Friday Is Always Coming In Athens! Welcomes Back Otis Redding

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT...

One of my all time favorite groups "The Intruders", doing one of their best! I play this one on my home system at least once a week. Your buddy, Dirk H. 12/05/08

You’ve created something wonderful with your Friday website. Something positive to look forward to each week. Can’t wait to see what’s on the plate for this week. Leslie P. 11/17/08

Thanks for the wonderful music I enjoy it... Great site Connie 9/11/08

Larry, Live for "Fridays"....I even get up and put on my tornado red shoes and tap along to the songs!!!

A.P. 7/11/2008

Growing up as an "old school" listener, I love this kind of music. Thanks so much for putting real music on so we all can hear what it was like back then. This music is NOT DEAD, it's still alive; and people like "us", the listeners keep it alive!

Babedoll 7/9/2008

This "Private Number" was always a great song. Too bad they did not have more hits. I loved this song. Harper 7/9/2008

Don and Juan were one of the great Doo-Wop singing Duo's out there. Love 'em! "All That's Missing Is You" is one of their rarest records! Northern Soul! Brian Y. 7/2/2008

Larry; What would Friday's be without you and Friday is Always coming in Athens? Jimmy J 6/30/2008

Thank you for this site, I'm french and

I have 40 years. I am a collector of

vinyl and American music oldies, soul,

funk. Il are very few in my french

cas.Je this site is fantastic because I

found some artist American and that

I discovered the other, bravo and

keep this site. 5/20/2008

Hey! I haven't heard this song since I was visiting LLC in the summer of 1972. I was crazy about her... wow! Thanks for sharing this song with the public! MSH 5/19/2008

The words to this song (Expressway to Your Heart) are quite interesting. Larry keep the tunes coming.

TC jJ 5/19/2008

First timer for me. I love your terrific format and exciting info. I feel like I'm back in Athens. ES 5/14/2008

IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS----THIS IS THE BEST!!!! Unknown 5/9/2008

I love it. I am learning about all of these singers and I'm only

16 years old. Unknown 5/8/2008

Hey you,

I LOVE that song by the Casinos

this week. I think it's

one of the prettiest "pop" songs ever

written and a great slow dance song.

:) I keep getting a flash back of a

girl/boy party in 6th or 7th grade.

I remember slow dancing with

someone - maybe Kevin. I can

almost see the room (someone's

basement/ rumpus room) and I

know the guy had on a sweater but I

can't quite see the

face. I'll keep you posted. Anyway -

thanks for playing it for me.

Take care. B. - 4/25/2008

Larry - Thanks so much for Otis!

Can you find "Then You Can Say

Goodbye" by The Casino's? Thanks!

Betsy 4/18/2008

Thanks for sharing the one hit wonder.

I'm surprised this only made it to #7

as its played quite often as an oldie.

Keep the sounds coming.

JJ 4/13/2008

Lovin the tunes, Larry.See ya in June. Randy R. 3/21/2008

Mr. Larry; Thanks for all you do for us little people.

Sincerely JJ 3/7/2008

Thanks Larry! Nothing like a Dirty Old Woman! Betsy

3/3/2008

This is very cool.My kind of music. Thanks. George S.

2/29/2008

Larry, Does anyone remember the days at Legion Field with POCO & Pure Prairie League and the music park behind the pool and all the good times concerts concerts?

Bill M. 2/29/2008

Mr. Green sure does have a smooth voice. I'm surprised he didn't do even better. JJ 2/18/2008

Hey Larry - Ever heard of "Dirty Old Woman" by Denise La Salle? You make my Fridays. Betsy

2/15/2008

Enjoyed Joe Cocker. Thanks folks. - Jim 2/8/2008

This is a great song. Larry keep the tunes coming.

TC YF JJ 2/8/2008

A WONDERFUL site- Thanks for keeping GOOD MUSIC- Alive. - Big Doc-Bdge, GA 2/8/2008

Greetings to all at FIA!

I've been longing to hear "The Bus' by

the late, great Billy Preston. Any

chance you got that in your vaults?

Here's to a soulful 2008!

