BEEh BEhh
OTIS REDDING, "These Arms of Mine" | 1962
Otis Redding's vocal performance in this 1962 hit remains one of his most remarkable and true — the precise yet southern enunciation that references Cole Porter but merges it with a black and pollen-y sexiness; the long syllables trailing off into plain longing. We've all been there — curled up under the blanket of sugary hurt, thinking about that potential lover who's just out of reach. Our daydreams turn hopeful. If we could just tell this lover how we feel, they would feel it, too. That's when Redding, balanced between a demand and a plea, utters a singular "baby" that's broken and sanguine all the same.
