Joe Tex is greater than Otis Redding and here's why.

[L.Kizzle]

After a mind-numbing study, I've come to the conclusion that soul legend JOE TEX is greater than his buddy, OTIS REDDING. How, might you ask? Simple. The proof is in the pudding.

Both were 60s

[9erempiree]

No. Bro.

[Lamar Doom]

HERESY!


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdMGsRSxK3E/UsflQkuwmfI/AAAAAAAAPvM/NdK_fmQCwQ8/s1600/boo-this-man.gif

[L.Kizzle]

I've dug real deep into this. Basically have listened to both guys discographies. Joe is not only a better songwriter and performer they are about equal as singers. While Otis is more dynamic, Joe has much more layers and could tackle more styles.

[Lamar Doom]

You're out of your damn mind on this one Kiz. I'm calling your family, I'm worried about you. Please PM me your family's phone number.

[L.Kizzle]

You're out of your damn mind on this one Kiz. I'm calling your family, I'm worried about you. Please PM me your family's phone number.
I'm telling you, once you get into Joe Tex you'll see. I didn't get into Joe Tex until what 2007. Before then, I heard two of his songs. Ain't Gonna Bump and I Gotcha. He's much more than fun tunes like that. I had Otis Redding records way before I got into Joe.

[Kblaze8855]

Greatness cant be measured in top ___ hits. People nowhere near great have had hits forever.

Sam Cookes A Change Gon Come peaked at #9 on the R&B charts. Who gives a ****?

Greatest and most radio hits have never been the same thing.

Louis Jordan had more #1 hits on the R&B charts than James Brown, Michael Jackson, or Marvin Gaye.

[L.Kizzle]

Greatness cant be measured in top ___ hits. People nowhere near great have had hits forever.

Sam Cookes A Change Gon Come peaked at #9 on the R&B charts. Who gives a ****?

Greatest and most radio hits have never been the same thing.

Louis Jordan had more #1 hits on the R&B charts than James Brown, Michael Jackson, or Marvin Gaye.
To be fair, A Change Is Gonna Come was not even the A-Side. It was released as a B-Side. That is actually a great showing for a flip side and shows it would have been much bigger had it been the A-Side.

Louis Jordan is possibly the father on R&B. I mean who was battling him, the Ink Spots and Billy Eckstine?

And as far as radio hits, some of Tex best songs didn't chart. Between 1955-1963 he only charted once.

[L.Kizzle]

Joe also had his own sound. And he could tackle many different styles.

[LJJ]

Chart success doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. The Otis you want to be comparing Joe Tex to is Otis Clay.

[rufuspaul]

HERESY!


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdMGsRSxK3E/UsflQkuwmfI/AAAAAAAAPvM/NdK_fmQCwQ8/s1600/boo-this-man.gif

It took till post #3 for LD to respond. I am disappoint.

[L.Kizzle]

Chart success doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. The Otis you want to be comparing Joe Tex to is Otis Clay.
Hey, I like Otis Clay but come on. I was merely using charts just as a tiny example. Chart success aside, Joe Tex vs Otis Redding straight up. Song for song. Lyric for lyric.

[LJJ]

Hey, I like Joe Tex but come on.

*The response of every single person who reads this thread.

[L.Kizzle]

*The response of every single person who reads this thread.
Everyone has just been brainwash to assume that Otis is just heads and shoulders above every other 60s soul star. That's actually not the case here. If you go through their catalog you'll see first hand that Joe was only behind JB in those times.

[9erempiree]

Redding put out iconic songs that can be played through generations. It also attracts pop culture. His songs are timeless. The most popular Redding songs are recognizable and loved by 95% of the American public.

There is no denying his greatness. You don't have to bring down Redding to prop Joe Tex up.

It's like, Lionel Ritchie or R. Kelly, while both very good artists, Ritchie's music is recognizable and loved by many.l

[L.Kizzle]

Redding put out iconic songs that can be played through generations. It also attracts pop culture. His songs are timeless. The most popular Redding songs are recognizable and loved by 95% of the American public.

There is no denying his greatness. You don't have to bring down Redding to prop Joe Tex up.

It's like, Lionel Ritchie or R. Kelly, while both very good artists, Ritchie's music is recognizable and loved by many.l
Of the ten biggest soul stars of the 60s

James Brown
Sam Cooke
Jackie Wilson
Otis Redding
Wilson Pickett
Solomon Burke
Marvin Gaye
Joe Tex
Ray Charles
Stevie Wonder

Joe is easily the most overlooked. He's the only one not in the Rock Hall despite having an impact in the genre and countless hits.

And did you just compare Lionel Richie to R. Kelly. Very random. Not even from the same era. Richie vs Billy Ocean is a better comparison.

[9erempiree]

Joe is easily the most overlooked. He's the only one not in the Rock Hall despite having an impact in the genre and countless hits.

And did you just compare Lionel Richie to R. Kelly. Very random. Not even from the same era. Richie vs Billy Ocean is a better comparison.

Bad comparison.

Just saying I don't need to put down timberlake to prop up thicke.

Now you're crossing that thin line by bashing redding.

[L.Kizzle]

Bad comparison.

Just saying I don't need to put down timberlake prop up thicke.

Now you're crossing that thin line by bashing redding.
Who bashed Redding? I said Joe is greater. Give me an Otis song, and I'll give you a similar sounding Tex song, but better.

[32jazz]

Joe is easily the most overlooked. He's the only one not in the Rock Hall despite having an impact in the genre and countless hits.

And did you just compare Lionel Richie to R. Kelly. Very random. Not even from the same era. Richie vs Billy Ocean is a better comparison.

And a lesser artist like Percy Sledge is even in the Rock HOF. At first I was all for the Game of Thrones style "walk of shame" for you, but I'm listening.

