The Doors

“The Doors” were an American rock band from the West Coast that was founded in 1965 and disbanded in 1973. It consisted of the charismatic singer Jim Morrisonthe guitarist Robby Krieger, the keyboardist Ray Manzarek and the drummer John Densmore. Known for their unique blend of rock, blues and psychedelic music, “The Doors” became icons of the 1960s. Their hits such as “Light My Fire”, “Break On Through” and “Riders on the Storm” remain classics to this day. The band became famous for their poetic lyrics and Morrison’s eccentric stage presence. Despite their short career, the Doors had a huge influence on rock music.

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Foundation

The band The Doors was formed in the summer of 1965 when Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek met on Venice Beach (California). The name of the band was inspired by Aldous Huxley’s essay “The Doors of Perception”. The title comes from a quote from William Blake’s work “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell”:

“If the gates of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to people as it really is: infinite.

After Morrison had introduced Manzarek to some of his compositions, including “Moonlight Drive”, Manzarek was so impressed by their poetic potential that he suggested forming a band. Manzarek had already started out with his band “Rick and the Ravens”, but left the new formation when Morrison joined.

Morrison and Manzarek went in search of suitable musicians and, by chance, met Robby Krieger and John Densmore at a meditation course. guitar and drums played guitar and drums. Manzarek compensated for the lack of a bass player by playing the rhythmic accompaniment on a Vox Continental organ and taking over the bass on a Fender Rhodes piano bass with the other hand. Krieger, on the other hand, impressed Morrison above all with his bottleneck playing and his tonal abilities.

Success

After a few appearances, including at a high school prom with Sonny and Cher, the Doors signed a contract with Columbia Records, the label that also had artists such as Bob Dylan under contract at the time. However, this contract did not lead to the release of their music and was soon terminated by mutual agreement. Ray Manzarek received a new Vox Continental organ as compensation.

The band played for a while for little money in the London Fog club and developed their individual musical style there, while Jim Morrison developed his stage presence there. In the beginning, Morrison is said to have been very shy and turned his back on the audience.

After the gigs at the London Fog, they moved to the renowned Whisky A Go-Go, where well-known bands such as Love from Los Angeles had already performed. The Doors became the house band for a few months and played as support acts for top acts. Their song “The End” in particular, with its later famous Oedipal lines, attracted a lot of attention. But after an inarticulate scream from Morrison, followed by a single “Fuck you!”, the club owner banned the band from playing any more gigs. Shortly afterwards, they signed a contract with Elektra Records.

Despite some drug experiments in the early days, Manzarek, unlike Morrison, kept a certain distance from the excesses that were common at the time. Robby Krieger had no objection to occasional drug use. John Densmore was more critical of the excesses.

Ray Manzarek had a decisive influence on the band’s music with his organ playing and often improvised together with guitarist Robby Krieger in extended solos. He described his time as keyboard player with the Doors as very fulfilling, even if he observed Morrison’s increasingly eccentric behavior and personality changes off stage with concern.

During the live performances, Manzarek was able to use his own microphone so that his distinctive, deep voice can be heard on many live recordings. He even sang some songs such as “Close to You” himself. However, the band owes its popularity above all to the charismatic singer Jim Morrison, who gave it an unmistakable face. The Doors’ stage shows were characterized by improvisations and Morrison’s eccentric appearance.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9sBKSv5g0zM

After the death of Jim Morrison

After the death of Jim Morrison on July 3, 1971 in Paris, the remaining band members released two more albums, but they were not very successful. The group disbanded in April 1973. A reunion concert took place on September 26, 2000, at which the three remaining members of the Doors performed together with various singers, including Ian Astbury from the English rock band The Cult, who took over Morrison’s part. In 2003, there was another upheaval in the band’s history. Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger announced that they would go on tour with Ian Astbury, but under the name “The Doors of the 21st Century”. John Densmore declined a comeback.

Due to legal disputes, the band performed under different names, including “Riders on the Storm”. There were also lawsuits against band members and managers, which resulted in different verdicts. In March 2007, Ian Astbury left the band and Brett Scallions was hired as vocalist. Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger went on another world tour in 2011 to mark the 40th anniversary of Jim Morrison’s death. Ray Manzarek died in May 2013 as a result of cancer.

