OTIS REDDING's powerful voice and the unleashed energy of his performance defined the sound of sixties soul more clearly than anything else. Until his untimely death on December 10, 1967, the Georgia singer recorded an incomparable musical oeuvre with the Stax Records house band, including unforgettable classics such as Try A Little Tenderness, Pain In My Heart and, last but not least, the No. 1 hit (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay. However, the biggest and most drastic success of "Big O" was without a doubt the album Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul. It was released on September 15, 1965 and celebrates its 50th birthday this year! Most of the album was recorded in a breathless 24 hour session in Jui 1965 with Booker T. & The MG's, pianist Isaac Hayes and the Mar-Key Horns. The album played its way to #1 on the US R&B charts and included iconic singles such as I've Been Lovin' You Too Long, REDDING's version of the Stones classic Satisfaction and Respect, which became a worldwide hit two years later as performed by Aretha Franklin. Today, Otis Blue is still considered one of the most important albums of all time and was named one of the best 100 albums in music history by both Rolling Stone and Time Magazine! In 2008, Rhino released a 2-CD Collector's Edition of the album Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul featuring stereo and mono versions of the album as well as previously unreleased alternate mixes and selections from REDDING's explosive live albums Live At The Whisky A Go Go and Live In Europe.