Being a lifelong Doors fan, just wanted to recognize the 50th anniversary of Jim’s passing today.

Finally got to visit his gravesite at Pere Lachaise a few years back.

RIP Lizard King

That’s one band I would have loved to see live.

Nate

50 years ago is clear as day to me. Brian Jones I heard about on the radio that Fourth of July Weekend. (July 3rd is also Brian Jones death date.) I remember Hendrix was reported on the evening news. I don't remember Joplin. By the time they got to Morrison, drug deaths were becoming common. I actually stood in a grocery store, and read in either Time or Newsweek about Morrison dying.

It didn't seem a big deal. Looking back I guess the Doors just weren't that popular at the time. And there was always a little snark in the rock press, not taking them seriously, like they were an Alice Cooper gimmick type act. It would take years, and Francis Ford Coppola, for them, and Morrison, to achieve the exalted reputation they hold today.

What no one ever mentions is how the heads of America's rock supremacy were lopped off in a ten month period, starting with Hendrix in September of '70. And America's rock future, Duane Allman, 24, was beheaded a little less than four months later on October 29th, 1971.

The Morrison death was wrapped in mystery that has never been completely revealed. And his partner at the time of his death, Pam Courson, might have taken more information with her to the grave when she also overdosed on Heroin just three years later. It is a bit strange that Morrison wrote a poem about Brian Jones death in 1969, then succumbed on the exact same day two years later. America's greatest rock stars of the 60s and early 70s were all gone in a little over a year period.

Poor Otis, dead and gone....

I saw them a couple of times, the first they were ok if a little (ok, a lot) shallow what with no bass player, the second time they were a complete mess. No, Jim, no one wants to see your pet "snake".

jb

Like others who died too son, one can wonder what, if anything, the future held for Morrison. The Doors are one of those bands I cherry pick regarding their music, though, I remember sitting in a bar on South Street in Philly one Saturday afternoon, too many moons ago, going through a second pitcher of margaritas with some friends and the bar played the Doors greatest hits or something on that order, and damn1, did they sound good.

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24FPS

It didn't seem a big deal. Looking back I guess the Doors just weren't that popular at the time. . It would take years, and Francis Ford Coppola, for them, and Morrison, to achieve the exalted reputation they hold today.

I disagree with this. "Love Her Madly" and the L.A. Woman album got tons of airplay, both on AM Top 40 Hit and FM Album Oriented Rock radio stations.

Perhaps there wasn't as much shock about Morrison's death--and maybe a little fatigue--after the one-two punch of losing Jimi and Janis. I recall some superstition as who the next "J" death would be--the obvious one being Jagger.

But the Doors were huge at the time, even though they became even more popular as the Morrison legend continued to grow in later years..

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loog droog

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24FPS

It didn't seem a big deal. Looking back I guess the Doors just weren't that popular at the time. . It would take years, and Francis Ford Coppola, for them, and Morrison, to achieve the exalted reputation they hold today.

I disagree with this. "Love Her Madly" and the L.A. Woman album got tons of airplay, both on AM Top 40 Hit and FM Album Oriented Rock radio stations.

Perhaps there wasn't as much shock about Morrison's death--and maybe a little fatigue--after the one-two punch of losing Jimi and Janis. I recall some superstition as who the next "J" death would be--the obvious one being Jagger.

But the Doors were huge at the time, even though they became even more popular as the Morrison legend continued to grow in later years..

you are right loog droog. There were countless Doors cover bands after The Doors stopped recording. Even Jim Mprrison made the cover of Rolling Stones mag in 1981. The movie was just a continuation of the Doors popularity at the time. It didnt revive anything. It was always there.

Jim Morrison was my idol. I wanted always be like he was as a human. And I wanted also die with 27.

I was in Paris when Jim Morrison died. although I did not know it at the time, backpacking through Europe, staying in hostels. It was the Summer of Sticky Fingers and Who's Next. Also visited Nice, France and did not know Stones were across the bay in Nellcote at the same time.

HBK

Love Me Two Times ............... babe



ROCKMAN

Huge Doors fan. Morrison’s voice is one of Rocks greatest. He could scream, croon, whatever was needed. I just wish that A) Manzarek kept his mouth shut about Morrison and Dionysius and all that crap he spouts, and B.) That dumb movie never had been made.

The Doors as a band were all equally talented, Morrison may have written some great words, but without Densmores drumming, Manzareks organ and Kriegers guitar playing the sound the doors created would not have been the same.

“Morrison: A Feast of Friends” by Frank Lisciandro is a great read for the “real” Morrison. Each chapter is made up of interviews with people who actually knew Morrison the man and not the bullshit myth.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-07-04 00:46 by Paddy.

for German readers: Very good piece on Morrison in today's FAZ
=> [www.faz.net]

maybe this was posted before:

[www.rollingstone.com]

I saw the Doors at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium opening for Simon and Garfunkel. It was common then for bands with different styles to share the bill. Saw them again close up at Felt Forum. Jim liked to bait the crowd. Encore? He came out and beat on drum.