Carlos - Cleveland, OH 1/29/2008

Hey Larry, I just read about Miles and Jimi being friends. How about some Hendrix soon.

Love the website, Joy 1/18/2008

Great to get the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Thanks, Pat M. 12/28/07

A great way to enjoy the history of music and the beautiful sounds of the blues. Robert B. 12/7/2007

Enjoyed your special on the Rolling Stones. I would like to see more on Blues Artist old and young. Keep it Groovin. Robert B. 11/28/2007

Larry, Johnny Guitar Watson really brings back some wasted brain cells! Wore out the grooves in that album the year it came out. Thanks David L. 11/9/07

Watson is the man!!! Your Bro. Young Robert! 11/9/07

OMG, This song (Humble Pie - Thirty Days In The Hole) so reminds me of you Larry and 1972! LOL Andrie - 10/5/07

I love this website, I have to listen to this each and every day. Thank you very much. I will share this with all my

co-workers and friends. Nate 9/30/07

Love this site! I call it "Continuing Music Education"! I know the songs, but I didn't know all the stories behind the people who performed them. Andrie - 9/23/07

Can you dig up Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel by Tavares? Thanks! D. - Cleveland OH 8/17/07

The site is wonderful Larry and the music is just awesome!!! I love visiting It's Friday In Athens!!!! Please keep this going forever!!!! - Dierdra L. - President/CEO, Getan Records, THE LIGHTHOUSE GOSPELETTES!!! Athens, GA 7/29/07

It's Friday? How about "Don't Roll Your Bloodshot Eyes at Me" for a little local flavor? Mark B. 7/27/07

Consider the Manhattans on Friday’s! Frank P. 7/27/07

Larry!!!! You MADE my day with "Build Me Up"! I'm on vacation in Santa Barbara and sent it to my co-workers with the threat that I can now play it anytime I want! Psych! Hello Don M in the bay area and to Betsy! Everyone raves about your site, Larry! It's awesome! Gratefully yours, Scotty 7/20/07

Hey Larry, Before the summer's over we need something from the summer of love for its 40th anniversary. It's for us in the bay area. Don M. 7/13/07

Hey Larry The music is just great.Would also like to hear'The Horse' by Cliff Nobles. Thanks. Double Divine 7/6/07

Hey Larry, Remember those instrumentals that played before the top of the hour on AM Radio? How about "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles or "Soul Finger".

Thanks! Betsy K. 6/30/07

Larry, If I ever need a D.J. Guess what,You The Man!!! Thanx: Corndog 6/22/07

Yes! it's Friday and I'm up here jammin' in Cleveland, OH. How about some Soul Generation - Body & Soul (That's the Way It's Got to Be) Ya'll remember that one? Have a great weekend! losplus 6/22/07

How about Earth, Wind and Fire? Angie G. 6/6/07

Hooray for Friday!! Mary A. 6/1/07

This group (The Four Tops) is great. Thanks VM Jimmy J. - 5/25/07

Thanks for a Friday of Dusty Springfield, The Look of Love. Erica from Red Lobster, thanks for the look. - F.L. 4/5/07

I love this site! Any chance I could hear "Coldest Days Of My Life" by the Chi-Lites? - 4/4/07

I would love to hear "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous

Brothers or "Fats" Domino's

"Ain't That a Shame" or

"Blueberry Hill." Thanks,

Patrick - 3/30/07

Hey Larry! You are amazing! I have my whole office dancing to these! Just great! Can you do a BeeGees for my boss and slip in Build Me Up Buttercup? I sing it anyway at work, may as well have the music to go along with it (the more to torture my co-workers with! Looking forward to all the Fridays-with-Larry! :) Scotty - 3/30/07

Oh, my goodness, you found "Black Pearl." I nearly fainted this am, when I opened the site. Thank you sooooo much. Blessings P.W. Smith - 3/30/07

Please add "Black Pearl" by The Checkmates...not sure what year, but thinking mid 60's. Thanks sooooooo much.