Studio albums

The legendary band The Doors released a total of six studio albums, each of which made an important contribution to the history of rock music.

The Doors (1967)
The self-titled debut album contains hits such as “Light My Fire” and “The End”, which later became famous thanks to the film “Apocalypse Now”. The song “The Crystal Ship” and the Brecht/Weill song “Alabama Song” were also included on this successful album.

Strange Days (1967)
“Strange Days” followed in the fall of the same year with the song “Moonlight Drive” and the haunting “When the Music’s Over”. The album shows the experimental side of the band.

Waiting for the Sun (1968)
In 1968, The Doors released “Waiting for the Sun” with the hit “Hello, I Love You”, which topped the charts. The well-known song “Spanish Caravan” was also included on the album.

The Soft Parade (1969)
“The Soft Parade” from 1969 was a mixture of rock and orchestral sound with songs such as “Running Blue” and “Touch Me”. The album received mixed reviews, but nevertheless marked an important step in their development.

Morrison Hotel (1970)
With “Morrison Hotel”, the band returned to its roots in 1970 and turned to the blues. Songs like “Roadhouse Blues” and “Peace Frog” are characteristic of this album.

L.A. Woman (1971)
The last album before Jim Morrison’s death, “L.A. Woman” from 1971, was characterized by bluesy elements. The title track “L.A. Woman” as well as “Love Her Madly” and “Riders on the Storm” were among the highlights.

Studio albums after the death of Jim Morrison

After the tragic death of Jim Morrison, the remaining members of the Doors continued their musical journey, but not with the same success as before.

Other Voices (1971)
With “Other Voices”, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore dared to continue without Jim Morrison. Manzarek and Krieger took over the vocal parts. Although the album contained some interesting tracks such as “Tightrope Ride” and “In the Eye of the Sun”, it was unable to match the success of previous years.

Full Circle (1972)
The album “Full Circle” followed a year later, again with vocal contributions from Manzarek and Krieger. Tracks such as “Get Up and Dance” and “Verdilac” showed a certain versatility, but the album was still unable to match the band’s earlier successes.

An American Prayer (1978)
In 1978, the remaining band members released “An American Prayer”. This album consisted mainly of poems that Morrison had recorded on his last birthday. The remaining band members added musical elements to accompany the lyrics.

Despite these efforts and releases, none of the albums could match the uniqueness and success of the Doors with Morrison. Nevertheless, the band left behind an impressive discography that reflects their artistic diversity and influence on the music world.

Title list

1967

• Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)
• Back Door Man
• Break On Through (To The Other Side)
• End Of The Night
• Horse Latitudes
• Light My Fire
• Love Me Two Times
• Love Street
• Moonlight Drive
• My Eyes Have Seen You
• My Wild Love
• Not To Touch The Earth
• People Are Strange
• Soul Kitchen
• Spanish Caravan
• Strange Days
• Take It As It Comes
• Twentieth Century Fox
• Unhappy Girl

1968

• Five To One
• Hello, I Love You
• Love Her Madly
• Love Me Two Times
• Love Street
• My Wild Love
• Queen Of The Highway
• Soul Kitchen
• Spanish Caravan
• The Unknown Soldier
• We Could Be So Good Together
• Wild Child
• Yes, The River Knows

1969

• Runnin’ Blue
• Shaman’s Blues
• Tell All The People
• Touch Me

1970

• Blue Sunday
• Cars Hiss By My Window
• Hyacinth House
• Indian Summer
• L.A. Woman
• L’America
• Country Ho
• Maggie M’Gill
• Peace Frog
• Queen Of The Highway
• Roadhouse Blues
• Ship Of Fools
• Waiting For The Sun

1971

• Been Down So Long
• Hyacinth House
• L.A. Woman
• L’America
• Peace Frog
• Riders On The Storm
• The Changeling

1972

• The Mosquito

Film adaptation

In 1991, Oliver Stone filmed the story of the band under the title “The Doors”. The film offers an insight into the lives of the band members, particularly the personality of Jim Morrison, and highlights the highs and lows of their career. Val Kilmer’s performance as Jim Morrison was particularly praised as he sensitively conveys Morrison’s charisma and stage presence. The film gives a visual impression of the times, the music and the culture that shaped the Doors and remains an important representation of the band’s history to this day.