Why is there whistling in Sittin on the Dock of the Bay?

Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends about music and whether they are true or false. Click here to view an archive of the movie urban legends featured so far.

MUSIC URBAN LEGEND: “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay” ended with whistling because Otis Redding died before finishing the final verse.

“(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” was by far Otis Redding’s biggest hit recorded by himself.

Tragically, he did not live to see it become a great success, as he died in a plane crash before the song was released.

Reader Jay wrote in with an interesting legend regarding the song that he wanted me to verify or debunk:

I heard a tale that Otis Redding’s Sitting on the Dock of the Bay ending was done with him whistling because he died before it was finished. He went to his label and didn’t have an instrument and whistled the tune while being recorded to give the example of the song. They finished the song from that recording so the story goes.

Is that true? Let’s find out!

Like most legends, there is enough truth mixed into the story that you can easily see how the story slowly morphed into the version that Jay heard.

Redding liked to ad lib at the end of his songs. This is probably most famously shown in his amazing 1966 single, “Try a Little Tenderness,” where he ends the song with a series of ad libs (the show was a staple of his live performances, and he could stretch the end out veeery long).

Steve Cropper, who played guitar on the song as well as produce the track, recalled to Wall Street Journal about the end of “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay”:

Otis always liked to ad-lib at the end of songs, so I added in about 10 measures of instrumental background for him to do so. But when the time came, Otis couldn’t think of anything and started whistling, which, of course, made the song.

On the first take, the whistling sure does sound impromptu…

Stax Records’ Al Bell, however, insisted that Redding always intended to end the song with a whistling riff.

Whatever Redding’s INITIAL intent was, however, it was clear that the whistling was quickly agreed on for the song, as there were three takes of the song and they all ended with Redding whistling. Redding even did some overdub work on the song just a couple of days before his tragic death and he didn’t change anything, whistling-wise.

So no, there was no final verse and it is unlikely that Redding intended to add in ad libs later, either.

Fascinatingly enough, when Cropper put together the final mix of the song after Redding’s death, he replaced Redding’s whistling entirely! The whistling on the final tune is done by Sam “Bluzman” Taylor (Cropper also added in the beach sound effects to the song).

So while there is a lot of truth behind the story, ultimately I think it is fair to say that the legend is…

STATUS: False

Thanks for the suggestion, Jay!

Everyone else, feel free (heck, I implore you!) to write in with your suggestions for future urban legends columns! My e-mail address is

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 5th, 2015 at 11:45 pm and is filed under Music Legends Revealed. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Did Otis Redding whistle on Sitting on the Dock of the Bay?

Otis Redding did originally come up with a whistle for the end of the song. According to Steve Cropper, Redding was still pondering adding a 4th verse to “(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay” or lyrics to an outro. Otis just finished up the song with a whistle as a placeholder because he had nothing else left to add.

What genre is sitting on the dock of the bay?

R&B/soul Pop (Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay/Generi

Which singer had a hit song with a cover of Otis Redding's Sittin on the Dock of the Bay?

Sting Sting recorded a laid-back cover of Otis Redding's “(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay.” The release marks the first installment of the Alzheimer's Association's “Music Moments,” a project where artists tackle songs they appreciate on an emotional level.

Where did Otis Redding grow up?

Macon, Georgia Redding was raised in Macon, Georgia, where he was deeply influenced by the subtle grace of Sam Cooke and the raw energy of Little Richard. In the late 1950s Redding joined Richard's band, the Upsetters, after Richard had gone solo.

Who wrote Otis Redding songs?

Original songs

How did Otis Redding?

Otis Redding, 26 years old, a former well-driller from Macon, Georgia, died in a plane crash in an icy Wisconsin lake on December 10. ... His plane hit the surface of the fog-shrouded lake with tremendous force, widely scattering the debris. He was only four miles from the Madison Municipal Airport.

Which album from the 1980s is the best selling album in the history of the music business?

Thriller Thirty-six years ago, Michael Jackson released an album that cemented his status as the world's biggest pop star. “Thriller,” released on Novem, went on to become the world's best-selling music album in history.

What is sitting on the dock of the Bay?

• (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay is a song co-written by soul singer Otis Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper. It was recorded by Redding twice in 1967, including once just days before his death in a plane crash.

Who sings sitting on Dock Bay?

• "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" is a song co-written by soul singer Otis Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper.

What is the dock of the Bay?

• The Dock of the Bay (album) Jump to navigation Jump to search. The Dock of the Bay is the first of a number of posthumously released Otis Redding albums, and his seventh studio album. It contains a number of singles and B-sides dating back to 1965 and one of his best known songs, the posthumous hit "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay".

Is sitting on the dock of the bay about depression?

Which singer had a hit song with a cover of Otis Redding Sittin on the Dock of the Bay?

What genre is sitting on the dock of the bay?

Is Sittin on the Dock of the Bay about Vietnam?