Tell the Truth
By Otis Redding
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Track listing
Show track credits
- A1 Demonstration 2:15
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songwriter
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songwriter
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- A2 Tell the Truth 3:04
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songwriter
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- A3 Out of Sight 2:10
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songwriter
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- A4 Give Away None of My Love 2:45
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songwriter
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- A5 Wholesale Love 2:25
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songwriter
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- A6 I Got the Will 2:47
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songwriter
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- B1 Johnny's Heartbreak 2:26
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songwriter
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songwriter
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- B2 Snatch a Little Piece 2:09
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songwriter
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- B3 Slippin' and Slidin' 2:54
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songwriter
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songwriter
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songwriter
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songwriter
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- B4 The Match Game 2:52
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songwriter
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songwriter
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- B5 A Little Time 2:22
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songwriter
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- B6 Swingin' on a String 2:51
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songwriter
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- Total length: 31:00
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Catalog
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Review
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7 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
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Tell the Truth [p] 33 rpm
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Tell the Truth 33 rpm
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3 Reviews
The fourth and last posthumously released album, and of just as high a quality as its two predecessors. No memory defiling 'bottom scraping' here... but twelve superior Soul grooves waxed by the King himself in the year of his untimely and unfortunate death.
Thangs get raw and funky on this set from the get-go with the fast thumping "Demonstration", a wild soul belter Otis co-wrote with Don Covay. Blasts of horn accentuate every one of Redding's glorious wails, and Booker T. & the M.G.'s keep things firmly on the one.
"Tell the Truth" is a monster of a jam, kept in the lazy, fatback pocket by Al Jackson on drums, while a carnival of brass blares on throughout, climaxing in a decdidely incisive, infectious riff on the outro. A viciously funky cut spotlighting, aside Otis' huges pipes, the deep, fat bass of Duck Dunn. Also check out Isaac Hayes getting down on piano and Steve Cropper putting in a short but sweet guitar solo. Funk came naturally to the Big O... as proves a frantic spin on James Brown's "Out of Sight".
Then there's the thundering, rollicking sweetness of "Give Away None of My Love", a stellar original riding a preposterously thick groove. The descending pattern of the track creates a densely funky rhythm, brimming with plenty of Redding's soul improvisin'.
"Wholesale of Love" - eventually a hit for Redding fanatic Buddy Miles in 1971 - once more demonstrates the immense talent Otis had as a craftsman of horn heavy, exciting soul romps. I think it's Steve Cropper doing second vocals here. The crazy horn break definitely is the Memphis Horns at work...
And what about the lovely, retro R&B masterpiece "I Got the Will"... great chords! A teasing, passionate and anthemic groove with Otis belting out a ferociously aggressive vocal.
The tumble and fall bossa nova rhtyhm of "Johnny's Heartbreak" follows suit, and just listen how Jackson drives that sucker home... every beat is right on the mark. Very creative piano chording, as well.
"Snatch a Little Piece" should have been a huge hit... This is crucial 100% unadulterated Otis Redding-Stax-Southern Soul ether... Listen as Otis' churns out the chorus and throws in 'mah sweet sweet pea!' adlibs...
Dig the stuttering, smashing rendition of Little Richard's "Slippin' and Slidin'" here as well, a great tribute to one of the artists who primarily influenced Redding.
A co-written effort with David Porter, "The Match Game", is of a funkier breed; a wonderful, pacey stomper that has Cropper playing some very inventive licks on his axe - at times it sounds like he's plucking a sitar! And the funk runs even deeper after the Jump Blues intro of "A Little Time" makes way for a greasy, gutbucket groove, itself drenched in horns.
Finally, there's "Swingin' on a String", a majestic bookend to this graceful compilation. Belting and wailing out a ferociously driven vocal, this jovial, life loving and groove inspired jam fest aptly closes the discography of the undisputed King of Soul...
Thangs get raw and funky on this set from the get-go with the fast thumping "Demonstration", a wild soul belter Otis co-wrote with Don Covay. Blasts of horn accentuate every one of Redding's glorious wails, and Booker T. & the M.G.'s keep things firmly on the one.
"Tell the Truth" is a monster of a jam, kept in the lazy, fatback pocket by Al Jackson on drums, while a carnival of brass blares on throughout, climaxing in a decdidely incisive, infectious riff on the outro. A viciously funky cut spotlighting, aside Otis' huges pipes, the deep, fat bass of Duck Dunn. Also check out Isaac Hayes getting down on piano and Steve Cropper putting in a short but sweet guitar solo. Funk came naturally to the Big O... as proves a frantic spin on James Brown's "Out of Sight".
Then there's the thundering, rollicking sweetness of "Give Away None of My Love", a stellar original riding a preposterously thick groove. The descending pattern of the track creates a densely funky rhythm, brimming with plenty of Redding's soul improvisin'.
