He didn't have the shiny suit or the slick choreography that some of his Motown counterparts boasted, but there's one thing that Otis Redding brought to Memphis' Stax/Volt that went much deeper then fancy threads or quick spins - it's called soul. He wasn't called "Soul Brother Number One," but Redding's legend is second to none; his voice alone practically defined the genre, and his powerful but stinted career still provides inspiration to singers of all ages and styles. Dreams To Remember: The Legacy Of Otis Redding is not just a testament to the man's impact, but it's also a heartwarming celebration of the man himself. The DVD (put out by Reelin' In The Years Productions and Stax Records, a division of Concord Music Group), that commemorates the 40th anniversary of Redding's death, as well as honors the 50th anniversary of Stax, was screened as part of a coda to the American Cinematheque's "Mods & Rockers" festival at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Special guests included; Otis' widow and daughter, Zelma and Karla Redding; Wayne Jackson, trumpet player for the Mar-Keys/Memphis Horns; Rob Bowman, author of Soulville U.S.A.: The Story Of Stax Records, who also conducted the interviews for the DVD; and director s David Peck and Phil Galloway.

With civil unrest erupting in the streets and segregation in full effect, the South wasn't as comforting as it led on, but inside Jim Stewart's Memphis studio there was true racial harmony to be found. Stewart, who's interviewed for the disc, claims that it was just people playing music, and when Wayne Jackson was asked about the social significance of Stax's interracial house band, he also dismissed it saying, "We'll leave that for the historians, because we weren't thinking about any of that stuff." But the truth is it was a big deal, and in places where the Jim Crow laws were in full effect one is hard to place a value on the image of seeing a black and white group grooving in the pocket, together (and as the interviews confirm) and oblivious to any notion of a color barrier. America's youth heard Otis' rich voice and they couldn't resist dancing to the music, proof that their country funk was changing the world.

Dreams To Remember: The Legacy Of Otis Redding features 16 full-length performances, and the panelists explained how important it was to keep them intact. "We wanted to give you a complete picture of the man," explained Zelma, and the film's directors agreed. Said David Peck: "I've worked on documentaries for over 25 years, and I got tired of these 30 second clips, we wanted the audience to really what it was like to see Otis perform. There's in-studio performances like, "Don't Mess With Cupid," which first appeared on The!!!! Beat in 1966; there's famous Monterey Pop Festival performance of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction;" and then there's the emotional "Try A Little Tenderness" and "Respect," filmed for a television show less then 24-hours before Redding's death (in a plane crash that also killed most of the members of his touring band The Bar-Kays)

"(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" wasn't completed yet when Otis Redding was photographed down by the docks of San Francisco, and the filmmakers, unknowingly, went back to the same exact spot to get more footage for a new music video exclusive to this DVD. The original single would be a posthumous smash for Redding - and just as his fame was beginning to spread, family, friends, and fans had to come to terms with the soul hero they just lost. Otis Redding did get to taste a little bling, however, as included in the promotional video for "Tramp" (he hams it up as an overall wearing hillbilly white he shows off his a cribs-worthy peek at his car collection. Both the DVD and the panel discussion ended with comments that spoke directly to Otis Redding's character. "He was a good man" Jackson concluded, "There were no skeletons in his closet. He was a complete and spiritual human being." With great love, affection, and humor, Zelma described Otis Redding the best when she simply called him, "The Love Man."

The Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967
While the audience was already in the mood to get down, the hosts thought it would be a good time to hype their other recent DVD release, which was a one night only concert in Norway. Shot in black and white, Booker T. & The MGs work the stage for a couple of numbers before their horn section the Mar-Keys build up the sound. Arthur Conley is energetic and entertaining with his impressions of or other soul artists, and then Sam and Dave work the crowd into an utter sweat. But it's Otis Redding who was starting to climb up the charts, and it was he that closed out the show.

If this were the only DVD screened at the Egyptian on this night, it would still be worth it to come out, as seeing a classic performance on the big screen is truly the next best thing to being there. If this kind of music was brand new to the kids in the States, imagine how the youth in Europe reacted when Stax decided to take their artists overseas in hopes of capitalizing on their growing success. Steve Cropper absolutely shines on the guitar, tight enough for Eddie Floyd, but loose enough for Conley's crazy antics. Otis Redding takes the quite reserve right out if their seats, and by the last of curtain calls, the kids were up and rambunctious and making the security pretty nervous. The DVD unveils of some never before seen footage that was restored specifically for this project.