VeeGee - These Arms of Mine

VeeGee photo

VeeGee

May 18, 2025 11:59pm

<p><img src="https://singsnap-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/message-board/threads/QT4T/c54ff25928_9NVQ_media.gif"></p><p><br></p><p>"<strong>These Arms of Mine</strong>" is a song written by&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">soul</a>&nbsp;musician&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otis_Redding" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Otis Redding</a>. Redding was at that time a member of Pat Teacake's Band, consisting of lead guitarist&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Jenkins" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Johnny Jenkins</a>, bassist Pat Teacake and vocalist/songwriter Redding, who also served as driver for Jenkins, who did not have a driver's license.&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Atlantic Records</a>&nbsp;artist representative&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Galkin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Joe Galkin</a>&nbsp;showed interest in Jenkins and proposed to send him to a studio. On the way to a gig, Redding had the opportunity to perform the songs "Hey Hey Baby" and "These Arms of Mine" as Jenkins and&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_band" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">house band</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._%26_the_M.G.%27s" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Booker T. &amp; the M.G.'s</a>&nbsp;ended their sets earlier than scheduled.</p><p>The performance of the latter song was highly praised;&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Stewart_(music)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Jim Stewart</a>&nbsp;was so impressed that he offered Redding a contract to record for Stax Records of Memphis, Tennessee, which Redding signed soon afterward. "These Arms of Mine" became Redding's first-released Stax Records single, with "Hey Hey Baby" on its B-side. After a series of unnoticed numbers, the song "These Arms of Mine" became Redding's first successful single and sold around 800,000 copies. The song was also included in Redding's 1964 (Atlantic Records) Atco label debut album&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain_in_My_Heart" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);"><em>Pain in My Heart</em></a><em>.</em></p>