Otis Redding - Pain In My Heart [Mono]

1.    Pain In My Heart
2.    The Dog
3.    Stand By Me
4.    Hey Hey Baby
5.    You Send Me
6.    I Need Your Lovin'
7.    These Arms Of Mine
8.    Louie Louie
9.    Something Is Worrying Me
10.    Security
11.    That's What My Heart Needs
12.    Lucille

“Pain In My Heart” is the electrifying debut album by Otis Redding, introducing the world to one of the most powerful and emotional soul voices in music history. The album laid the foundation for Redding’s signature blend of passion, deep vulnerability and explosive vocal power, a combination that would go on to define an entire era. “Pain In My Heart” is the first of six studio albums in Redding’s legendary career, which was abruptly cut short by his death in a plane crash on December 10, 1967. The album features five Redding originals, including the timeless hit “These Arms Of Mine”, Redding’s first major chart success, “Hey Hey Baby”, a Little Richard-influenced tribute, as well as “Security”, “That's What My Heart Needs” and “Something Is Worrying Me”. Among the unforgettable cover versions are “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King, “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke, “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen and “Lucille” by Little Richard. In a retrospective review, Bruce Eder of AllMusic rated the album 4 out of 5 stars and stated that it was “practically a road map for Mick Jagger and a whole generation of other aspiring white soul shouters in Britain”.

“Pain In My Heart”, originally released in March 1964, marks the beginning of Otis Redding’s unmistakable style and paved the way for the soul revolution that followed. The incredibly tight backing band, featuring Booker T. & The M.G.’s and the Memphis Horns, provides a powerful, grooving foundation that makes every track simmer with energy. There is no doubt that the raw, unfiltered soul at the heart of this album is what made Redding an icon. “Pain In My Heart” is more than a debut – it is the first chapter of an unforgettable legacy.

As part of the “Atlantic 75 Series”, Analogue Productions honors this masterful album with a sonically outstanding reissue, lovingly mastered by Bernie Grundman, proving just how fantastic stereophonic mono recordings can sound.