P. Smith - 3/23/07

This is a great website. My mom always listened to the "Oldies" station here, and I wanted to be just like my Mom, so I started listening to it and I loved it, and this website has some of my favorites. M. Pierce - 3/22/07

Hey, I love the t-shirt. I have had it on

since I got home from Arizona. You

did a good job. That was a great

song last Friday (Wang Dang Doodle)

- didn't know it but who ever

requested it is someone I

would like to hang with. And then

today we had

The Zombies....that took me back to

8th grade and one of my first boy/girl

parties. They were always held in

someone's basement and the lights

would go off by 9:00.

That song always seem to bring on

lots of smooching. I will

not be naming names.... ;)

Thanks again,

Betsy

This is awesome!!! Thanks for the great site and fabulous music!! WooHoo!! Jen B. - 2/18/07

I could not have picked a better artist. Thanks, Pat M.

Thank you Larry - You have made my day! Betsy K.

Mr. Larry, I really enjoyed Roy Head-Hey Hey. YF

Jim J. - 2/5/07

This always gets my Friday off to a great start! Love it!

Debbie - 1/26/07

Every once in a while my mornings are worth rising for, this has been one of them with Tina Turner.

Thanks Bill S. - 1/19/07

Keep up the good work. JJ - 1/19/07

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2007! I remember at this time in 1969 we were really gettng into Abbey Road! But oh, how I love the sweet soul music of the 60's and 70's as well. Thanks for your work in keeping this music alive. And keep on sending it, Brother! Dennis M. - 12/29/06

Moonchild Diva in Motown - found the site by looking for Billy Stewart! I think you answered my question...who played bass on Billy's recordings? SO THANK YOU for clearing up the mystery! - 12/11/06

Billy Stewart , alright, one of my favorites. Also, Jerry Butler, Major Lance, Willy Tee....

Your friend, Dirk H.

Thanks for Billy Stewart Larry - You have made

my day! Betsy K. - 12/8/07

I look forward to Friday's email. This is great.

Linda L. - 12/8/07

Wow! From your personal E-Mail account. I forward "Its Friday in Athens!!!" on to my friends often. The folks here at work are trying to figure me out. Their 56 year old C.E.O. sits in his office every Friday morning booming out R&B. Though it works for me, its not the type of behavior they expect from someone in my position. BLUES BANKER!

T. Turgeon -

Thanks for Joe T. Luv'd it! Roy Head and the Traits?

Hope you had a good Turkey Day.

T. Turgeon - 11/27/07

I keep waiting for Jackie Wilson and Billy Stewart....I have

decided that like me, you have an

older brother or sister who had you

listening to this music as a kid.

Hope all is well your way.

Betsy K. - 11/25/06

How about a little Joe Tex? T. Turgeon

Thanks, "I LOVE IT! Makes my day! M.N. - 9/29/06

WOW WOW WOW AN OUTSTANDING REVIEW OF THE real STYLE OF MUSIC - Atlanta Cooking - 9/23/06

In my time, this is the most fascinating music I have ever heard. **86 - 8/17/06

Keep up the great and extremely important work. We met I believe at Michael Guthrie's house a few weeks ago at the HVARII Reunion. I am a great lover of our R&B and it's great to see someone who truly cares about it. Ole!

T. Turgeon - 8/2/06

Again, the "It's Friday" series is great - I love it every week and have sent it on to so many folks -

thanks again. Betsy K.

Aretha is my personal favorite so far! Peggy M.

LOVE THIS...I NEED SOMETHNG TO GET ME THROUGH THE DAY !!!! C. Lady - 6/3/07

Great! Perfect! Dance Music I Love It!!! Laine L.

I think you missed your calling as a DJ! Nicki S.

Keep 'em coming!! I really enjoy listening to "my kind of music". Thank you. Mary M.

I like getting your email every Friday, keep it coming!

Carlas A.

DON'T FORGET THE 'QUEEN OF SOUL'........ ARETHA!!!!! YOUR MAKING MY FRIDAYS. RONK

MY FRIENDS REALLY LIKE FRIDAY IN ATHENS! ONE IS SENDING EVERYONE AT THE COURTHOUSE AN EMAIL. Ron H.

THANKS SO MUCH EACH WEEK! Nancy W.

This makes me smile! Ray C.

Great job, keep up the good work. Terry T.

