Fanspot
Waldo Point Harbor
“If you want to be a singer, you’ve got to concentrate on it twenty-four hours.”
Otis Redding
The year is 1967. Otis Redding is one of the most popular artists of the moment. Evolving in a soulful register, he can then boast of having almost stolen the spotlight from the rock headliners of the Monterey festival, Jimi Hendrix and The Who in the lead.
Cult! music: 100 mythical music places [French Edition]
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Nevertheless, in this particularly frenetic year, fatigue is not long in coming. It was then that Bill Graham, the developer of the Fillmore in San Francisco, offered to lend him his house on the water located at Waldo Point Harbor, across the bay. It is here, in this restful and inspiring atmosphere, that the first lines of The Dock of the Bay come to mind. When he thought the song might be special, the singer called Steve Cropper of Booker T. & the MG’s, and asked him to join him to continue working on this new composition.
Soon, The Dock of the Bay takes shape and the two men meet in the cabin of the Stax studio in Memphis. The work was completed in two sessions, on November 22 and December 7. At the time, while he had not yet written lyrics for the last verse, Otis Redding decided to whistle the vocal line. He may then consider returning later to fill the void.
Otis Redding’s career lasted only seven years.
Waldo Point Harbor
Popular for its small floating houses, the port of Waldo Point was once a major shipyard whose role during the Second World War was notable.
Popular with the Beat generation in the 1950s, the former Waldo Point shipyard quickly established itself as a peaceful haven away from the hustle and bustle of San Francisco. An intellectual bastion, the place welcomed many artists in search of inspiration, like Otis Redding, whose floating cabin was nearby. Little by little, things evolved and the waterfront was transformed again. Today, it is a favourite with nature lovers looking for tranquillity.
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Cult! music: 100 mythical music places [French Edition]
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Head to Melbourne, Australia for a stroll along AC/DC Lane before crossing the iconic Abbey Road pedestrian crossing in the company of The Beatles. Visit Janis Joplin‘s home in San Francisco and find out how Johnny Cash ended up playing his greatest hits to a crowd of prisoners in San Quentin. Travel the winding roads of Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and stop in Japan to catch up with Deep Purple, Phil Collins and Daft Punk. Drive down the Tina Turner Highway before entering some of the most legendary studios in music history. Go back to the troubled origins of Billie Holiday and make a pact with Robert Johnson at the famous crossroads in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Embark immediately on an exhilarating world tour with some of music’s most iconic bands and artists! Relive the Jimi Hendrix concert on the Isle of Wight before paying tribute to Bob Marley in Jamaica.
Produced by a team of pop-culture specialists and enhanced by numerous anecdotes, Cult! musictells the secrets of the places that made the history of music.
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By Gilles Rolland
Passionné de cinéma, de rock and roll, de séries TV et de littérature. Rédacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinéma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dépareillées. Adore également voyager à la recherche des lieux les plus emblématiques de la pop culture.