Sure I`ve been a fan. In Hindsight, not all the albums were that great. Both "Waiting for The Sun" and "The Soft Parade" sound as if they were thought out on the spot in the studio. The record company sure needed something out. However, they became a great "best of" band.

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Cooltoplady

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loog droog

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24FPS

It didn't seem a big deal. Looking back I guess the Doors just weren't that popular at the time. . It would take years, and Francis Ford Coppola, for them, and Morrison, to achieve the exalted reputation they hold today.

I disagree with this. "Love Her Madly" and the L.A. Woman album got tons of airplay, both on AM Top 40 Hit and FM Album Oriented Rock radio stations.

Perhaps there wasn't as much shock about Morrison's death--and maybe a little fatigue--after the one-two punch of losing Jimi and Janis. I recall some superstition as who the next "J" death would be--the obvious one being Jagger.

But the Doors were huge at the time, even though they became even more popular as the Morrison legend continued to grow in later years..

you are right loog droog. There were countless Doors cover bands after The Doors stopped recording. Even Jim Mprrison made the cover of Rolling Stones mag in 1981. The movie was just a continuation of the Doors popularity at the time. It didnt revive anything. It was always there.

The Rolling Stone was the culmination of a Doors REVIVAL. No, they weren't always popular. After Morrison died, the band tried to continue but it didn't work. They were mostly forgotten until Apocalypse Now.

The Doors had a very big following. In 1968, at the sold out Singer Bowl in New York, The Who were the opening band for the Doors. Not too shabby.

The Doors have have always been big. Yes they went through some lean years after Jim died, and yes the two albums without him were crap,
but their best tunes from their classic catalogue have always been mainstays on nearly every single rock and roll radio station through thick and thin.
Sure there was a major revival of interest in the Doors in the late '70's, but they never really went away in the first place.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

I always thought (and still think) that The Doors are somehow overrated and that Morrison as a poet is a joke. He had a good voice but ruined it.

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Ladykiller
Jim Morrison was my idol. I wanted always be like he was as a human. And I wanted also die with 27.

I hope you changed your mind!

Always luved the vinyls and Pére-Lachaise looked better in the 80s

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24FPS

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Cooltoplady

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loog droog

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24FPS

It didn't seem a big deal. Looking back I guess the Doors just weren't that popular at the time. . It would take years, and Francis Ford Coppola, for them, and Morrison, to achieve the exalted reputation they hold today.

I disagree with this. "Love Her Madly" and the L.A. Woman album got tons of airplay, both on AM Top 40 Hit and FM Album Oriented Rock radio stations.

Perhaps there wasn't as much shock about Morrison's death--and maybe a little fatigue--after the one-two punch of losing Jimi and Janis. I recall some superstition as who the next "J" death would be--the obvious one being Jagger.

But the Doors were huge at the time, even though they became even more popular as the Morrison legend continued to grow in later years..

you are right loog droog. There were countless Doors cover bands after The Doors stopped recording. Even Jim Mprrison made the cover of Rolling Stones mag in 1981. The movie was just a continuation of the Doors popularity at the time. It didnt revive anything. It was always there.

The Rolling Stone was the culmination of a Doors REVIVAL. No, they weren't always popular. After Morrison died, the band tried to continue but it didn't work. They were mostly forgotten until Apocalypse Now.

The revival was mostly the result of Jerry Hopkins's biography of Morrison, No One Here Gets Out Alive, which was published in 1980.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-07-04 16:28 by tatters.

I remember as a kid, growing up in the 70's next to an ultra-hedonistic college fraternity house, hearing "Light My Fire" coming from one of the rooms, many a summer night. It was a formative moment that helped to cement my fascination with rock and roll. The dark jazzy notes of Manzarek's classic organ solo, followed by Krieger's hauntingly-tripped-out guitar response, book-ended on both sides by Morrison's dangerously primal yet utterly seductive vocals. An intoxicating brew indeed.

IMO, the Doors recorded some of the greatest songs in the rock and roll canon - not just "Light My Fire" but also "LA Woman", "Roadhouse Blues", "Riders on the Storm" and "The End", among others. But like noughties posted they had a couple of extremely weak albums. Their last studio recording was a return to form, albeit somewhat uneven.

Morrison could be absolutely riveting on stage, but he'd get so wasted that he would also sometimes turn into a clown, an idiot.

I blame "demon alcohol" for the band's artistic decline in addition to Morrison's untimely death.

Drew

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tatters

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24FPS

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Cooltoplady

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loog droog

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24FPS

It didn't seem a big deal. Looking back I guess the Doors just weren't that popular at the time. . It would take years, and Francis Ford Coppola, for them, and Morrison, to achieve the exalted reputation they hold today.