Although I agree that Tex is is under appreciated I can't sign on to the ' better than Otis' sentiment.



I will admit one thing that Otis Reddings music can be very repetitive (although his career was very short) & maybe he would eventually grow ,but..........

TeX had longevity & an opportunity to explore soul/funk & even dsico.



His biggest hits beside the great "Hold what you've got" (absolute classic) were the tongue in cheek "Bump no more(Big Fat Woman)", " I Gotcha", "Skinny Legs".

Because of this & my unfamiliarity with his wider discography I wrongly remembered Tex as a bit of a 'clown' .




Refreshingly Joe TeX didn't always take himself too seriously (like some douche musicians),but unfortunately it seems the music industry doesn't take him too seriously either.

[9erempiree]

The link and "Hold what you've got" is what I like....

You cannot be in a bad mood when listening to this actual performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2kDntpA-TA

These are good threads because it helps people broaden their music taste.

[LJJ]

Everyone has just been brainwash to assume that Otis is just heads and shoulders above every other 60s soul star. That's actually not the case here. If you go through their catalog you'll see first hand that Joe was only behind JB in those times.

Everyone is just brainwashed that Joe Tex is heads and shoulders above someone like Otis Clay, when in reality when you listen to the records Otis Clay brings more.

[Lamar Doom]

I'm telling you, once you get into Joe Tex you'll see.

I've been listening to Joe Tex for a long time. I feel like we've talked about it on here before... (god damn the search function is not intuitive at all, but I'm certain I linked some Joe Tex shit years ago when you made an "I've discovered Joe Tex" thread)


Joe also had his own sound.


Otis has one of the most distinct sounds in all of music.



Everyone has just been brainwash to assume that Otis is just heads and shoulders above every other 60s soul star.


Everyone has been brainwashed? Look, at the end of the day it's personal taste but I think you just sat down and listened to a bunch of Joe Tex records and decided to make a controversial statement, I think it's just for the sake of controversy in this case.


Of the ten biggest soul stars of the 60s

Joe is easily the most overlooked.


This is really the point you're trying to make, which is fine, but he's not sniffing Otis.

[L.Kizzle]

And a lesser artist like Percy Sledge is even in the Rock HOF. At first I was all for the Game of Thrones style "walk of shame" for you, but I'm listening.

Although I agree that Tex is is under appreciated I can't sign on to the ' better than Otis' sentiment.



I will admit one thing that Otis Reddings music can be very repetitive (although his career was very short) & maybe he would eventually grow ,but..........

TeX had longevity & an opportunity to explore soul/funk & even dsico.



His biggest hits beside the great "Hold what you've got" (absolute classic) were the tongue in cheek "Bump no more(Big Fat Woman)", " I Gotcha", "Skinny Legs".

Because of this & my unfamiliarity with his wider discography I wrongly remembered Tex as a bit of a 'clown' .




Refreshingly Joe TeX didn't always take himself too seriously (like some douche musicians),but unfortunately it seems the music industry doesn't take him too seriously either.
Tex had a fun side to him, but he also had a serious songwriting side (not Curtis Mayfield type seriousness.) Tex' songwriting to me, is magnificent. Very close to the style of a Bobby Womack. He has some great gems, as non-charting A-Sides from the 50s' and early 60s' to album cuts on mid 60s album cuts.

Joe Tex: Say Thank You (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9odf5mWGPA)

A song like this is incredible. And it didn't even chart. And on the flip side. Check the style change up.

Joe Tex: Looking For My Pig (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqIeEWCD0Ao)

He was also writing songs for others to record.

This is a magnificent tune.

Jerry Woodard & His Esquires: Old Time Lover 1961 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM6aKkja-Bs)

He was even getting work for heavyweights like Jerry Butler.

Jerry Butler: The Wicked Man 1961 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axd8xYlejHc)

And for Little Willie John's sister, Mable John. The track "Don't Hit Me No More"

Mable John: Don't Hit Me No More 1967 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXU0GQSMDcI)

He even gave one of his early singles to his arch rival James Brown, when they were friends. Joe's missed the charts in early 1961, but JB's version released a few months later was a top 5 soul/top 50 pop hit.

Joe Tex: Baby. You're Right (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMXuY6YQExc)

James Brown: Baby, You're Right (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uZ-f_NMX9U)

[L.Kizzle]

Otis has one of the most distinct sounds in all of music.
I'm speaking of the music styling, not voice. That sound was the Stax sound, used for Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, Rufus Thomas, ect. Which was the MG's and the Mar-Keys horns. Joe Tex had his own band.





Everyone has been brainwashed? Look, at the end of the day it's personal taste but I think you just sat down and listened to a bunch of Joe Tex records and decided to make a controversial statement, I think it's just for the sake of controversy in this case.
Why is it controversial for Joe Tex, but if it was Otis Redding I had over Joe Tex it would be perfectly fine?



This is really the point you're trying to make, which is fine, but he's not sniffing Otis.
You said you've listened to both deeply. Why do you have Otis over Joe? What made his music better in your eyes? What would have made Joe Tex better than Otis Redding?

[L.Kizzle]

is this the greatest song Otis Redding never recorded?

Joe Tex: The Love You Save (May Be Your Own) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szEAqKbAGz4)

[Lamar Doom]

is this the greatest song Otis Redding never recorded?

Joe Tex: The Love You Save (May Be Your Own) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szEAqKbAGz4)


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7570409&postcount=12

Love that record (still)

[L.Kizzle]

Also, I'd take Wilson Pickett and Johnnie Taylor over Otis. I'm on the fence with Solomon Burke and Sam & Dave tho, Otis is probably equal to them tho.