Otis Redding and Carla Thomas – New Year’s Resolution

This song is a great way to start a year! Anytime you can hear Otis…you are on the right path! Have a Happy New Year! Get ready for 2024. Their voices sound amazing. They complimented each other very well. I just wished they would have had time to do more.

Stax’s house band, Booker T & the MGs, provides the backing.  Note Booker T’s subtle but effective organ lending the song a spiritual element, while Donald “Duck” Dunn’s bass and Steve Cropper’s tasteful guitar licks ground the track’s rhythm

Stax was hoping to replicate the success of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Stax paired two of their greatest stars for the 1967 album King & Queen, which produced the hit “Tramp.” The album featured their takes on classics such as “Knock on Wood,” “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby,” “Bring It on Home to Me,” and “It Takes Two”

This song was on the King and Queen album released in 1967. This is the only album they got to make because Otis died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967. Carla Thomas would go on to a successful career with 2 top 20 hits plus many top 20 R&B hits.

I’m adding the song Tramp off of the album. This song peaked at #26 on the Billboard 100, #2 on the R&B Charts, and #1 on the UK R&B Charts in 1967.

New Year’s Resolution

I hope it’s not too late
Just to say that I’m sorry, honey
All I want to do
Is just finish what we started, baby

Let’s turn over a new leave
And baby let’s make promises
That we can keep
And call it a New Year’s resolution, hmmm

Oh, I’m a woman
And woman makes mistakes too
But will you, will you forget the changes
That I put you through

let’s try it again
Just you and me
And, baby, let’s see how happy honey, yeah
That we can be
And call it a New Year’s resolution, yeah, yeah, yeah

Many times we had our ups and downs
And times you needed me I couldn’t be found
I’m sorry
And I’m sorry too
I’ll never, never do it again, no, no, no
So baby before we fall out
Let’s fall on in, yeah, yeah
Oh, and we’re gonna try harder
Not to hurt each other again, oh
Love me baby, huh
Week after week
And baby let’s make promises
That we can keep
And call it a New Year’s resolution, yeah, oh
I know we can do it Carla
I’m gonna keep my promises
I’m gonna hold on that we can do it, baby
Oh, it’s not too late
You’re gonna love me
Nobody else
Oh Otis let’s finish what we started
Talk no mean

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

32 thoughts on “Otis Redding and Carla Thomas – New Year’s Resolution”

  1. It’s great to give “New Year’s Resolution” some love now that, for most Christmas is over and the New Year is upon us. I discovered this song a few years back but I don’t know “Tramp”. I always thought Carla should have done better, I don’t think it was her fault, she was really talented.

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    1. I was surprised at the lack of top 10 chart success as well. I guess the most well known song was B-A-B-Y…
      She did do well in the R&B Charts….

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  4. Stax is right up my alley, Max. It was Motown that led me to explore soul music. While I still like much of their music, nowadays my general preference is Stax. So much great music came out of that label in the ’60s! Otis was one of their standouts, as was Carla Thomas. And then, of course, you had Booker T. and the M.G.’s who not only were a great backing band but did some neat own music as well.

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    1. Yes I love Booker T and the MG’s. I also lean toward Stax…more punchy. Both were important and great but yea…I love the in your face of Stax.

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    1. That was me also…it got to the point and I like the example it gave more… I just can’t really imagine anything that dense…I believe it…it’s just hard to imagine.

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    1. Oh yes I do admire his bass playing a lot…he was a total groove bass player… I was telling Deke that someone commented: Elvis may be king, but Otis had the Voice of God.
      That…was the best comment all year!

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      1. Oh yeah. Ive mentioned that he’s one of my top vocalists. Great clip of The MG’s backing up Young in a live Dylan concert doing Watchtower. Neil goes off on his playing. I think he was jacked playing with the band.

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  9. Speaking of kings, Stax, and Donald Duck, Albert King released an album in 1970 called “The King Does the King’s Things”, featuring his versions of Elvis Presley hits. Dunn is the bassist. producer, and arranger, along with Al Jackson, Jr.. Jackson doesn’t play drums, which are covered by Willie Hall, who replaced Jackson in Booker T and the MGs (after replacing Carl Cunningham in the Bar-Kays [Otis’ backing band]). He seemed to be the go-to drummer when your drummer in the Stax world died.

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  11. The first video literally lifted me from my seat and got me dancing around the house. Love that groove and it is perfect for dancing in it. The horns always elevate. Great choice for a Saturday afternoon, Max.

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  14. I’m still out of posting, but I have time to read occasionally during the mayhem of grandchild driven run-arounds! Great new years song and happy 24- I’m over and out, the kid is a’calling!!!
    (PS; Loving seeing this kid seeing the world all wide-eyed.)

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