The last song that Otis Redding ever recorded. "You Left The Water Running" (written by Dan Penn, Rick Hall, and Oscar Franks), was a demo originally intended for Wilson Pickett to record. Pickett eventually recorded it, and so did a duo called Maurice and Mac. Here's more history on the song, from a Wikipedia article.
From Wikipedia - "You Left the Water Running" is a soul music song written by Dan Penn, Rick Hall and Oscar Franks. It has been recorded by Wilson Pickett, Maurice and Mac and most notably by Otis Redding.
Redding's connection to the song is documented by music journalist Dave Marsh in his 1989 book The Heart of Rock and Soul. In 1966, Redding was visiting FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama when studio owner Rick Hall requested Redding help them with an upcoming session. Wilson Pickett was to record "You Left the Water Running", and Hall wished for Redding to record a demo to assist with the production. A simple recording was made and Redding made some overdub additions, and Pickett made his recording similar to Redding's version.
Ten years later, Marsh was mailed a promo copy of "You Left the Water Running" by Otis Redding on Stone Records (the flipside was an instrumental called "The Otis Jam", which was produced by John Fred, of "Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)" fame). Marsh was fascinated by the song, and mentioned the new single to several friends, including his attorney, who also happened to represent the Otis Redding estate. He soon found out that Stone Records had not obtained the Redding family's permission to release the long lost demo recording, and demanded the single be pulled from circulation.
When Marsh asked the label's distributor what was to become of the single, he was informed that they were to be destroyed. Instead, Marsh purchased the copies that remained, and gave them out as gifts, with the attorney's permission. As a result,the single (Stone 209) is now highly valuable.
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