Songoftheday 11/19/15 - Left my home in Georgia headed for the Frisco Bay, I had nothin' to live for looks like nothin's gonna come my way...

"(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" - Michael Bolton
from the album The Hunger (1987)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #11 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 10

Today's song of the day was a remake of the first single in the rock era to go to #1 after the artist had passed away. Otis Redding's "swan song", "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay", was recorded right before Otis' tragic plane crash in 1967. Written with Stax Records house band guitarist Steve Cropper, the breezy, reflective song captured the hearts of Americans enough to send it to the top of the pop chart in March of the following year...

In 1987, singer/songwriter/hair product Michael Bolton released a cover of the song as his second single after his first top-40 hit "That's What Love Is All About". In doing so he stripped all the subdued soul and nuanced melancholy from the track, and turned it into a overachieving vocal exercise with the subtlety of a lawnmower...

No matter, Michael's newfound throngs of female fans found his "Dock Of The Bay" a nice destination, with it becoming his second top-20 pop hit in America in March of 1988. The cover also made it up to #12 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock radio chart, as well as #19 on its Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio recap. It even crossed over to the R&B chart, his highest placing of his career at #58. Internationally, the record made the top-10 in Canada (#9), Australia (#7), and New Zealand (#8).

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Besides Redding's flawless original, many musicians through the years have covered the song. R&B saxophonist King Curtis released a version of "Dock Of The Bay" the same year as Otis, and went to #84 on the pop chart and #32 on the adult contemporary chart...

A year later, the Dells just missed the top-40 on the Hot 100 (#42) with their take on the song which gets kind of (too) hectic...

Also in 1969, Brazilian artist Sergio Mendes had a minor hit with his own cover, peaking at #66 pop and #12 adult contemporary in the "lounge" style...

Ten years later, rocker Sammy Hagar took on the song with Cropper along for the ride, and went to #65 on the pop chart...

In 1982, Otis' sons Dexter and Otis III formed the Reddings, and their cover of their dad's song went to #15 on the adult contemporary list, #21 on the R&B chart, and #55 on Billboard's Hot 100...

And finally, I'll give Michael another go from his concert in 1988...

Up tomorrow: a pop king sees his refection.