Otis Redding Recorded This Hit In 1965 — But Aretha Franklin's Version Electrified The Nation

Otis Redding had one of the classic discovery stories. After a recording session at Stax with the Upsetters, Little Richard's former band that Redding had lately joined, young Otis used the end of the studio time to record two of his own songs. They were good and, crucially, came to the attention of the right executive, and a star was born. In the years between this 1962 serendipity and Redding's 1967 death in a plane crash, he cranked out a number of hits as a singer and a songwriter: "I've Been Loving You Too Long," "Satisfaction," the postmortem release "Dock of the Bay," and "Respect." Many people don't remember "Respect" as an Otis Redding song because of what Aretha Franklin did with it.

There's nothing wrong with Redding's version, especially if you're already a fan of Redding's growlingly earnest delivery and catchy phrasing. It's a great track! But when you think of "Respect," it's another soul luminary who comes to mind.

In 1967, a 25-year-old Aretha Franklin's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as its first female member was decades away, but the talent and electric stage presence that would galvanize her career were already evident. The year was good to Franklin, who charted five singles that year, among them the immortal "Respect." Franklin's towering vocals, supported by one of the best backing arrangements in human history (who knew a piano line could sound like a raised eyebrow?), brought Redding's song into its full potential.

Franklin's version of "Respect" won her two Grammy awards and cemented her status as an unarguable diva. With the civil rights and feminist movements in full swing and the Stonewall Riots following in 1969, more and more Americans were standing up and demanding a little respect. Franklin's charismatic delivery of Redding's song gave them — and anyone standing up for themselves — an anthem.