'Dreams to Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding' DVD to be Released September 18

Press release
Source: conqueroo / Cary Baker

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Otis’ death and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stax Records, Reelin’ In The Years Productions and Stax Records (a division of Concord Music Group) are proud to announce the September 18, 2007 release of Dreams To Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding on DVD. Featured for the first time on this 90-minute DVD are 16 classic full-length performances by one of the greatest singers and performers of all time. Interspersed between the performances are more than 40 minutes of exclusive new interviews documenting Otis’ incredible life and career. Issued with the full cooperation of his estate, this is the first official DVD anthology of classic archival Otis Redding television performances.

Dreams To Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding includes a wealth of staggering performances filmed throughout America and Europe beginning with Otis singing one of his earliest hits, “Pain In My Heart” and progressing through the artist’s Stax/Volt career including complete performances of “I Can’t Turn You Loose,” “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and a host of others. The final two performances are “Try A Little Tenderness” and “Respect,” taped at a local Cleveland television show less than 24 hours before Otis’ death.

Continuing in the tradition of DVDs produced by Reelin’ In The Years such as The Temptations — Get Ready! The Definitive Performances 1965-1972 (RIAA certified platinum) and Marvin Gaye — The Real Thing In Performance 1964-1981 (RIAA certified gold), Dreams To Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding features classic performances with re-mastered sound and video as well as in-depth interviews with those who helped Otis write and create his incredible music with stirring reminiscences from his wife Zelma and daughter Karla. Also interviewed are Steve Cropper, who co-wrote with Otis and played guitar on virtually every record he made at Stax; Wayne Jackson, the trumpet player for the Mar-Keys/Memphis Horns who also played on most of Otis’ recordings, and Jim Stewart, the founder of Stax Records, who gave his first interview in 13 years for this DVD. These tender and insightful interviews paint a portrait of Otis as an amazing singer, artist, songwriter, and family man. The story begins with memories of his first amateur talent contests and concludes with the touching recollections of the final days leading up to the tragic plane crash on December 10, 1967. In between are stories about Otis writing songs, recording at Stax and performing on stage (including the historic Monterey Pop Festival.)

Dreams To Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding also features a 24-page booklet with an extensive essay by GRAMMY® award-winning writer Rob Bowman (author of Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story Of Stax Records), who also conducted the interviews and co-produced this DVD. In addition, the booklet includes rare photographs and memorabilia. Featured in the bonus section is a photo gallery with never-before-seen images from the Redding family’s personal archives and a recently discovered radio interview recorded in London in 1966. Also, created exclusively for the DVD, is a new video for “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” (a song that wasn’t completed until shortly after Otis’ passing).

For Dreams To Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding every effort has been made to locate the best possible sound and video; each of the performances has been re-transferred and re-mastered from the best-quality, original masters (some resting in the television vaults for more than 40 years). In the case of lip-sync performances, the original Stax master recordings have been used, replacing the original TV broadcast audio and making for a much more enjoyable viewing and listening experience.

Dreams To Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding also marks the 50th anniversary and reactivation of Stax Records. Concord Music Group purchased Stax Records in 2004 and is in the midst of a year-long celebration that also includes several reissue CDs, a documentary (Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story, that premiered on PBS on August 1) and the re-signing of veteran Isaac Hayes and Angie Stone, as well as several new artists, who will usher in a new era of soul music. For the latest Stax 50th anniversary news, please visit www.stax50.com.

Reelin' In The Years Productions LLC is the world’s largest music footage library and has produced over 30 DVD releases including the four-volume The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1969 DVD series. Released to universal critical acclaim, Volume One was nominated for a GRAMMY® award in the category of “Best Long Form Music Video.” 2006 saw the release of the certified-platinum The Temptations — Get Ready, The Definitive Performances 1965–1972, the certified-gold Marvin Gaye — The Real Thing In Performance 1964–1981 and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles — Definitive Performances 1963–1987, the first official DVD anthologies of classic archival television performances by Motown artists. Also in 2006 were the first nine DVDs in the Jazz Icons™ series with the next seven DVDs in the series to be released in September 2007. For further information, please visit www.reelinintheyears.com or www.jazzicons.com.

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