Otis

Today is the 50th anniversary of the release of Otis Redding’s (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay. Redding had been killed in a plane crash on 9th December 1967.

It became Redding's only single to reach No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the first posthumous No 1 single in U.S. chart history. It sold approximately 4 million copies worldwide and received more than 8 million airplays.

The album The Dock of the Bay was the first posthumous album to reach the top spot on the UK Albums Chart.

All this (and more) I learned from listening to the radio (BBC Radio Jockland’s English language service) while driving to the Post Office this morning.

After that I went over to Edinburgh to meet my friend D for lunch - mahoosive pizzas.

We’ve been friends since we were 11. Our lives have taken very different courses since we left school and we are very different people, but we always enjoy getting together several times a year to over-eat and then - usually - go to a rugby game. Sometimes it’s ice hockey or football, but mostly rugby (especially since the time I fell asleep at a football game after a hearty lunch).

We feel a little lost after lunch if it’s summertime.

One of D’s claims to fame is he managed to dislocate his ar$e playing rugby. The doctors had never seen this injury before. We laugh now, but he had weeks in hospital with a pin through his fibula to keep the injury immobilized. It looked gruesome and painful in equal measure.

The rugby was a bit tedious this afternoon, but it’s more about continuing the banter after lunch without going to a pub and over-drinking. Of course when we were younger we just went to the pub.

I think D still would, but I like to keep on the right side of Mrs D and send her nearest and dearest home in reasonable condition (fair wear and tear excepted). 

The Blip is the mess made of Princes Street Gardens by the festive fun. It’ll be fine by spring time. 

The Bay