the CD, «Lady Day», was performed live several times by Sinatra.)

Nina Simone didn’t care that it was a flop and recorded «For A While» on one of her albums. The video underneath is a live recording from Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London in 1985. Appearantly Simone didn’t have the best of times when she sang this. Not that I know this for a fact, but in the performance she says: «This song is dedicated to my lover who has gone from me» and it looks like she’s about the cry. Nevertheless, talk about making a song her own! Wow…

Bing Crosby With The Mills Brothers – Dinah

Written by: Harry Akst, Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young
Released as a 78rpm in 1932
When I got hooked: 2001
The thing that got me hooked: The doubling of the tempo at 1:16

I got interested in Bing Crosby after hearing «Pennis From Heaven» and I decided to check his music out. On a very sunny day in May 2001 I recieved a package with CD’s I had ordered, and one of the CD’s was a double album called «The Jazzin’ Bing Crosby 1927-40». As I was driving away from the post office where I picked up the package I put in disc 2 on my car CD player.

I was immediately struck by the charm and warmth of the recording – which matched the glorious spring weather – and fell in love right there and then. And it wasn’t just the song that got me, it was Bing. Since that day in May I have built up a little Bing Crosby collection on both CD and vinyl.

PS! It’s not right to write about «Dinah» without mentioning Louis Armstrong’s amazing version recorded live in Denmark in 1933. He really was a true genius.

The Flaming Lips – Race For The Prize

Written by: Steven Drozd and Wayne Coyne
Released: 1999
Album: The Soft Bulletin
When I got hooked: 2000
The thing that got me hooked: Everything!

The cool, the crazy, the fabulous Flaming Lips. In the Autumn of 1999 a friend of mine played me «The Soft Bulletin» and I was shocked. You see, I had more or less dismissed «new» bands (everything from after 1975), so when I heard The Flaming Lips I knew I had to adjust my way of thinking.

I literally became obsessed with «The Soft Bulletin». You may think I am exaggerating, but I did listen to it every day for about two years. It’s true! And every time I listened to it, one more of its thousands of layers revealed itself. Even today I notice new things when I listen to the album. «The Soft Bulletin» is one of the truly brilliant, outstanding and ground-breaking albums of our all time.

Since that Autumn day 13 years ago, I have seen The Flaming Lips live in concert 8 times. One of the greatest experiences was when they played «The Soft Bulletin» in its entirety at the beautiful Alexandra Palace in London 1 July 2011. The video underneath is from that very gig. It still gives me a chill when «Race For The Prize» kicks in at 2:05.

Ole Paus – Inger Lise Danser Samba

Written by: Ole Paus
Released: 1970
Album: Der Ute – Der Inne
When I got hooked: 1997
The thing that got me hooked: The bass and lyrics

I was on a cabin trip in February 1997 with three friends. One of them had been to the library and checked out a double Ole Paus CD. I was sceptical cos I hadn’t been a big fan of Norwegian music, but Ole changed my mind pretty fast. The lyrics – which tells the tale of a girl called Inger Lise who makes her living by doing dubious stuff – and the bass hooked me for life.

I really should thank my friend because he introduced me to my favourite Norwegian artist.

I always include a bonus video in each post, but unfortunately there isn’t a live version of this song on YouTube. So I’ve decided to include Ole Paus’ very moving performance of «Kom hjem» («Come home») recorded at The Oslo Cathedral where he – and a lot of other artists – performed music to commemorate the victims of the gruesome terrorist attack in Norway on 22 July 2011.