Song Details
- Artist
- Otis Redding
- Album
- The Dock of the Bay
- Released
- 1968
- Genre
- Soul, R&B
- Length
- 2:46
¶ Deep Analysis
"Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay" was a major departure for Otis Redding. Inspired by The Beatles' *Sgt. Pepper*, he wanted to evolve the soul sound into something more introspective and folk-influenced.
The Whistling
The iconic whistling outro was impromptu. Redding had intended to sing a fade-out ad-lib or write more lyrics, but he forgot them (or they weren't written yet), so he whistled the melody instead. It became the song's signature.
The sound of waves and seagulls was dubbed in later by Steve Cropper to enhance the seaside atmosphere Redding had described.
@ History & Impact
-
1
Posthumous Success
Tragically, Redding died in a plane crash just three days after recording the song. It became the first posthumous single to ever reach #1 on the US charts.
-
2
Soul Evolution
The song's laid-back, acoustic groove paved the way for a more relaxed, contemplative style of soul music in the late 60s and early 70s.