Otis Redding vs. Etta James | Head 2 Head 🗣️

In the 32^nd edition of Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️ (2022), Otis Redding and Etta James contend for the best rendition of “Cigarettes and Coffee.”

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  In the 32^nd edition of head 🗣️2 head 🗣️ (2022), 🎙 Otis Redding and 🎙 Etta James contend for the best rendition of 🎵 “Cigarettes and Coffee”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Otis Redding, “Cigarettes and Coffee”

💿 The Soul Album • 🏷 Atlantic • 🗓 1966

“It’s early in the morning / About a quarter ‘til three / I’m sitting here talking with my baby / Over cigarettes and coffee, now.” The late, great 🎙 Otis Redding is best known for gems like 🎵 “Sittin’ On (The Dock of the Bay)”, 🎵 “These Arms of Mine”, and 🎵 “Try a Little Tenderness”.  Also, Redding penned “Respect”, though 🎙 Aretha Franklin owns the definitive version.  Sadly, 🎵 “Cigarettes and Coffee”, a marvelous gem from his 1966 album,  💿 The Soul Album (1966), doesn’t get the same hype.  It should though! “Cigarettes and Coffee” is a cover, though the original received little fanfare;  the Redding version is easily the definitive take.  The record was written by 🎼 ✍  Jerry Butler, 🎼 ✍  Eddie Thomas, and 🎼 ✍ Jay Walker.

On “Cigarettes and Coffee,” Redding proves he was a once in a generation artist. Despite the fact that he didn’t live long, his impact on soul music is undeniable. “Cigarettes and Coffee” finds Redding at his most expressive; his voice is amazing with vocal cracks, grit, nuance. “Cigarettes” oozes with soul, only amplified by an epic horn arrangement/overall production.

“But it seems so natural, darling

That you and I are here

Just talking over cigarettes and drinking coffee.”

You listen to records like 🎵 “Cigarettes and Coffee”, and it makes you yearn for that authentic soul sound that’s so rare in the 2020s. Otis Redding is EVERYTHING on this 1966 highlight from The Soul Album which is, indeed, soulful.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Delightful Songs Coffee Drinkers Can Get Behind
• Otis Redding, “Cigarettes and Coffee”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 73 (2022)

2. Etta James, “Cigarettes and Coffee”

💿 The Dreamer • 🏷 The Verve Music Group • 📅 2011

🎙 Etta James was a musical icon – period.  James, who can be characterized as an R&B and blues musician, is arguably best known for 🎵 “At Last”. That said, she has other timeless and unforgettable gems in addition to “At Last.”  Months before her death at the age of 73 in 2012,  James released what would be her final studio album, 💿 The Dreamer.  Featuring covers, among the best is 🎵 “Cigarettes and Coffee”, which was popularized by the late, great, short-lived 🎙 Otis Redding.  Redding earns definitive honors, but Etta brings the heat with a stunning remake.

As you’d expect from a 🏆 Grammy-winning legend, she sounds utterly sublime.  By this time, her voice had grown more coarse, gritty, and smokier – it comes with age, among other things.  Even so, she masterfully captures the emotion of the record.  Furthermore, the production is an update of the original, making it sound very natural and perfectly suited for an old-school musician like James.  Longer than Redding’s own expressive take, James milks it for all it’s worth. Some of her ad-libs that appear at the end are incredibly special.  Safe to say, she does this classic justice, making it her own.

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️ 

🎙 Otis Redding or 🎙 Etta James?  Wow – how do you decide between two such pivotal, late musicians? Well, in this case, it comes down to the definitive take, plain and simple. James delivers a marvelous rendition, but Redding ultimately takes this one, all said and done.

Otis Redding vs. Etta James: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 32 (2022) [📷: Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, Kool Shooters, Layers, Mario Aranda, The Musical Hype, Pexels, Pixabay, RODNAE Productions, Valentin Tikhonov, The Verve Music Group]