I disagree with this. "Love Her Madly" and the L.A. Woman album got tons of airplay, both on AM Top 40 Hit and FM Album Oriented Rock radio stations.

Perhaps there wasn't as much shock about Morrison's death--and maybe a little fatigue--after the one-two punch of losing Jimi and Janis. I recall some superstition as who the next "J" death would be--the obvious one being Jagger.

But the Doors were huge at the time, even though they became even more popular as the Morrison legend continued to grow in later years..

you are right loog droog. There were countless Doors cover bands after The Doors stopped recording. Even Jim Mprrison made the cover of Rolling Stones mag in 1981. The movie was just a continuation of the Doors popularity at the time. It didnt revive anything. It was always there.

The Rolling Stone was the culmination of a Doors REVIVAL. No, they weren't always popular. After Morrison died, the band tried to continue but it didn't work. They were mostly forgotten until Apocalypse Now.

The revival was mostly the result of Jerry Hopkins's biography of Morrison, No One Here Gets Out Alive, which was published in 1980.

As a teen in the 70'sNo the doors always had heavy airplay in the 70's on FM radio. We would all go to buy Doors Lps at the local record stores. I still have mags from the 70's with tons of Doors articles. Guys were trying to look like Morrison even at my high school in the mid 70's.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-07-04 21:11 by More Hot Rocks.

He ate acid by the handful but could not handle it. Thats what I recall reading and it fits his behavior.

I remember my friend who was from LA but moved up north, his brother came up one weekend and introduced me and him to both speed and the Doors. Then we went to see them a couple weeks later somewhere in Sacramento, along with the white powder, and it was fking incredible.

Kind of a kool documentary if you haven't seen it. Vito and his dancers prominently featured, these guys made a bunch of artists famous and were always invited to dance and twirl to attract an audience:






jb

A fans compilation that pretty much rocks






and one of their best, catchiest cuts ever. Kinda confused why there is all the footage from San Francisco and that Bullett McQueen Mustang stuff:







jb



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-07-05 01:21 by jbwelda.

While I am by no means a Doors expert, I like lots of their stuff. I personally think "Light My Fire" (long version) is one of the best songs of the rock era. The first album is really good (mostly).

They could really put out some crap too. Jim is certainly way overrated as a "poet" - almost every song mentions death (John Lennon songs do too) and some of the rhymes are stretches ("funeral bier" and "squirming like a toad" come to mind.

All in all, a good 15 song playlist by the Doors is awesome.

Oh yeah, he was a good looking dude.

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24FPS
It didn't seem a big deal. Looking back I guess the Doors just weren't that popular at the time. And there was always a little snark in the rock press, not taking them seriously, like they were an Alice Cooper gimmick type act. It would take years, and Francis Ford Coppola, for them, and Morrison, to achieve the exalted reputation they hold today.

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24FPS
The Rolling Stone was the culmination of a Doors REVIVAL. No, they weren't always popular. After Morrison died, the band tried to continue but it didn't work. They were mostly forgotten until Apocalypse Now.

I kinda support this view...that is close to the overall impression how they were perceived by the general public back in the day — at least that’s how I got on the other side of the Pacific (Japan).

I paid a visit to Pere Lachaise in July, 1994, with my then girlfriend (now wife). While strolling the Rive Gauche, we dropped at a bookshop and asked an intellectual-looking shop assistant (thirty-something, wearing glasses and sporting beard) whereabouts. He knowingly gave us a detailed instruction how to get there, adding, “The four famous places to visit in Paris...the Eiffel, Notre Dame, the Louvre and Jim Morrison’s grave.” That’s the Quartier Latin for you (I questioned myself afterwards, though, “What about the Arc of Triumph? The Opera House?”).
Once we entered the gate of the enormous graveyard, some unmistakable signs caught our eyes, graffiti like “Jim Morrison this way.” One unforgettable one is “Bono’s cock is bigger than Morrison’s” LOL. And then we arrived at his grave. There, an endless queue of people were surrounding the tombstone like pilgrims...

The original Doors never toured Japan. But I saw the purported Doors at the music festival, Summer Sonic Osaka, August 2, 2003. Ian Astbury was in black leather jacket and pants, his eyes covered by sunglasses — a lookalike of Jim to a laughable authenticity. During L.A. Woman, the encore number of the night, he was singing, carried along by the crowd on the front, his face upward. Despite Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger being there, the whole setup felt like a self-tribute act, self-parody even. I enjoyed their performance, including its absurdity. As soon as the show was over, I ran and moved to the main stage to catch the second half of Radiohead, the headliner of the festival.

That, along with the Tokyo appearance the following night, is the only performance of “The Doors” in Japan to this day.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2021-07-05 05:19 by RisingStone.

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runaway
Always luved the vinyls and Pére-Lachaise looked better in the 80s

Went there in '87, and the full bust of Jim was still intact (though covered in a variety of graffiti), and the area surrounding it was littered with beer bottles, flowers, and an assortment of other debris.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......