From an oral history of the making of “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” which was released 45 years ago today, on January 8, 1968.
Usually when Otis came to town, he waited until he checked into the Holiday Inn before calling me to work with him on songs in his room. This time he couldn’t wait. He said, “Crop, I’ve got a hit. I’m coming right over.”
When Otis walked in, he said, “Crop, get your gut-tar.” I always kept a Gibson B-29 around. He grabbed it, tuned it to an open E-chord, which made the guitar easier to play slide. Then Otis played and sang a verse he had written: Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun/I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ come/Watching the ships roll in/And then I watch ‘em roll away again.