I SAVE UNTIL FRI AFTERNOON, BY 5:00 P.M. I'M REVVVVED!!! RONK - 5/19/06

Thanks for this humanitarian service to get us crunk for district wide planning. Wilson Pickett reminds us to put a “spotlight on Otis Redding y’all”. Yeah,yeah, oh yeah. Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-Faaa! Karl S.

Thanks. What a pleasant surprise to get to work and open this e-mail- glad I started with yours first. Melanie B.

Thanks for the Friday emails Larry!! I really enjoy them.

Kim S.

Thanks for the sound of good music. I really do love my oldies but goodies. E. Luke - 5/19/06

Thanks!!! This is great! Jane B.

Great site! How about some Sam Cooke??? - 5/19/06

Thanks for the music! Steve P.

I love this! Thanks. Dianne M.

I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your Friday emails. Thanks for including me! Betsy K.

I appreciate the link – good stuff!

Jon W.

I LIKE IT!!!!!! Thanks and HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Barbara S.

THIS IS GREAT!!!!!! Susan R.

So in your spare time you try to cheer up everyone? Thanks, Lori R.

I love these songs. Thanks. Terri S.

Awesome……Thanks for doing this, we all look forward to it every week. I’ve sent it to everyone I know!

Debi D.

I needed this today! Thanks. Susan S.

Good selection for this fabulous

Friday!!!!!

Thanks for the Music this morning. I think I could listen to this all day, if people didn't think I was crazy for MOVING in my chair. Have a great weekend. Joyce G.

This is awesome! Thanks, Debi D.

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About The Artist

Otis Ray Redding, Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American soul singer. According to the website of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (where he was inducted in 1989), Redding's name is "synonymous with the term soul, music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm and blues into a form of funky, secular testifying.

Early life

Redding was born in the small town of Dawson, Georgia. At the age of 5, he moved with his

family to Macon,

Georgia. He sang

in the choir of the Vineville Baptist Church, and became somewhat of a local celebrity as a teenager after winning a local Saturday morning talent show at the Douglass Theatre 15 weeks in a row. The recording artists who were his biggest early influences were fellow Macon artist, Little Richard and Sam Cooke. In 1966, he was quoted as saying, "If it hadn't been for Little Richard, I would not be here. I entered the music business because of Richard - he is my inspiration. I used to sing like Little Richard, his Rock 'n' Roll stuff, you know. Richard has soul, too. My present music has a lot of him in it."

Career

In 1960, Redding began touring the South with Johnny Jenkins and The Pinetoppers, primarily as the group's driver. That same year he made his first recordings, "Fat Gal" and "Shout Bamalama" with this group under the name "Otis Redding and The Pinetoppers" Issued on the Orbit and Confederate record labels before being picked up by King.

In 1962, Redding made his first real mark in the music business during a Johnny Jenkins session when, during studio time left over, he recorded "These Arms of Mine", a ballad that he had written. The song became a minor hit on Volt Records, a subsidiary of the renowned Southern soul label Stax, based in Memphis, Tennessee. His manager was a fellow Maconite, Phil Walden (who later founded Capricorn Records). Redding was also managed for a brief period by Walden's younger brother Alan Walden while Phil was overseas due to a military draft. Otis Redding continued to release for Stax/Volt, and built his fan base by extensively touring a live show with support from fellow Stax artists Sam & Dave. Further hits between 1964 and 1966 included "Mr. Pitiful", "I Can't Turn You Loose" (which was to become The Blues Brothers entrance theme music), "Try a Little Tenderness" (a remake of the 1930s standard by Harry Woods, Jimmy Campbell, and Reg Connelly, later featured in John Hughes' film Pretty in Pink), "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones), and "Respect" (later a smash hit for Aretha Franklin).

Redding wrote many of his own songs, which was unusual for the time, often with Steve Cropper (of the Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, who usually served as Otis's backing band in the studio). Soul singer Jerry Butler co-wrote another hit, "I've Been Loving You Too Long". One of Redding's few songs with a significant mainstream following was "Tramp," (1967) a duet with Carla Thomas).

