JULY 7th - Otis, My Man--Ambassador of Awesome

Otis Blue by Otis Redding. It’s one of my favorite albums. It’s mostly covers, but when you sing like Otis that doesn’t really bother me. It doesn’t have “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay,” but if that’s the only song you know by Otis, well then, I just feel sorry for you. If you would like a lesson in not sucking, listen to Otis’ version of Sam Cooke’s “Change Gonna Come.” Or perhaps you need a lesson in being awesome. Maybe you’re spending your nights watching reruns of MindFreak, studying Criss Angel, and trying to levitate because you think magic will totally get that girl or guy to notice you. Don’t do that though. Be better than that. Listen to Otis Redding sing B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby.” Cause that is the sauce of the awesome. So why I am imploring you to go on this quest for aural delight. Well on this day in 1965 Otis recorded the song “Respect,” which is quite funny because, while I’m sure you all know that song became a huge hit for Aretha Franklin, it was actually written and released by Otis Redding first. The meaning behind the song changed when Aretha sang it and became of powerful declaration of female strength and independence. And while that is certainly an important achievement, I equally appreciate Otis’ version of a pleading man on an album that is pure soul. Awesome. So maybe you’re spending your nights buffing your coin collection, or brushing up on your Dungeons and Dragons rules, and I’m not judging here—if that’s your bag, that’s your bag. But that could be your bag while Otis Blue gives you a little more “Respect.” See what I did there? Because typically speaking numismatists don’t really have people clamoring to hang out with them. You throw on Otis singing Solomon Burke’s “Down in the Valley,” though, doesn’t matter if you’re running around in your Criss Angel pajamas, buffing your coin collection, and trying to levitate while you play Dungeons and Dragons. You’ll have a little bit of awesome in you. And people will respect that.

This day has been Marked.

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