Otis Redding was on top of the world in 1967, highlighted by a career-defining performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. Returning to Memphis that fall, Redding began to explore different musical influences when he entered the studio to record his next album. Tragically, those sessions were cut short after only a few weeks when the singer died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967, leaving his vision for the album unrealized. While there will never be a definitive idea of what Redding’s next album would have been, this new collection is the first to show what could have been.

Rhino will release DOCK OF THE BAY SESSIONS as part of the ongoing 50^th anniversary celebration of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” This Friday, March 16, marks the actual 50^th anniversary of the legendary single topping both the pop and R&B charts in 1968 and becoming Redding’s first #1 hit.