Otis Redding / Thomas Carla KING & QUEEN (50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION)

Personnel: Otis Redding, Carla Thomas (vocals); Joe Arnold (alto saxophone); Isaac Hayes (keyboards).
Booker T. & The MG's: Booker T. Jones (keyboards); Steve Cropper (guitar); Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass); Al Jackson, Jr. (drums).
The Memphis Horns: Andrew Love (tenor saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet).
Recorded in Memphis, Tennessee in January 1967. Originally released on Stax (716). Includes original release liner notes by Howard H. Baker, Jr.
Digitally remastered by Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch (DigiPrep).
Although few could hope to go head-to-head with the overwhelming charisma radiated by Otis Redding when he got behind a mike, Carla Thomas gave him a good run for his money. KING & QUEEN unites the daughter of fellow Stax artists Rufus "Walkin' The Dog" Thomas with the reigning King Of Soul on a number of covers that reveal an uncanny synergy between the two soul singers. Redding and Thomas flirt with each other ("Ooh Carla, Ooh Otis"), borrow a page out of the Marvin Gaye/Kim Weston book ("It Takes Two") and pledge their undying love ("New Year's Resolution") when they aren't busy sassing each other ("Tramp").
Of course the true highlights come on the ballads. Sam Cooke ("Bring It On Home To Me") and Aaron Neville ("Tell It Like It Is") are both given their due, but the duo truly shines on a pair of compositions originating from the Stax stable of writers. Songwriting partners Isaac Hayes and David Porter contribute "Let Me Be Good To You" and "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby, which are both worked to great effect by the controlled emoting of the duo, which easily reflects the overall chemistry found throughout KING & QUEEN.

• Genre: R&B
• Format: Vinyl