In 1967, Redding played at the Monterey Pop Festival, which helped him to break into the white pop music scene.

Death

On December 9, 1967, Redding and his backup band, The Bar-Kays, made an appearance in Cleveland, Ohio on the local "Upbeat" television show. The next afternoon, Redding, his manager, the pilot, and four members of The Bar-Kays were killed when his Beechcraft 18 airplane crashed into Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 10, 1967. The two remaining Bar-Kays were Ben Cauley and James Alexander. Cauley was the only person aboard Redding's plane to survive the crash. Alexander was on another plane, since there were eight members in Redding's party and the plane could only hold seven, and it was Alexander's turn in the rotation to take a commercial flight. Cauley reported that he had been asleep until just seconds before impact, and recalled that upon waking he saw bandmate Phalon Jones look out a window and say, "Oh, no!" Cauley said the last thing he remembered before the crash was unbuckling his seatbelt. He then found himself in the frigid waters of the lake, grasping a seat cushion to keep afloat.

Redding's body was recovered the next day when the lake bed was searched. The cause of the crash was never precisely determined. He was entombed on his private ranch in Round Oak, Georgia, 23 miles (37 km) north of Macon.

In 1975, Macon Mayor Ronnie Thompson, a fellow musician and a friend of Redding's, commissioned Redding's portrait. The acclaimed picture went missing in 2007 during the transition between Mayors C. Jack Ellis and Robert Reichert. Former Mayor Ellis disclosed that the painting had been packed up with the rest of his office. It has since been returned to the city of Macon.

Posthumous releases

"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was recorded only three days before Redding's death. According to Nashid Munyan, curator of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Redding considered the song unfinished, having whistled the tune of one verse for which he intended to compose lyrics later. The song was released (with the place-holding whistling intact) in January 1968 and became Redding's only number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and the first posthumous single in U.S. chart history. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was a significant stylistic departure from the bulk of his previous work, and might have presaged a change in direction for the singer.

Shortly after Redding's death, Atlantic Records, distributor of the Stax/Volt releases, was purchased by Warner Bros. Stax was required to renegotiate its distribution deal, and found that Atlantic actually owned the entire Stax/Volt back catalog. Stax was unable to regain the rights to their recordings, and severed their relationship with Atlantic. Atlantic also retained the rights to all unreleased Otis Redding masters.

Redding had recorded a massive amount of material in late 1967 just before his death (it was from these sessions that "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" emerged). Atlantic had enough material for three new Redding studio albums - The Immortal Otis Redding (1968), Love Man (1969), and Tell the Truth (1970) - which were all issued on Atlantic's Atco Records. A number of successful singles emerged from these LPs, among them "Amen" (1968), "Hard to Handle" (1968), "I've Got Dreams to Remember" (1968), "Love Man" (1969), and "Look at That Girl" (1969). Singles were also lifted from two live Atlantic-issued Redding albums, In Person at the Whisky a Go Go, recorded in 1966 and issued 1968 on Atco, and Monterey International Pop Festival, a Reprise Records release featuring the live Monterey Pop Festival performances of The Jimi Hendrix Experience on side one and Redding on side two.

Information origin www.wikipedia.com

Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa

I keep singin them sad sad song yall,

Sad song is of all I know.

I keep singin them sad sad song yall,

Sad song is all I know.

It has a sweet melody, tonight,

anybody can sing it, any all time

It got to your heart, put you in a groove,

and when you sing this song, it will make your whole body move

it goes

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa

Your turn

Ill turn

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa

Your turn now

All my life Ive been singin them sad song

trying to get my message to you.

But you see, only song yall, I can sing

and when I can you singing, my message will be to you

It goes

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa

Your turn now

Its a lovely song yall,

Sweet music honey,

It feels to life over,

It tells a story over,

You got to get your message

A stone message honey

A lovely line baby

Ive been wanting a line..watch it

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa

Your turn

Everybody its good

Everybody

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa

One more time

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa

Throw me the line yall

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa

LIVE!

OUR NEW VIDEO IS ON THE WEB CLICK HERE NOW!

Click here see more about "The Brothers of Unity Band"

Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)

1966

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Email Address

Otis Redding