Otis Redding was big news by the summer of 1967. Having spent most of his career performing in black clubs, his breakout appearance at the Monterey International Pop Music Festival that year introduced mainstream America to soul music’s most electrifying new star. All that was missing was a major hit.
After Monterey, Redding busied himself on the road with his backing band, the Bar-Kays. In August a week’s residency at San Francisco’s Basin St. West finally afforded him some time to write. Accepting promoter Bill Graham’s offer of his houseboat in nearby Sausalito, Redding spent his days idly gazing out at the water, guitar in hand, watching the ferries roll by. Soon he had the first lines of a song: ‘Sittin’ in the morning sun, I’ll be sittin’ when the evening comes.’
