Album of the Day

Otis Redding's debut, PAIN IN MY HEART, promised great things to come from the Georgia-born performer. The 1964 collection was recorded at Stax in Memphis, with studio co-founder Jim Stewart behind the boards and house band Booker T. & The M.G.'s (augmented by keyboardist Isaac Hayes) behind Redding to provide instrumentation that packed a real punch. About half the album consists of covers, and from “You Send Me” to “Lucille,” Otis proves equally at ease singing simmering ballads and uptempo shouters. Originals including the pulsing “Security” and “These Arms of Mine” (Redding's breakthrough hit) show him to be a gifted songwriter to boot. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer died in a plane crash on this day in 1967, and we’ll remember him with PAIN IN MY HEART.