"Wholesale of Love" - eventually a hit for Redding fanatic Buddy Miles in 1971 - once more demonstrates the immense talent Otis had as a craftsman of horn heavy, exciting soul romps. I think it's Steve Cropper doing second vocals here. The crazy horn break definitely is the Memphis Horns at work...
And what about the lovely, retro R&B masterpiece "I Got the Will"... great chords! A teasing, passionate and anthemic groove with Otis belting out a ferociously aggressive vocal.
The tumble and fall bossa nova rhtyhm of "Johnny's Heartbreak" follows suit, and just listen how Jackson drives that sucker home... every beat is right on the mark. Very creative piano chording, as well.
"Snatch a Little Piece" should have been a huge hit... This is crucial 100% unadulterated Otis Redding-Stax-Southern Soul ether... Listen as Otis' churns out the chorus and throws in 'mah sweet sweet pea!' adlibs...
Dig the stuttering, smashing rendition of Little Richard's "Slippin' and Slidin'" here as well, a great tribute to one of the artists who primarily influenced Redding.
A co-written effort with David Porter, "The Match Game", is of a funkier breed; a wonderful, pacey stomper that has Cropper playing some very inventive licks on his axe - at times it sounds like he's plucking a sitar! And the funk runs even deeper after the Jump Blues intro of "A Little Time" makes way for a greasy, gutbucket groove, itself drenched in horns.
Finally, there's "Swingin' on a String", a majestic bookend to this graceful compilation. Belting and wailing out a ferociously driven vocal, this jovial, life loving and groove inspired jam fest aptly closes the discography of the undisputed King of Soul...
Published
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In what just may be his hottest and grittiest batch of recordings, Tell the Truth is a raw and unrestrained Otis Redding. Of the 12 tracks here, 9 are originals from Otis's own pen 'n pad, but every single song is given the aggressive treatment here. Forget about the laid back balladeer that thrilled us and chilled us with classics like "Try A Little Tenderness," "Good To Me," and "Security," Tell the Truth is pure Memphis heat that makes no excuses and offers no apologies.
If you're a listener who prefers the uptempo numbers from Otis, Tell the Truth is a gold mine for you. And regardless of whether Otis is singing a ballad or a barn burner, he still sings the absolute hell out of every song. The wrap-ups of "Wholesale Love" and "Give Away None Of My Love," plus the start-to-finish energy of "I Got the Will" and "Slippin' and Slidin'" are prime examples of this.
I admit I struggled for the first half-dozen spins of Tell the Truth just because I wasn't prepared for something this unrestrained and this raw (but make no mistake, the sound quality is great for its time), but once I started allowing Tell the Truth to sink its teeth in, I became addicted.
If you're a listener who prefers the uptempo numbers from Otis, Tell the Truth is a gold mine for you. And regardless of whether Otis is singing a ballad or a barn burner, he still sings the absolute hell out of every song. The wrap-ups of "Wholesale Love" and "Give Away None Of My Love," plus the start-to-finish energy of "I Got the Will" and "Slippin' and Slidin'" are prime examples of this.
I admit I struggled for the first half-dozen spins of Tell the Truth just because I wasn't prepared for something this unrestrained and this raw (but make no mistake, the sound quality is great for its time), but once I started allowing Tell the Truth to sink its teeth in, I became addicted.
Published
Released a few years after his death, _Tell the Truth_ is pure, classic Otis. Fans looking for ballads won't find them here. It's all uptempo, gutbucket soul in the finest Stax tradition. Otis never made a bad album and this is a great one.
Published
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Catalog
3 Jan 2024
13 Dec 2023
6 Dec 2023
4 Dec 2023
30 Nov 2023
28 Nov 2023
16 Nov 2023
4 Nov 2023
21 Sep 2023
13 Sep 2023
10 Sep 2023
6 Sep 2023
24 Aug 2023
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A1
Demonstration
-
A2
Tell the Truth
-
A3
Out of Sight
-
A4
Give Away None of My Love
-
A5
Wholesale Love
-
A6
I Got the Will
-
B1
Johnny's Heartbreak
-
B2
Snatch a Little Piece
-
B3
Slippin' and Slidin'
-
B4
The Match Game
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B5
A Little Time
-
B6
Swingin' on a String
22 Aug 2023
30 Jul 2023
-
A1
Demonstration
-
A2
Tell the Truth
-
A3
Out of Sight
-
A4
Give Away None of My Love
-
A5
Wholesale Love
-
A6
I Got the Will
-
B1
Johnny's Heartbreak
-
B2
Snatch a Little Piece
-
B3
Slippin' and Slidin'
-
B4
The Match Game
-
B5
A Little Time
-
B6
Swingin' on a String